A community concert has celebrated the 254th birthday of feminist Mary Wollstonecraft.

Community choir group, Chorus of Dissent, paired up with the Elastic Band for the concert at St Mary’s Church in Stoke Newington Church Street to mark the birthday of the heroine, who lived and worked in Newington Green.

Ruth Whitehead, conductor of the choir, said it was important to celebrate life of a local icon, whose ideas have influenced many women over the generations.

Music from Haydn to Handel, prominent during Ms Wollstonecraft’s lifetime, was performed.

Known for her Vindication on the Rights of Women, Ms Wollstonecraft opened a school with her sister and friend in Newington Green in 1784. She led what was considered to be a scandalised lifestyle, having female lovers and mothering a child whose father she never married, but is remembered for her courage in speaking up for women.

All the money raised from the concert will go to SmartN16, which aims to turn St Mary’s Old Church into a thriving arts space for the community.