Photos from events can be viewed in our photo gallery.
We are delighted to organise a unique series of workshops which use singing to break down cultural barriers and bring women together. The facilitator is Rachel Dempsey from the organisation ‘Global Harmonies’. Rachel has extensive experience in development education, as well as a thorough understanding and personal experience of ‘world’ music.
Longford is now a place where women from different cultures encounter each other as neighbours, on the streets, in the supermarket. But many women tell us that they do not have opportunities to engage with cultural difference in any real way. Our International Women’s Day Celebration created one opportunity, and that day women
told us they wanted more.
Our response is Global Harmonies.
Here’s how Rachel describes her approach:
‘It is a well-known fact that music breaks down barriers and brings people together. This is especially true for singing, as we can all sing without any equipment or specialised knowledge. Moreover, singing with those from other cultures and singing material from other cultures informs and educates about intercultural harmony and also about global issues affecting all of us on this planet. Many community, women’s and youth groups etc. are now faced with the challenge of how to integrate new neighbours, colleagues and clients into their communities. When bringing members of different cultural groups together for the purpose of sharing or dialogue, it is beneficial to have an activity to break the ice, to provide a common aim for participants and to provide a means of bonding. Global Harmonies can provide this. Simple songs from around the world are taught in a variety of languages, which levels participants and enables non-verbal communication and bonding. Depending on English language levels of participants, music and singing from various cultures can be discussed as this provides a gateway to understanding each others rituals, customs, religion, gender structures, festivals, lifestyles etc.’
