HERchester Cypher

HERchester is an 8 week long MCing and lyrical writing series of workshops for women, non-binary people, transgender women and those that identify as women. This year’s project took place in 4 different northern cities: Manchester, Blackpool, Morecambe and Sheffield.

The project was led by Mancunian rapper and vocalist OneDa who helped the group create their own original verses. On top of that the participants learnt how to deliver and perform these creations, as the pinnacle of the HERchester project is a cypher, filmed and recorded by Reform Radio. The cypher was more than a success and we couldn’t have asked for more. The energy, artistry and support brought by every single participant was incredible.

Watch the full cypher below.

The origins of HERchester lie in 2019. Funded by Arts Council England, the first edition of this project focused on bringing female MCs from Manchester together to work alongside OneDa. In this process the all female collective HERchester was formed. The collective have gone to perform both individually and collaboratively, including Manchester International Festival and We Out Here.

It has been amazing to see the project come back on a greater scale. We couldn’t have delivered HERchester without the support from the project’s funder Arts Council England, and RiteTrax, House of Wingz and More Music who accommodated and guided participants in their respective cities.

Keep your eyes peeled for a HERchester documentary featuring exclusive interviews and behind the scene content.