The legendary venue have launched a new programme to commemorate the musical heritage of some of the city’s most vulnerable.
World of Song is a two-year long programme which is comprised of six projects curated solely for migrant communities and asylum seekers in Greater Manchester.
If any organisation was going to deliver such a scheme, it would be Band on the Wall. The venue already engages with over 7,500 people each year and it is hoped this latest project – funded by the national Lottery Heritage Fund – will add to this.
‘World of Song will explore the melting point of musical cultures in the region and how traditional, popular and contemporary sounds interact and collide in a new place,’ Alice McIlwraith, head of learning and participation for Band on the Wall, said. ‘We aim to provide support to communities, offering talent development and showcasing programmes that span a range of ages and levels of musical ability.’
As part of the new programme, migrants and asylum seekers will be provided with access to music making spaces which are housed above the venue – situated in the Northern Quarter – and Copper Bar, which is Band on the Wall’s second stage.
News of the initiative couldn’t have come at a better time, considering attitudes towards asylum seekers and migrants have recently been largely negative. An article on our sister title Newstart Magazine reports people across England have been staging protests outside of hotels that temporarily house asylum seekers.
The latest project isn’t the first time Band on the Wall have launched a scheme aimed at promoting inclusivity. The organisation are currently running a project called Without Borders Youth Band that includes individuals aged between 12 and 19 who come from across the globe but now live in Greater Manchester.
Katherine Rogers, senior producer at Community Arts North West (CAN), said: ‘Each week the band’s core group of 12 musicians collaborate and experiment, with support from musical professionals, to create original music inspired by their global heritages and other musical influences that they are inspired by. The band are equally happy playing traditional songs steeped in history right up to Billie Eilish.
‘Without Borders is a bold statement celebrating Greater Manchester’s newest voices, talent and the incredible cultural mix in this city! Manchester’s diversity is its strength and Without Borders are showing just how dynamic and exciting music is when we embrace this diversity.’
CAN co-delivered World of Song alongside Band on the Wall and more details about the scheme can be accessed here.
Image via Band on the Wall.
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