 Global Newsletter - Spring 2010
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Greetings!
Welcome to the Spring term edition of our newsletter! This season
we're bringing you updates from all of our departments: Education and
Community, Events and Projects. So whatever your interest you'll be
sure to find relevant information about how Music for Change can work
with you to add a lively, culturally diverse theme to your programme of
activities. More information is available from our newly revamped website! |
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Haiti Earthquake Benefit Event
Lucky Moyo and several other artists are volunteering their spare time to deliver music and dance workshops/performance in aid of the Haiti Earthquake Appeal. More details, as we have them, will be published on our Events Calendar.
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Education
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Still time to book!
There is still time to book places on our Accredited Training Course for Creative Practitioners
8th - 12th Feb 2010London venue Find out more here...
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Education Bookings Team News
As Winter has fast approached us we've been reflecting back on the last few months of progress.
In October alone, our bookings peaked for the
entire year with the onset of Black History Month. We had the privilege
of working alongside a number of London Boroughs including Lambeth and
Haringey; and a huge number of schools, prisons and community
organisations which all in all added up to 74 workshops and 96 performances! As a fairly new bookings team, it certainly kept us on our toes!
We look forward to more successful bookings for 2010!
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Community
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Music for Change at Canterbury Festival Carnival Parade
 In
October 2009, Music for Change was able to contribute to a successful
festival parade, through a partnership with London All Stars Steel
Band.
Click here for gallery!
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Projects
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Reel Lives Shanghai - New DVD in Production
 Following on from our previously well-received educational DVDs
Reel Lives Sierra Leone and
Reel Lives Kolkata, a third in the series: Reel Lives Shanghai is now in production.
All
eyes are on China as it emerges as a new world power, and with the
changes happening at a pace, the resource will provide a fascinating
insight in to daily life in Shanghai to help young people contemplate
the global context of our fast-changing world. More...
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Folkestone Forward
 Music for Change artists Alex and H, together with Ed and Paul-a DJ and
MC artist are working in East Folkestone with different groups of older
and younger people. The project is aimed at improving social cohesion
and intergenerational relations. It explores what the participants
think of Folkestone and their community and the people in it as well as
singing and lyric writing! The project culminated in the production of
a sound collage, featuring the participants voices through spoken and
sung words. The sound collage was launched at a Christmas Party event
in Dover for all the participants which involved singing, talking,
Christmas food and a lot of fun!
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Pledge Project
 The Pledge project is being run by Music for Change in conjunction
with Find Your Talent. The project sees Music for Change artists Alex,
Téa, H. Patten and Kev and Dan team up with visual artists, a costume
designer, and a dancer from Find Your Talent to work with secondary
school students in Shepway.
The project
is about the young people making pledges towards a positive change in
attitudes, understanding and behaviour in the community towards the
issues surrounding asylum seekers, immigration and refugees. The
project began by both the artists and students participating in a fact
and fiction session run by Migrant Helpline - a charity which provides
relief for asylum seekers, refugees and migrants who are in
distress. Then followed four weeks of workshops where the artists and
students worked together to explore the pledges they could make and how
to express these creatively. The project culminated in a sharing event
at Folkestone's Quarterhouse where the students shared what they had
been doing and made their pledges. 
The
artists will re-visit the students in January to reflect upon whether
the pledges had been kept and whether they had made an impact in the
students' communities.
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Events
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Year of the Tiger
Chinese New Year family fun day
Monday 15 February, 11am to 4pm
Museum of Canterbury
Drop-in to the museum to
celebrate Chinese New Year with storytelling, singing and dance. See and learn
a Chinese folk dance with MeiMei. See colourful New Year lanterns made by
children from Kingsmead Primary School, and make your own lantern and tiger
mask to take home.
Age 2 to adult
Led by Canterbury Museums in
partnership with Music for Change, Canterbury Library and members of the local
Chinese community.
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History of the World
Kent World and community history day
Saturday 20 February, 11am to 4pm
Museum of Canterbury, Stour Street
Discover tales of amazing
objects and Kent's place in the wider world...from the Dover Bronze Age Boat,
and shipwrecked pots to a World War One football.
Music for Change artist H. Patten will be working in the museum throughout the day, telling
stories inspired by some of the historic objects to families/children ages 5+.
With original artifacts,
hands-on activities and an opportunity to chat to experts. Bring in a
treasured object, have it identified and add its story to the BBC History of
the World website! With a family treasure hunt, world storytelling and music
from around the globe this promises to be a fun, educational day out for all
the family. Adults and children age 5+.
Led by BBC SE, the British Museum and Canterbury City Council Museums and
Galleries Service in partnership with Kent museums, The Canterbury Auction
Galleries, the Portable Antiquities Scheme and Music for Change.
  
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The Urban Folk Quartet
 Playing at The Farmhouse, Canterbury
on 11th of March.
Support from Brendan Power.
The Urban Folk Quartet has a truly unique sound, with each member bringing elements to the mix - Paloma Trigas's Gallician roots, guitarist Frank Moon's obsession with the oud and Joe Broughton's ear for a good rock groove, all underpinned by percussionist Tom Chapman's cajón-based drum set-up. Virtuosic not just in feel and technical ability but also in musical concept, The Urban Folk Quartet is a coming-together of four of the most inspired artists working in world music today.
Tickets are £6.50 and can be bought from The Farmhouse website
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Four free local acoustic events
 6th Feb - 8pm - Brendan Power
13th Feb - 8pm - Relig Oran
20th Feb - 8pm - Universal Dread
27th Feb - 8pm - Madam Molotoff
These four free events at Canterbury café bar 'Coffee and Corks' are by four local musicians playing hour-long acoustic sets on Saturday nights at the café bar throughout February.
New Zealand harmonica player and composer Brendan Power is acknowledged by many as one of the most versatile and creative harp players around today. He has recorded with the likes of Kate Bush, Van Morrison, Paul Young, James Galway, John Williams, and Paul Brady. He has recorded 15 solo CDs and works for Suzuki Musical Instrument Corp as their International Harmonica Specialist.
Relig Oran - Takes the traditional music of England, Ireland, Brittany plus Eastern Europe and mixes it with the exotic sounds of the African Kalimba, driving percussion, fiddles and bouzouki's to produce a heady mix of flavours and rhythms. Using innovative and dynamic arrangements they give the music a contemporary and exciting twist, at the same time keeping the spirit and depth of the tradition. Between them the members of Relig Oran have toured Europe, recorded several acclaimed albums and had radio play from Russia to Japan.
More to follow on Universal Dread and Madam Molotoff.
For more information about this and our future events please refer to our new events calendar.
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Laye Sow
Laye Sow to play at
Orange Street Music Club
on Thursday the 25th March.
For more information about this and our future events please refer to our new events calendar
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| celebration·education·respect |
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The Sing Up East Kent programme run by Music for Change has formed
an excited new partnership with Girlguiding UK. The Senior Section
Singing Champions project is working in Dover, Folkestone and Ashford
alongside groups of girls aged 14-18 years to improve their vocal
confidence and empower them to lead singing sessions to younger girls
who attend Rainbow, Brownie and Guide units. The three groups of
Senior Section members are being coached by adult singing leaders who
are encouraging the girls to improve their technique, learn new songs,
and develop skills that will help them to become young singing leaders.
