Songs for Sudan Inaugural Benefit Concert, May 24th
We are very grateful to the School of Arts, English and Languages (AEL) and specifically the team at the Sonic Arts Research Centre at Queen's University Belfast (where Juanita Rea is a Visiting Scholar) for hosting our inaugural Songs for Sudan Benefit Concert on May 24th to help people affected by the war in Sudan.
Khartoum was Juanita’s home from 2018 - 2020 and every single person she worked with there has had to flee from their homes. All proceeds received by eduSOIL provides people from Khartoum with funds to evacuate and help them rebuild their lives through mental health support sessions. There was live music by Peter Wilson (aka Duke Special) as well as Shiva Badiei, Omid and Omid. Juanita performed her recently released single 'Home, a song for Sudan' and was joined by Chip Bailey and Paul Kane from the OTH Music Collective for more of her original songs. A range of Sudanese protest art was shared with personal testimonies from the artists themselves as well as members of the local Sudanese community in Belfast. While sharing information about the event at Queen's, Juanita met Ayah Aljunaid (Assistant Supervisor, Queen's Students Union) and was introduced to Zeinab Abdelraham (Research Fellow, Centre for Public Health) At the concert, both Ayah and Zeinab joined Juanita in conversations to talk about what is happening in Sudan, the effect the conflict is having on people's lives, the role protest art played in the Sudanese Revolution as well as African Wealth and hopes for peace and prosperity in Sudan. The programme began with videos of Sudanese protest chants and freedom songs and ended with a lively drumming session and the chanting of 'Freedom, peace, justice' for the people of Sudan.
Read more on our Eventbrite page https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/635419445667
We were delighted to have 50 in-person attendees and 25 online attendees and were able to raise £730 from ticket sales. £500 of this amount has been sent to Ayman Mohammed to assist him and his family to evacuate to Ethiopia.
Here are comments from both Ayah and Zeinab as well as messages from Juanita's longstanding Sudanese friends Tanya Abdalla, Marina George, Mohammed Osman and Hussam Nagila. Prior to connecting with the Sudanese community in Belfast she was in touch with these friends to get their feedback and input while designing the artwork for the song cover and the programme for the event to make sure that the event was informed by their views and conveyed messages and information they felt was supportive to them and the people of Sudan.
Khartoum was Juanita’s home from 2018 - 2020 and every single person she worked with there has had to flee from their homes. All proceeds received by eduSOIL provides people from Khartoum with funds to evacuate and help them rebuild their lives through mental health support sessions. There was live music by Peter Wilson (aka Duke Special) as well as Shiva Badiei, Omid and Omid. Juanita performed her recently released single 'Home, a song for Sudan' and was joined by Chip Bailey and Paul Kane from the OTH Music Collective for more of her original songs. A range of Sudanese protest art was shared with personal testimonies from the artists themselves as well as members of the local Sudanese community in Belfast. While sharing information about the event at Queen's, Juanita met Ayah Aljunaid (Assistant Supervisor, Queen's Students Union) and was introduced to Zeinab Abdelraham (Research Fellow, Centre for Public Health) At the concert, both Ayah and Zeinab joined Juanita in conversations to talk about what is happening in Sudan, the effect the conflict is having on people's lives, the role protest art played in the Sudanese Revolution as well as African Wealth and hopes for peace and prosperity in Sudan. The programme began with videos of Sudanese protest chants and freedom songs and ended with a lively drumming session and the chanting of 'Freedom, peace, justice' for the people of Sudan.
Read more on our Eventbrite page https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/635419445667
We were delighted to have 50 in-person attendees and 25 online attendees and were able to raise £730 from ticket sales. £500 of this amount has been sent to Ayman Mohammed to assist him and his family to evacuate to Ethiopia.
Here are comments from both Ayah and Zeinab as well as messages from Juanita's longstanding Sudanese friends Tanya Abdalla, Marina George, Mohammed Osman and Hussam Nagila. Prior to connecting with the Sudanese community in Belfast she was in touch with these friends to get their feedback and input while designing the artwork for the song cover and the programme for the event to make sure that the event was informed by their views and conveyed messages and information they felt was supportive to them and the people of Sudan.
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The event made me feel that I went back home! The way everyone spoke about Sudan brought me joy, made me feel happy that people do care about what is happening there. I enjoyed the drums, the lovely music and singing, the beautiful paintings and jewellery. Everything was perfect, I loved it. Ayah Aljunaid, Assistant Supervisor, Queen's Student's Union Check out Ayah's Facebook post for photos, videos and comments from Sudanese people in Belfast and abroad.
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The concert raised awareness, shared people’s voices in and out of Sudan and brought people together in celebration of Sudan. Highlighting the challenges currently being faced as well as the hopes and dreams people have for a better Sudan. Thank you to the team for making this happen and for your continued love and support of Sudan. Tanya Abdalla, evacuated to Derry
Thank you for doing the best you can to save lives and to change the situation to the better and most importantly to make our voices heard. Marina George, evacuated to Cairo
The event was a fantastic movement that aimed to raise awareness about the ongoing crisis in Sudan and to support the people of Sudan who have been experiencing political instability, economic turmoil, and human rights violations for many years. The ongoing war in Sudan has had devastating consequences for the people living in the country, particularly in Khartoum. This is a critical time. Raising awareness helps shed light on the challenges faced by the people in Sudan, including displacement, violence, and humanitarian crises. It brings attention to the urgent need for assistance and promotes understanding among the international community. By raising funds, we can provide essential resources and support to those affected by the war. These funds can be used to provide food, clean water, healthcare, shelter, and other basic necessities to the people in Khartoum and those fleeing the country. It is crucial to come together as a global community to support and stand in solidarity with the people of Sudan during this challenging time. Zeinab Abdelraham, Research Fellow , Centre for Public Health - Molecular Epidemiology, Queen's University Belfast |
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This is just great my friend 😍 Thank you very much for arranging this... it looks very positive....(feels) like everything will be good eventually. Hussam Nagila, evacuated to Singa
This is a heartbreaking moment. I wish I could have attended it 😭. Thank you so much for organising this supporting event, it means a lot when it is widely published, so other communities can copy this initiative. Mohammed Osman Saeed, currently in Khartoum
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We are continuing to raise funds through sales of 'Home, a song for Sudan' priced at £2. As at June 2nd, we raised £167 through song sales.
https://othmusiccollective.bandcamp.com/track/home-a-song-for-sudan Donations greater than £2 can be sent through our Givengain campaign page via which we have raised £260 to date. Givengain has a unique feature allowing people to create their own fundraising goals in support of our campaign and to share it directly via their chosen social media platforms. We are in communication with Mohammed Osman to coordinate a transfer of funds raised thus far (£230 from concert + £167 from song sales + £260 from campaign page) to assist people in Khartoum. Please support. The people of Sudan are facing an immense humanitarian crisis and are receiving very little international aide. |
With Mohammed's response in mind, we have decided to help others host more Benefit Concerts to help raise awareness and funds to help people affected by the war in Sudan. Click for more info.
Host Songs for Sudan in Belfast
Host Songs for Sudan in your city