Care for Culture, an initiative by the
Global Isai Festival, reaches out to people with music. It is a cause we believe in. We have seen that
music heals, spreads joy, raises hopes and builds dreams and it is this hope that drives the initiative
forward. Every year, the artists from India and abroad, collaborate with us to perform for those in need
of care. Besides live performances, they conduct workshops at various institutions and connect with the
people who benefit from the power of music. We hope to bring about a change in this way. In the past
years, this initiative has included performances at Children�s Cancer Hospital, Puzhal Jail for the
inmates, School for the Blind, workshops, etc in Chennai.
This cause invites you to feel the power of music, be part of the change. It�s time to create a culture that cares.
Four Paragon musicians have recently returned to Scotland from a two week British Council funded visit to Chennai in India where they delivered a series of inclusive music training seminars to staff at EXODUS and staff of a local NGO that supports disabled people, Devasitham Charitable Foundation (DCF). Linked to the training seminars were a parallel series of participatory workshops and performances involving 125 people with additional support needs from both the urban and rural regions of Chennai. Over the two week period Paragon musicians engaged 25 adult trainee musicians in eight 2 hour interactive workshop seminars building skills and developing techniques in inclusive music practice. Trainees were able to put their skills to the test in 15 participatory workshops with participants ranging in age from as young as 2 yrs up to 60 yrs.
The main activity of the participatory music workshops was to inspire participants to contribute their own musical ideas within their group and to develop those ideas into full musical pieces of up to 10 minutes in duration. The music had influences from both Western and Indian musical traditions. Each group then rehearsed and polished up their piece for a public performance which was held in the YMCA Nandanam on 18 November 2017 in Chennai to a warm and enthusiastic audience of around 800 people. Performances also took place at Vidya Sagar and BETA Secondary Schools to audiences of over 600 pupils and staff.
Paragon musicians brought a number of accessible musical instruments for the groups to play and Exodus supplied drums, keyboards, guitars and amplification. The programme formed part of an outreach programme run annually by Exodus called Care for Culture. Exodus and DCF arranged marketing for the event and linked it to an initiative entitled, Aavaa Dingi. This initiative was set up by DCF to empower and develop the underprivileged and economically challenged young people and differently abled people through workshops, fine arts and cultural events. One of Paragon�s team of musicians was also a professional dancer, and the element of movement and dance was introduced to the participants and the trainees during the sessions. So dance became an integral part of one of the groups� piece.
Paragon�s inclusive training programme, with support from the British Council and Creative Scotland, brought together a number of partners that work in the Arts sector and the Disability Support sector. Two Secondary Schools also participated in the programme, Vidya Sagar (formerly the Spastics Society of India) and BETA Matriculation Higher Secondary School. During their time in Chennai, Paragon made contact with KM Foundation Music College and Crea Shakthi, theatre in education, both of whom were very keen to be involved in any future inclusive projects that Paragon would be running with Exodus in Chennai.
his year, Care for Culture�s focus was on spreading awareness of Cerebral Palsy (CP). In keeping with this, Blessing Bled Chimanga Trio from Zimbabwe performed for children affected by CP at Devasitham Charitable Foundation, Chennai. The DCF is an organisation that aims at imparting value added education like spoken english, computer skills, social awareness programs, career counseling etc. As part of the program, children with visual impairment also performed music on stage. The participants were all very excited by the performance, and some even shared their feedback with the artists.
In association with Ann Care Foundation, music was taken to the children at the Children�s Cancer Institute at Egmore and SRM College. Performances were made by Simangavole from Reunion Island and childrens� band, V Take Off. The event was a huge success and spread joy in the hearts of many! The children were happy and had a good day listening to music from a different culture. The success of the event inspired the organizers to make this an annual cause to participate in.
Workshops were also conducted in 2015 at the A R Rahman�s School of Music, KM Music Conservatory.
L Shenkar feat. Lalitha and Nandini performed for the inmates of Puzhal Jail on Republic Day.
�The best concert I have had so for in India during my tour is for the prisoners @ the Puzhal Jail just for the reason I get to meet around 500 prisoners or more many of them sharing their experience with me which made me feel so special and greatful. The best compliment I got from many of them was they said they will have a peaceful night of sleep after hearing the show. Music has the power to heal! The man below has been in prison for more than 30 years he said.� � L Shenker
�World-renowned musician Shenkar, who is a vocalist, instrumentalist and a songwriter, will be playing a special concert today. On the occasion of Republic Day, he'll be performing for the inmates of the Puzhal jail in the city. "It's a special feeling," says Shenkar, who is currently in the city, "I was invited to play at the Isai festival last month and the promoters of that were involved in the Puzhal concert. When they proposed the idea, I was very interested since I have worked with rehabilitation stuff and such special projects all the time. Among other numbers, I'll be performing songs from my album, The Revelation, and special guests Dr M Lalitha and M Nandini, will be playing too." � Times of India.
French band Boogers performed for the School for the Blind in Chennai.
Workshops were conducted in Landmark Bookstore and University of Madras (Music Dept)
In the first year, workshops were conducted in Landmark Bookstore, Madras Christian College and Madras University (Music Dept)