By Lottie Parsons | Marketing and PR
Dear Friends and Supporters,
We are enjoying a vibrant summer season at World Heart Beat filled with music, creativity, and opportunities for people to come together and connect.
At a time when many arts organisations continue to face significant challenges, we are proud that World Heart Beat continues to grow and thrive. The generosity of individual supporters like yourselves play a vital role in sustaining our work, helping us meet our core funding needs and ensuring that young people, regardless of their background, can access high-quality musical opportunities that might otherwise be beyond their reach.
Your support enables us to continue creating life-changing opportunities for young people through music. If you would like to see more of our work and the achievements of our young musicians, we warmly invite you to sign up to our newsletter or join our membership programme.
Here is a snapshot of some of our recent activity:
In May, we presented Water Songs: From Bangladesh to the Thames at Trinity Buoy Wharf in East London. The event brought together 200 children from across Tower Hamlets for a joyful celebration of English and Bengali folk traditions, created in partnership with Tower Hamlets Arts and Music Education Service. Featuring performances by acclaimed British-Bengali band Khiyo alongside our young musicians, the event was a tremendous success and a wonderful example of cultural collaboration through music.
June saw our String Orchestra and piano students perform an informal sharing at our Kimber Road Academy, while our Gig Band delighted audiences at Embassy Gardens with a programme of feel-good classics. Students performed music by artists including ABBA, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Norah Jones and Sam Cooke, showcasing both their talent and versatility.
Our 51st State Band and 51st State Big Band also performed at Embassy Gardens. A highlight of the Wandsworth community calendar, the event shone a spotlight on the dedication, energy and musical excellence of our young performers.
Our New Orleans-style Second Line Band took part in The Beat Goes On, the London Borough of Culture finale at Battersea Power Station. Performing to large public audiences and featured on regional news coverage, the band brought tremendous energy to the celebrations and proudly showcased the vibrancy of World Heart Beat's young musicians on a wider stage. They later performed, despite the extreme heat, at the bandstand during the Summer in Battersea Park event.
On 22 June, we proudly presented Windrush Day: Carrying the Flame. Curated by World Heart Beat musicians Ava Joseph and Ayo Vincent, the concert brought together young artists in a moving programme celebrating the spirit, resilience, creativity and cultural richness that the Windrush generation has contributed to Britain. The evening was introduced by Marsha de Cordova MP and featured readings and performances from Baroness Floella Benjamin, long-standing ambassador and patron of World Heart Beat, and Cleveland Watkiss MBE, acclaimed vocalist, innovator and co-founder of Jazz Warriors. Through stories, poetry, reflections and outstanding musical performances, it was an unforgettable and deeply moving celebration.
We are also approaching the conclusion of our hugely popular Jazz in the Gardens concert series, which has brought world-class Friday night jazz performances to audiences throughout May, June and July. There is still time to secure tickets for Julian Joseph's 60th Birthday Concert on 17 July—a very special evening that promises to be a highlight of the season.
Thank you once again for your continued support. Your generosity helps us nurture talent, build confidence, and create transformative opportunities for young people through music.
With our warmest thanks and best wishes for a wonderful summer,
World Heart Beat
(photo credits: Aurora Media Solutions)
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By Lottie Parsons | Marketing and PR
By Lottie Parsons | Marketing and PR
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