Beyond Skin (N.Ireland) & The Music Project (Sri Lanka) link young musicians across the globe.

Parallel Versing Project

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The Music Project (Sri Lanka) and Beyond Skin (N.Ireland) link young musicians across the globe.
Parallel Versing™ is a cultural education project through a process of the creation of new music produced from two different global locations for one final composition. Verse’ relates to the basic song-writing concepts of a point in a song where the story or theme is developed around a shared chorus.
A pilot project took place in April 2013 funded by the Esufally Foundation and SEELB with Newtownbreda High School, (Northern Ireland), Jayashanka, Lakdasa, Pothubowa, Mallavi and Mullaitivu Schools (Sri Lanka). The project empowered the young people to make a positive impact in their own lives and that within their communities whilst building strong global relations between Sri Lanka and Northern Ireland demonstrating a model that can be replicated in other areas. At One school a live link up took place with Newtownbreda High School.
The concept has been developed by, Beyond Skin (Northern Ireland). The name derives from the term 'Parallel Universe', due to similar social conflict and division environments in other countries that the people of Northern Ireland can relate to and learn from. Discussions are now taking place to duplicate this project in Kenya, Sudan & Nigeria.
Beyond Skin staff facilitated workshops in five schools in Sri Lanka in April 2013, equipping five schools in Sri Lanka with recording equipment and training, also assisting with up-scaling internet accessibility.

A website will shortly go online  www.parallelversing.com

Some videos and Photos from the April Sri Lanka workshops are online
Photos
http://s1259.photobucket.com/user/Beyond_Skin/slideshow/2013/Sri%20Lanka%20Parallel%20Versing%20Project%20-%20April%202013
Promotional Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB94CVZHM1Q
Workshop in action video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyJ6jwCXhyI
School tour video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ1YMhSA5vU

Darren Ferguson, Manager of Beyond Skin commented "In a trip to Sri Lanka in January 2012 I was introduced to the perfect Sri Lankan partner for Beyond Skin that shared our ethos and had our spirit to take risks to assist develop a more peaceful society and do something completely new against the grain. Beyond Skin and The Music Project Sri Lanka have worked tirelessly over the past year determined not to compromise on the big vision we had; so it is a joy to finally see our vision become reality. I look forward to meeting all the school teacher and pupils in Sri Lanka this April."

The Music Project is inspired by El Sistema of Venezuela. The project aims to build orchestral communities amongst nearly 500 children from Thunukkai, Mullaitivu and Kurunegala, working with 6 schools. In addition to ensuring that music is the link language between two communities who experience language barriers, the methodology used is holistic and therapeutic resulting in many successes and much publicity.

For more information on how your school or youth group can participate please contact the Beyond Skin office.