WOMAD Made A Song & Dance About Community Relations Week
The spirit and ethos of WOMAD touched the hearts of many during community relations week 2014, as Beyond Skin facilitated workshops and events proving beyond doubt Music Arts & Dance can be the healer and part of the answer to building up good relations.
These videos tell the story of what happen during Community Relations Week 2014....
WOMAD Outreach Programme Ballymena Gala 2014
WOMAD Outreach Programme Belfast Showcase (June 2014)
"Letting it all go" SIYAYA WOMAD workshop Ballymena
Beyond Skin/WOMAD Showcase Event (CRCNI video)
A brief narative of what took place...
As part of Community Relations Week 15th – 21st June marking also Refugee Day & World Music Day, WOMAD workshops took place in Dungannon, Castlewellan, Ballymena, Belfast, Dromore & Omagh.
St Patrick’s College Dungannon students learnt and showcased Polish & Jamaican dance whilst also the college hosted a world arts event with Thai, Indian, Ugandan, Polish, Jamaican music, arts & dance workshops. The programme was funded by Dungannon and Tyrone Borough Council.
In Belfast John Paul Youth Club Ardoyne and Fort William Youth Club Mount Vernon took up the challenge of learning Jamaican & Ugandan dance and travelled to the Ballymena WOMAD showcase gala to perform their routines to an audience. Project funded by Policing & Community Safety Partnership
The Children at Fair Hill Primary in Dromore decided to abandon all drums and used their body as an instrument working with musicians from Ireland and Venezuela in a body percussion workshop. They showcased their performance at the Belfast event.
St. Brigids Primary, Dunclug College, Ballykeel Youth Club and Waveney Youth Club Ballymena fell in love with the culture of Zimbabwe thanks to the group SIYAYA who were in residence in Ballymena. All groups learnt a routine involving singing dancing and drumming and performed at the Belfast & Ballymena showcase events. The SIYAYA programme was funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Ballymena Council in partnership with Ballymena Inter-Ethnic Forum
Back in Belfast Nettlefield Primary worked with guest Jamaican artists Ripton Lindsay to perfect a Jamaican Dance they performed at the Belfast event.
As part of the Omagh Midsummers Carnival school children from Omagh took part in WOMAD Brazilian Dance workshops. The children then performed as part of the carnival along with professional Brazilian dancers and a samba band!
Both the Belfast & Ballymena Showcase events where spectaular, emotional and joyous occasions as young people and adults performed along side professional artists and international guests. In Belfast everyone could get their hands dirty in making a variety of world crafts. All topped with that unqiue WOMAD magical spirit and atmosphere.
The Community Relations Week WOMAD programme was part funded by Community Relations Council.
www.womadbelfast.org
Please contact us regarding interest for the WOMAD 2014 programme July – November term
Beyond Skin
Belfast Carnival Centre
11 - 47 Boyd Street
Belfast
BT13 2GU
United Kingdom