Music for Change

PRESS RELEASE

RE Closure of Music For Change, pioneering Canterbury-based inclusion and diversity charity

After 27-years of pioneering music-based projects with a focus on inclusion and diversity, the trustees of the Canterbury-based charity Music for Change announce their difficult decision to cease activity at the end of August 2024, following which the organisation will close.

Led by a small, dedicated operations team and an outstanding group of artists, Music for Change has played a significant role in raising the profile of cross-cultural understanding through wider music participation in Canterbury, Kent and beyond.

In recent times the third sector has been operating in a very challenging financial climate with rising costs, the impact of austerity cuts and increased competition for funding all taking their toll.

Many organisations, particularly in the arts, are finding it very difficult or impossible to survive, and it is with great sadness that Music for Change will join their ranks.

The Trustees would firstly like to thank all the schools, venues, community groups and partner organisations with whom we have worked and all the individuals who have taken part in and enjoyed our events, projects and activities.

We also thank our generous funders both large and small, our previous employees, and our many partners and volunteers. Above all though, we thank the dedicated Music for Change team which has kept the organisation alive under increasingly difficult circumstances, along with the incredible group of artists it has been our pleasure to work with and know. They have all played a part in bringing positive and lasting change to so many peoples’ lives, and their contributions will not be forgotten.

Looking to the future, in this easily-divided world we hope the work of Music for Change will continue under a new banner, with a fresh lease of life. A new approach is in development to allow for the continuation of the impactful work of this important organisation. Please visit our website for details on prospective future ventures.

There will be a small celebration of the work of Music for Change as part of Boing! 2024 at the University of Kent, Canterbury on Saturday, August 24th. With an exciting programme of performances and workshops, we will take the opportunity to mark this sad ending while celebrating the many achievements of the charity and all those involved with it over the last 27 years. All are welcome to join us, share a memory and raise a glass (of juice!) to the lasting legacy of Music for Change.

We would like to extend our thanks to The Martello Fund, Hilary Adams Accountants and Canterbury City Council for their support in this period.

For any queries please contact - [email protected]

This Saturday 24th August we will be returning to Boing International Family Festival Gulbenkian Arts Centre University of Kent with our Global Sounds stage! Free live music and workshops from 10.45am - 3.45pm. Check out the line-up below:
10.45am - 11.30am: Dallaway Steel Band performance
11.45am - 12.30pm: steel pan workshop
12.30pm - 2pm: Grupo Lokito Congolese dance workshop & performance
2pm - 2.45pm: West African drumming workshop - George Fiawoo & Martin Hanson
3pm - 3.10pm: Chinese ribbon dance performance - Ling
3.15pm - 3.45pm: Chinese ribbon dance workshop - Ling
We look forward to seeing you there!

Join us today at Boing International Family Festival at the University of Kent at Canterbury! Don't miss Music for Change's celebration of Indian culture:
10-10:30 Indian Dance Workshop
11:00-11:45 Cohesion Plus Bhangra Fusion with an interactive Bhangra dance and Dhol drumming performance.
13:00-14:15 The incredible Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band with a workshop, followed by performance

Thank you to all our artists (Ling, dat Brass, Emmanuel The Magnificent, Saidi Kanda & Mvula Mandondo, George Fiawoo, Faith i Branko, Beeja, Musa Mboob & XamXam) for their fantastic performances and workshops at our Global Sounds stage at Boing International Family Festival and to the wonderful audiences! Thanks also to our hosts and all the staff at Gulbenkian Arts Centre for making it such a fun festival to be part of!

***Global Sounds line-up***
Introducing the acts for our line-up for this weekend's Global Sounds stage at Boing International Family Festival at Gulbenkian Arts Centre - click on the pictures to find out more about each act.
Saturday 27 August
10.00 – 10.30 – Saidi Kanda & Mvula Mandondo
10.40 – 11.15 – Ling – Chinese ribbon dance performance & workshop
11.35 – 12.15 – dat Brass
12.55 – 13.40 – Emmanuel The Magnificent & The UK African Acrobats - Performance & Circus skills workshop
14:00 – 14:30 – Saidi Kanda & Mvula Mandondo
Sunday 28 August
10.00 – 10.30 – Musa Mboob & XamXam
10.40 – 11.15 – George Fiawoo – West African drumming workshop
11.35 – 12.15 – Faith i Branko
12.55 – 13.40 – Beeja - Indian dancing performance & workshop
14:00 – 14:30 – Musa Mboob & XamXam

This weekend we will be returning to Boing International Family Festival at Gulbenkian Arts Centre with our Global Sounds stage on Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 August. Our stage is completely free to listen to a variety of music from around the world and join in with a range of workshops on each day. Check out the line-up below:
Saturday 27 August
10.00 – 10.30 – Saidi Kanda & Mvula Mandondo
10.40 – 11.15 – Ling – Chinese ribbon dance performance & workshop
11.35 – 12.15 – dat Brass
12.55 – 13.40 – Emmanuel The Magnificent & The UK African Acrobats - Performance & Circus skills workshop
14:00 – 14:30 – Saidi Kanda & Mvula Mandondo
Sunday 28 August
10.00 – 10.30 – Musa Mboob & XamXam
10.40 – 11.15 – George Fiawoo – West African drumming workshop
11.35 – 12.15 – Faith i Branko
12.55 – 13.40 – Beeja - Indian dancing performance & workshop
14:00 – 14:30 – Musa Mboob & XamXam
We hope to see you there!
https://boingfestival.com/whats-on/free-events/global-sounds-stage-3/

Global Sounds Stage - BOing! Festival Music for Change have created a brilliant line up for all ages on our Global Sounds stage at the Cathedral Meadow.

Our free community choir Cliftonville Community Singers resumes tonight at Cliftonville Community Centre, Margate. To find out more and book your free place email [email protected]

We are delighted to have programmed a selection of local acts for the Festive Market at Folkestone Harbour Arm, opening this weekend - line-up below - to see the full programme visit the website: https://folkestoneharbourarm.co.uk/festive-marketplace/
Saturday 27 November - stevenathanbigband - 4pm - 6pm
Sunday 28 November - U'Zambezi Trio - 2pm - 4pm
Saturday 4 December - Swing Noir - 4pm - 6pm
Sunday 12 December - Bamboozle - 2pm - 4pm
Sunday 19 December - Brendan Power - 2pm - 4pm

This is today in Canterbury🎶
The Walk Gulbenkian Arts Centre Canterbury Cathedral University of Kent Bloco Fogo Asha Parkinson Music

This Thursday 21 October Gulbenkian Arts Centre will be welcoming Little Amal The Walk to Canterbury and we are delighted to have programmed the music for the parade from Canterbury Cathedral to the University of Kent Campus. Leaving the Cathedral at 12pm, Kent's largest Samba band, Bloco Fogo will be accompanying Amal with their exciting blend of Brazilian, Cuban and African rhythms and once the parade reaches the Gulbenkian, Kalpadruma with Members of The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians will be performing their blend of Arabic, Turkish, Indian, Contemporary Classical and Jazz music, led by saxophonist/ composer Asha Parkinson Music. Find out more here: https://www.walkwithamal.org/events/from-canterbury-to-refugee-tales/

We are excited to bring back our community choir Cliftonville Community Singers rehearsals in-person from this Tuesday 12 October, 7.45pm - 9.15pm at Cliftonville Community Centre, Margate. New members welcome - please email [email protected] to book your place and for a copy of our new guidelines as we return to choir. We look forward to singing together again soon!

We are excited to bring back our community choir rehearsals in-person from this Tuesday 12 October, 7.45pm - 9.15pm at Cliftonville Community Centre, Margate. New members welcome - please email [email protected] to book your place and for a copy of our new guidelines as we return to choir. We look forward to singing together again soon!

Black History Month starts this Friday and we are now booking creative and educational workshops for your school or community group. We offer a wide range of workshops including Caribbean Song Writing, Afro-Caribbean and Southern African Vocals and Gum Boot Dance, West African Drumming, Dance, Circus Skills, Storytelling, and more, whilst incorporating themes such as Windrush, Migration and Cross-Cultural Awareness. We can also offer bespoke workshops tailored to your school or community group's needs, and workshops can be delivered in person or online. To book your workshop fill in the booking form http://www.musicforchange.org/booking/form or call 01227 459243. We look forward to working with you!

There are a few tickets left for the rescheduled date to see
Nitin Sawhney this Friday 10th September at The Gulbenkian
- don't miss this chance to see Nitin Sawhney in Canterbury: https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/events/nitin-sawhney-music-me-3/

Nitin Sawhney: Music & Me - Gulbenkian Recent recipient of the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award, acclaimed artist and polymath, Nitin Sawhney presents an evening of music and memories, ‘Music and Me’, featuring Aref Durvesh on tabla and vocalist YVA. From coincidences that are barely explicable by conventional western thought ...

Thanks so much to all the acts who played our Global Sounds stage at Boing International Family Festival The Gulbenkian - here's some highlights from Sunday's line-up Brendan Power U'Zambezi Kinetika Bloco Attab Haddad 🎶🎵

A fantastic first day presenting our Global Sounds stage at - a huge thanks to our wonderful acts we are back tomorrow with more brilliant acts from 10am 🎶🎵

***Global Sounds line-up***
Introducing the acts for our line-up for this weekend's Global Sounds stage at Boing International Family Festival at The Gulbenkian
Saturday 28 August
10:00am – 10:45am: Simo Lagnawi Gnawa London Master Simo Lagnawi
11:20am – 12:05pm: Beeja – Performance & Dance Workshop
12:35pm – 1:20pm: Sarabanda UK
1:50pm – 2:35pm: Kasai Masai
Sunday 29 August
10:00am – 10:45am: Brendan Power
11:20am – 12:05pm: U’Zambezi – Performance & Dance Workshop
12:35pm – 1:20pm: Kinetika Bloco
1:50pm – 2:35pm: Attab Haddad
(please note change of acts on Saturday to previous announcements)

Thanks to Boing International Family Festival and The Gulbenkian for this interview on their blog in the lead up to Global Sounds 2021 at bOing! Festival this weekend!
https://boingfestival.com/2021-an-interview-with-music-for-change/

2021: An interview with Music For Change | BOing! Festival We are so excited to be welcoming back Music for Change to bOing! 2021. We caught up with the company to find out more what they have planned for our Global Music Stage ahead of the festival…

We are delighted to announce that we will be taking our Global Sounds stage to this year's Boing International Family Festival at The Gulbenkian on Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 August. Our stage is completely free to listen to a variety of music from around the world and join in with a dance workshop on each day. Check out the line-up below:
Saturday 28 August
10am - Los Twangueros
11.20am - Beeja (performance & dance workshop)
12.35pm - Sarabanda UK
1.50pm - Kanda Bongo Man
Sunday 29 August
10am - Brendan Power
11.20am - U'Zambezi (performance & dance workshop)
12.35pm - Kinetika Bloco
1.50pm - Attab Haddad
We hope to see you there!
https://boingfestival.com/whats-on/free-events/global-sounds-stage-2/

Global Sounds Stage | BOing! Festival Music for Change have created a brilliant line up for our Global Sounds stage from 10am – 3pm. GTown Talents will be taking to the Global Sounds Stage from 3-5pm each day. Saturday 28 August: 10am…

You can take part in workshops by all 4 of these Music for Change artists at the Willowbrook Farm Arts & Music Festival on 7th & 8th August - book your tickets here: https://www.willowbrookfarm.co.uk/festival

We are excited to be part of the Willowbrook Farm Arts & Music Festival on 7th & 8th August - book your tickets here: https://www.willowbrookfarm.co.uk/festival

Music for Change is a key organisation to Willowbrook Festival, who deserve a special mention. They bring cultural diversity to any event, community or school with their variety of music and dance workshops 💃 Their workshops are accessible for all ages, helps to build confidence and are so inspirational! The artists are all experienced musicians and skilled in working with audiences of various needs, making them inclusive and supportive to all 🙏 The energy and atmosphere creates an enjoyable experience, one you would not want to miss! 🎶

We've got 4 of their artists coming this year, can you guess who? 👀

For more information on our festival and to book your tickets, visit www.willowbrookfarm.co.uk/festival

If you have been missing live music, we are pleased to say there are still some tickets left to see the incredible Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita at The Gulbenkian TONIGHT!
Inspire and awaken the spirit with extraordinary music from this multi-award-winning duo, winners of Best Group/ Duo at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2019.
Tickets available here:
https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/events/catrin-finch-seckou-keita-with-special-guests-vishten-2/

Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita - Gulbenkian The harp occupies a vital place in the incredibly rich cultures of both West Africa and Wales, and both nations share a centuries-old bardic tradition of intricate oral history, expressed through music, song and verse. Following a chance collaboration in 2012, Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, and Senegal...