Project

'Music in your Community' unites local people by giving them the chance to sample music, dance & the arts from around the world. It is open to people who might not otherwise experience the ROTW festival e.g. young carers, disabled & older people.

What does your charity/project do?

Rhythms of the World aims to unite communities through music and the arts. Our main mechanism to achieve this aim is to host an annual festival which celebrates music, dance, art and cuisine from around the world. The festival is held every July in Hitchin, Hertfordshire and attracts 30,000+ people of all ages and backgrounds. We also aim to take the ethos of the festival out to people who might not otherwise experience it - through our outreach programme 'Music in the Community'.

How does your charity/project support the local community?

'Music in your Community' gives people who might not otherwise attend our festival - or any other festival - the opportunity to sample music & the arts from around the world. We showcase talent from Australia and Senegal, the Congo and India, using music to unite local communities, encourage teamwork, develop new skills & self confidence and learn about different countries and cultures. We feel this is particularly important for these groups who might not otherwise get these opportunities.

What do you plan to use the CommunityForce award for?

We have already received excellent feedback from those who have participated in previous 'Music in your Community' projects and we are keen to extend the programme to more groups of disadvantaged people of all ages. The £6k award would be matched by our own funds to develop a year-long programme of outreach activities, ensuring the Rhythms of the World (ROTW) festival ethos can be extended to as many groups as possible. With your support we aim to deliver 6 different activities in 2012.