ROOM TO MOVE : AFRICAN AND CHINESE MUSIC FUSION FOR KIDS

ROOM TO MOVE ! 

February Half Term! Three Days of African and Chinese Music Fusion for 5-17 year olds!  

Swirling Ribbons, Harp String Melodies, Drumming, Strumming and Singing. 

An introduction to West African and Chinese Music with super musicians Sefo Kanuteh, Ling Peng, Hilary Cornell and Josh Doughty. 

Participants who attend all three days can achieve nationally recognised qualification Arts Award.

Sunday 12th February 2017  10-4pm

The Mercury Theatre, Balkerne Gate, Colchester, CO1 1PT

Monday 13th February 2017  10-4pm

Firstsite Gallery, Lewis Gardens, High Street, Colchester, CO1 1JH

Tuesday 14th February 2017 10-4pm   (Performance for Parents 3.15pm)

Colchester Arts Centre, Church Street, Colchester, CO1 1NF

Please bring a packed lunch 

Information: Daisy 07990 802776  www.la-olam.com  

To book visit www.colchesterartscentre.com or call 01206 500 900

An Arts La'Olam and Colchester Arts Centre Project generously funded by Essex Music Education Hub and supported by Firstsite, The Mercury Theatre, Still Waters Church, The Colchester Community Chinese School, African Families in the UK, Refugees Welcome, Essex Cultural Diversity Project and Colchester Community Voluntary Services ..... more news to follow shortly....

THE ANNA MUDEKA BAND DENDENDE CELEBRATION

The Anna Mudeka Band will be celebrating their new album 'Dendende' with concerts, a BBC interview and a lecture in the coming months. Travelling to Peterschurch near Leominster with the support of local touring company Arts Alive, Creative Arts East and their respective community promotors, Anna will be playing with her six-piece band and letting loose Zimbabwean Mbira energy in rural Hereford, Essex, North Suffolk and Norfolk. Arts La'Olam is promoting the concerts including one at our very favourite venue Old Hall Community in East Bergholt, just down the road, we hope to see you at one of the concerts which promise Zimbabwean Mbira-driven rhythms, conga beat and six-string bass, music to dance to packed with melodies and uplifting songs in Swahili, Hindi and Shona. We are very excited to tell you that Anna has also been invited to interview on BBC World Service, and will be delivering an informal lecture on the musical traditions of Zimbabwe for Southburgh Festival of World Music neighbours in Cranworth Jubilee Hall.  Of course the superb album 'Dendende' recorded and produced by John Vigar at Tontena Music will be available to buy at all the events. 

Saturday 17th September, 7.30pm          

 FRECKENHAM, SUFFOLK  

Saturday 24th September, 2pm      

BBC WORLD SERVICE INTERVIEW

Tuesday 4th October, 10am

BBC WOMEN'S HOUR INTERVIEW

Thursday 6th October, 7pm                    

THE ROUNDHOUSE, LONDON

Friday 7th October, 7pm                       

PETERCURCH, HEREFORDSHIRE   

Saturday 8th October, 7.30pm               

EAST BERGHOLT, ESSEX

Saturday 29th October, 12 noon- 1pm (family workshop)  / 2-3pm (family workshop) / 3.30-4.30pm (adults only)

ST JAMES POOL, KINGS LYNN  (drumming and singing workshops) 

Box Office 01553 764864  or in person at Kings Lynn Corn Exchange  

Tickets only £2 which can be reclaimed against 12th November performance tickets!!!

Friday 11th November, 7pm                    

CRANWORTH, NORFOLK  (lecture)

Saturday 12th November, 7pm   

KINGS LYNN, NORFOLK

The Kaavad Picnic

Stories, Samosas and the Smallest Theatre in the World

Presented by Storyteller Seema Anand in collaboration with the notably British and wonderfully eccentric Grand Theatre of Lemmings, this trio of afternoon picnics in August  invites village communities across Essex to gather together for a feast of fables, fantasy, performance and percussion along with a complimentary samosa to delight the senses.

The Kaavad box is a centuries old storytelling medium hailing from Northern India; a small wooden shrine made up of panels and secret compartments, intricately decorated and illustrated which unfolds as the storyteller reveals epic tales of love, heartache, adversity and battles won and lost. The skill of the narrator and the craftsmanship of the Kaavad are art forms in their own right, techniques which have been embraced by the Manningtree based theatre group, The Grand Theatre of Lemmings and proprietors of the smallest theatre in the world. Transforming their two-seater playhouse into a giant Kaavad box, they will bring to life professional storyteller Seema Anand’s dramatic folktales with vibrancy, absurdity and humour. Providing an added flourish of energy and an intoxicating soundscape are the Bhangra DEA Dohl Drummers, virtuosos of India’s rich portfolio of stringed and percussive instruments who manage to honour tradition in a thoroughly modern context. This is an utterly unique opportunity to become immersed in the ancestral customs of Rajasthan translated through the multi-faceted talents of English and Anglo-Asian performers and instrumentalists.

Audience members are asked to bring their own picnics, rugs and cushions to enjoy the hour- long performance and then invited to participate in a workshop where they will create their own Kaavad box exploring their personal stories, demons and fairies. The events are completely free of charge and should rain stop play, will be relocated to adjoining venues.  The Essex Cultural Diversity Project in association with Arts La’Olam and generously supported by Arts Council England and Essex County Council Cultural Development is delighted to present this series of magical storytelling events that celebrate the heritage and lore of rural Rajasthan. 

Hurst Green Brightlingsea, 3pm, Saturday 27th August

Rowhedge Recreation Ground, 3pm, Sunday 28th August

Old Hall, East Bergholt, 3pm, Monday 29th August

Essex Music Hub funds Arts La'Olam to Produce with Colchester Arts Centre

ROOM TO MOVE: World Music Workshops for Children

Announcing our exciting new project funded by Essex Music Services, Essex County Council.  

Arts La’Olam and Colchester Arts Centre Present:

Let’s make ROOM TO MOVE!  Let’s create space to celebrate intercultural musical fusion.  A special series of participatory music workshops within an enriching, creative environment. Lead by internationally recognised musicians, this is a dynamic experience for young people from 5-17 years to explore World Music and composition of Chinese & West African music, using African Djembe drums and Chinese instruments.

FIRST EVENT

VENUE: COLCHESTER ARTS CENTRE

DATE: 21 AUGUST 2016

TICKETS: All Tickets £4 - available through Colchester Arts Centre

01206 500 900 www.colchesterartscentre.com  

TIME: Doors 10.30am, starts 11am, finishes 4pm

AGE: Suitable for all ages over 5 to 17 years : Limited capacity, advance booking recommended.

Part of Colchester Arts Centre’s Kids Summer Arts Music Festival World Music Weekender with artists Sefo Kanuteh, Ling Peng, Josh Doughty and Hilary Cornell. 

An introduction to African and Chinese musical fusion accompanied by swirling ribbons and harp string melodies, drumming and strumming with optional dance and a hundred Chinese instruments to try. Please bring a packed lunch.

This pilot event will lead to a Arts Award accredited three-day music workshop which will take place in Half Term February 2017 in three leading arts venues in Colchester; 

Sunday 12th February The Mercury Theatre10-4pm

Monday 13th February Firstsite 10-4pm

Tuesday 14th February Colchester Arts Centre 10-4pm

Sefo Kanuteh

Gambian Master Kora musician with 20 years experience in international performance in theatres and music venues with high profile artists from West Africa including Baaba Maal and Vieux Farka Toure.  

Ling Peng

Chinese Classical Musician and Chinese cultural education professional. Ling has worked extensively in schools and with regional art organisations. Her contribution to the popularisation of Chinese music and access to Chinese culture in general has been repeatedly recognised by the Arts Council England.  

Josh Doughty

Kora musician and community education workshops facilitator. 

Hilary Cornell

Musician, Percussionist, Essex Music Service tutor, cajon and ukulele player, singer songwriter and performer, music workshop facilitation in schools

Many thanks to our community partners:

Essex Cultural Diversity Project, Colchester Welcome Refugees Colchester Campaign, Tendring And Colchester Minority Ethnic Partnership and Colchester Community Voluntary Services (CCVS) and associated Multi Ethnic Forum, Colchester Chinese Culture Society/Colchester Chinese Culture School,  African Families in The UK CIC and Colchester Still Waters Church.

Many thanks to our venue partners: Firstsite Gallery and The Mercury Theatre. 

Two Chances to see Anna Mudeka at Latitude Festival

How exciting! Anna Mudeka has been invited not once but TWICE this year to Latitude Festival, We really hope to see you if you can come and say hello. We'll be at the WaterAid Stage at 12 noon (Anna Solo) and at the BBC Introducing Stage hosted by Bob Harris, Lopa Kothari  and Max Reinhardt at 5.30pm, both shows are on Sunday 17th July 2016.... http://www.latitudefestival.com/news/announcing-new-bbc-introducing-stage.... sure to be a treat !

Namvula Rennie and Samia Malik to Deliver Community Singing Workshops in Partnership with Southburgh Festival of World Music

Southburgh Festival of World Music near Thetford is in its 7th year, growing from strength to strength - with ever more exiting line-ups and workshop programmes from year to year.  We realised people are travelling to the festival which has been billed as "WOMAD's little sister" and less than 50% of the visitors are from the local area. So Southburgh Festival and Arts La'Olam are embarking on a new community project arm of the festival in an effort to engage with the local people and further enable them to come and celebrate the whole world of music, art and food which is on their doorstep. 

Namvula and Samia both have years of experience of delivering creative singing workshops, drawing on their musical heritages of Zambia and Pakistan with voice, Guitar, Tabla and Tanpura.  We have commissioned them to work together for the first time, creating a Zambian-Pakistani Fusion in the process, teaching local people their original and traditional songs, and creating pop-up choirs for the festival! 

This project is generously supported by Arts Council England, Norfolk County Council and Breckland District Council as well as local businesses and volunteers. 

See the events page for specific details, and we would love it if you come too to sing with the neighbours of Southburgh Festival ! 

Samia is on Tour! New Work; Original Songs in Urdu and English, Projections of Translations, Visual Art and Music Workshops...

AZAADI: FREEDOM

Tour dates

7th May 8pm £donations Leydon Gallery London E1 7LE www.leydengallery.com 0207 655 4825

12th/19th May (invitation only) Southall Black Sisters London

14th May 7.30pm Usurp Gallery £donations London HA1 4EB www.usurp.org.uk 0208 426 6264 

27th May 8pm with Bharatnatyam dancer Anne Tiburtius £8 The Cut Halesworth IP19 8BY http://newcut.org/events/entry/4310 01986 873285 

10th/17th June (invitation only) 4women Resource Centre Colegate, Norwich

6th July 8pm with Bharatnatyam dancer Anne Tiburtius £2/5/8/10 Norwich Arts Centre NR2 4PG www.norwichartscentre.co.uk 01603 660352 

8th/9th July Drum Camp Bungey Suffolk http://www.drumcamp.co.uk 07770 740708

29th/30th July Southburgh Festival of World Music Norfolk IP25 7SU http://southburghfestival.co.uk 07879 493845

2nd Sept 6pm with Bharatnatyam dancer Anne Tiburtius £donations Asylum Undercroft Norwich NR2 1NH info@studioart.org.uk 07982 238190 

All Aboard the Music Train

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Essex Cultural Diversity Project's Indi Sandu and the Cultural Development Team of Essex County Council hosted a fantabulous event on the 3rd of April modelled on Arts La'Olam's Music on the Mayflower project from 2010. With little responsibility for the project aside from day management assistance I could roll up and see good friends like Efua Sey (pictured rocking it in lime green) and the Efua Sey Cultural Academy girls and boys dancing to expert percussionists and drummers from Ghana. Efua's school runs every Saturday in Harlow. Pictured also is BrazilArte from Southend and this was the very hot warm up session in the waiting room at Wickford Train Station. Wickford and Southminster train stations and three train carriages were decorated with flags and bunting, and passengers were treated to either West African or Brazillian rhythms, Kora (West African Harp) or Sitar. There was curry on sale on the station platform and mesmerising Bollywood Dance in the car park at Southminster. Ticket collectors dressed up in Punjabi robes and waistcoats and a wild and wonderful day was had by all - celebrating Global connections, music food and art on an underused train line.