BIMM London, The Joe Strummer Foundation and The WAYout Studio Sierra Leone present: RIP IT UP! 2015 – A WEEK LONG FESTIVAL (2nd Feb – 6th Feb) CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF LIVE AID. All proceeds and donated equipment to The WAYout Studio Sierra Leone.
BIMM London’s week-long festival Rip It Up! returns in February to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic Live Aid concert.
Partnering with The Joe Strummer Foundation, BIMM London are hosting a week of high profile events to raise funds for much needed equipment at The WAYout Studio in Freetown, Sierra Leone that offers a facility for recording live music and electronic music that is free to street youth.
The week-long festival will include:
- The Sofa Sessions: recreating a teenagers room from 1985 as the setting for 40 live performances featuring original tracks and covers from artists who played Live Aid.
- The Fulham Takeover: BIMM London artists perform for free in four local venues The Broadway, Brogan’s, The Lazy Fox and The Barrow Boy
- Peter Hince interview: an in depth look behind the scenes of one of the most iconic bands of the 80s – Queen – courtesy of their long term roadie and official photographer.
- Rip It Up Live at The Half Moon: featuring very special surprise guests and performances of classic Live Aid tracks from BIMM students and The Joe Strummer Foundation artists.
- Club Tropicana: rounding the week off with an 80s club night – get your legwarmers on!
Harry Leckstein, Head of Music Business and Industry Development for BIMM London, said “this is a very poignant anniversary given the current situation in West Africa and we are proud to stand with our charity partner The Joe Strummer Foundation, to raise awareness and support for The WAYout Studio and the local music community in Sierra Leone”.
Jamie Webb at The Joe Strummer Foundation said “developing projects like Rip It Up! with BIMM gives The Joe Strummer Foundation and its projects huge exposure and support. We are endlessly grateful for their dedication and commitment to helping new music thrive in the UK and worldwide”.
Hazel Chandler, a trustee of WAYout Worldwide Arts for Youth, recently reported on the life in the grip of the Ebola outbreak:
“We now have two Ebola songs which are being broadcast on local radio stations. The studio equipment is struggling though. The laptop crashed and we lost a lot and are re-recording the things we lost this week. The keyboards died and the mixer is also dead. We are about to start a project called “Who Makes My Image” that will encourage people (50% women) to tell their own stories through film and music. We are possibly the only youth organisation to keep our doors open. Partner organisations iEARN and Ballanta Music Academy have closed. Schools and colleges are closed”.
For more information and to make an in kind or cash donation to The WAYout Studio please email ripitup@bimm.co.uk
