WOMAD brings creative legacy to Belfast

Beyond Skin is delighted to announce the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) is coming to Belfast through significant funding from Belfast City Council’s Creative Legacies II programme, supported by the European Regional Development Fund under the PEACE III Programme;

On behalf of WOMAD, Beyond Skin will be delivering an outreach programme to use world music, arts and dance to bridge cultural relations, promote cultural learning and create a legacy of a peaceful, confident and shared society.

The Creative Legacies II (WOMAD) project is the first phase of the Outreach Programme will see workshops hosted throughout Belfast in 2013 based around world culture through music, arts and dance. Part of the programme will feature showcase events on 21st June (World Music Day) at T13 Titanic Quarter and the East Belfast Arts Festival in September.

A partnership consortium assisting the delivery of the Creative Legacies II WOMAD Outreach Programme includes Pobal, Walkway Community Association, Releasing Rhythms, T13 and WOMAD.

It is envisaged that the outreach programme, which will involve hundreds of local people, will lead to a WOMAD event in 2014 with proposed festivals in 2015 & 2016.

The entire outreach programme will be rolled out across Northern Ireland with regional workshop activities feeding into showcase events and festivals in Belfast.

Chris Smith of WOMAD said: "WOMAD have found an excellent partner in Beyond Skin to work with us in delivering our shared goals of using the Arts to challenge children and young people's prejudices and unlocking the creative spark within.  Understanding the world as a single global community has never been more important than it is now, wherever you are.  WOMAD looks forward to this being the start of a long term partnership in Belfast leading to a festival event in the near future."

Darren Ferguson of Beyond Skin said: “WOMAD is a brand recognised the world over for its contribution not only to world music but also to promoting education, community development and cultural understanding and we are extremely proud to be bring their work and ethos to Northern Ireland.

 We are delighted to be working with the WOMAD team and local partners, Pobal, Walkway Community Association, Releasing Rhythms and T13 to deliver the first phase of the outreach programme. We have no doubt the Programme and the festival legacy will provide many positive opportunities for the people of Belfast and beyond, highlighting the true Northern Ireland as a creative, diverse, vibrant culture”.

Cormac O Briain, Pobal’s Irish Arts Coordinator, said “POBAL are delighted that Beyond Skin through Belfast City Council’s Creative Legacies programme will be hosting an Outreach Programme in the lead up to WOMAD event in 2014. It gives us great pride as a community partner to be part of this exciting venture and we look forward to the positive benefits it will bring to Belfast.”

more information visit www.womadbelfast.org or www.beyondskin.net

ENDS