World Music Expo Budapest to showcase the achievements of music bridging communities in Northern Ireland

World Music Expo Budapest to showcase the achievements of music bridging communities in Northern Ireland

Beyond Skin founder and CEO Darren Ferguson has been invited by WOMEX, the most important international professional market of world music, to chair a conference at this year’s event to be held in Budapest 21st – 25th October.

This year WOMEX is expected to host over 2,400 delegates, 1,470 companies, 950 promoters, 450 labels, publishers and distributors, 400 governmental, educational and other institutions, 500 booking agents, 400 managers and 250 producers and 200 national and international journalists - all from over 90 countries.

The event also will host a bustling Trade Fair with over 600 exhibiting companies from across the world.

Due to the work of Beyond Skin locally and abroad with partner organisations, Darren has chosen the conference theme “Music bridging communities in post conflict environments” also looking at “Partnerships that brings the best out in people.”

Darren in developing the presentation has also asked individuals representing Beyond Skin partner organisations to be part of the presentation team.

Annie Mentor (England) - Consultant to the WOMAD Foundation, creative producer & mentor, Director Afrika Eye Film Festival, Director Arts & Society

Ripton Lindsay (Jamaica) - Freelance Musician, Dancer and Facilitator working also with WOMAD and in 2013 joined the Beyond Skin team working in some of the most challenging environments in Northern Ireland.

Shalini Wickramasuriya (Sri Lanka) - Founder & Trustee of The Music Project organisation in Sri Lanka, partner of the Beyond Skin project ‘Parallel Versing’ which she co-founded with Darren. As an educationalist she has over 25 years working with INGOs and the Ministry of Education to provide training for teachers and assists with school based development programmes.

Darren Commented “I am delighted to be given this opportunity to present clear examples to the world of how community based music projects in Northern Ireland driven by the wealth of skilled artists we have as a society has enabled positive outcomes and outputs that transcend politics, economic challenges and social divides. To have with me my colleagues from the WOMAD Foundation & The Music Project is real pleasure as the work we do is all about collaborating with partners who share the passion & vision to see positive change and are willing to take the risks. As popular music culture becomes more generic and struggles to produce role models for children & young people, it has been my experience with Beyond Skin, WOMAD and The Music Project that the diversity, authenticity and fusions in world, roots and folk music has been the enabler of real positive change and amplifies the true sound of the planet. Where better to share this experience than at WOMEX”

Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:

“Darren’s organisation, Beyond Skin, is one of the main driving forces here behind interculturalism and the promotion of cultural diversity and good relations through the arts. Their work is pioneering, developing the use of music and the arts to help people find positive ways to express their identities and bring our distinctive communities closer together. This is a wonderful opportunity to share Beyond Skin’s achievements tackling racism and sectarianism in Northern Ireland and beyond with the wider international delegation at WOMEX.”

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure. Carál Ni Chuilmn MLA commented

“Congratulations to Beyond Skin’s Darren Ferguson who has been selected by WOMEX to represent the north of Ireland at this year’s Annual WOMEX Conference.  Darren’s presentation is entitled ‘Music bridging communities in post conflict environments’. I am always excited to hear of projects like this which demonstrate the power the arts can have in bringing communities together and initiating positive change. Voluntary and amateur arts provide a means to celebrate identities and strengthen the fabric of communities where cohesion has been eroded. Beyond Skin and others like them are operating at the heart of our society and I commend them all for highlighting and celebrating the work local organisations are doing on the ground. I wish Darren every success for October.”

Beyond Skin established in 2004 are currently one of the biggest employers and trainers of intercultural artists on the Isle delivering on average 250 workshops/events a year, also representing Ireland on an international level through the United Network of Young Peacebuilders. (UNOY).

In 2012 Beyond Skin started working in partnership with the prestigious WOMAD festival company (World Of Music Arts & Dance) launching a very ambitious outreach educational programme alongside the WOMAD Foundation www.womadni.com

In 2013 Beyond Skin & The Music Project Sri Lanka launched the pilot programme of their Parallel Versing project linking children in post conflict environments through a shared learning process through music. www.parallelversing.com

Beyond Skin chair Paul McIliwaine said “This is a tremendous opportunity for Beyond Skin to share our learning of working with children and young people here in Northern Ireland. The children and young people that we engage with are so keen to learn and share in the art, music and dance of other cultures and quite clearly enjoy the experiences brought to them by our highly skilled workshop facilitators. At a time when there is so much focus on differences between cultures across the globe, art, music and dance is bringing young people together to experience the joy and excitement of the arts and cultures from the Caribbean, Africa, Eastern Europe and beyond.”   

“Arts Council of Northern Ireland Youth Arts Development Officer Gavin O’Connor said  “This is great news and a further endorsement of the innovative and important work that Beyond Skin  has pioneered here in the north of Ireland and indeed in Sri Lanka, a positive and good news story that demonstrates the power of arts led cultural development projects in relation to  addressing issues of  cultural diversity  and the  positive power of diversity being an enabler in creating a respectful and peaceful community.”

The 21st edition of WOMEX will be held in Budapest, Hungary from 21ST – 25TH October 2015.

WOMEX is open to anyone to attend and conference costs and details can be found on the official website www.womex.com

• Beyond Skin is an organisation developing & delivering diversity & global education projects through world music & intercultural arts in an aim to address issues of racism & sectarianism.www.beyondskin.net
• The WOMAD Foundation is a sister organisation to WOMAD Festivals co-founded by rock icon Peter Gabriel. It is an education charity that uses the arts as a catalyst for change and innovation and undertakes projects that nurture young people’s innate creativity. www.womadfoundation.org
• The Music Project is an El Sistema inspired initiative in Sri Lanka, aiming to bring together two communities separated by decades of conflict by teaching music. www. musicprojectsl.com
• WOMEX (short for World Music Expo) is an international world music support and development project based in Berlin, whose main event is an exposition held annually in different locations throughout Europe. It integrates a trade fair, showcases, conferences, film screenings, networking sessions, and awards. Musicians and their labels have the possibility to make contacts for international touring and album distribution. www.womex.com