We are all funny and we all make mistakes. Sometimes we like to forget these aspects of human nature in favor of the serious side of life. But, the ability to embrace our humor and our flaws and laugh at ourselves can be incredibly powerful.

So says Natalie Porias, director of Red Noses International, an international organisation of clowns who have been bringing laughter, joy, and silliness to vulnerable people around the world for almost 20 years. In this episode, Natalie spoke with Laura Hassler about the surprisingly zen beauty of the art of clowning, and how she and her organization have learned to fully embody their politics in everything they do.

Find out more about Red Noses at rednoses.eu/ and donate what you can to the Emergency Smile campaign: emergencysmile.rednoses.eu/donation-now/

ReSounding was produced and edited by Ed Holland.

The art27 theme music ‘Come Together’ was written and performed by Matteo Galesi and was produced for art27 in collaboration with SYNCR.

You can find Matteo at:
www.facebook.com/matteo.galesi
www.instagram.com/teogalesi/
twitter.com/TEOgalesi

This month art27 Co-Founder Laura Hassler takes up hosting duty and speaks to Godfrey Lado, a musician and poet living in Amsterdam.

Born in South Sudan, Godfrey fled the country as a refugee when he faced the prospect of mandatory military service. Since arriving in the Netherlands he has negotiated a long and difficult journey to become a fully documented citizen. Now, through storytelling, music, and community building, Godfrey works with other undocumented migrants in Amsterdam to create a better standard of life.

Godfrey works with the organization ASKV Steunpunt Vluchtelingen, find out more about their work on their website.

This podcast features an excerpt of 'Kabara Ta Intikhabat' by Godfrey Lado

ReSounding was produced and edited by Ed Holland.

The art27 theme music ‘Come Together’ was written and performed by Matteo Galesi and was produced for art27 in collaboration with SYNCR.

You can find Matteo at:
www.facebook.com/matteo.galesi
www.instagram.com/teogalesi/
twitter.com/TEOgalesi

Laura Nyahuye is a Zimbabwean born artist, storyteller, a curator, writer, performer, and the founder of Maokwo a social enterprise exploring ways in which creativity can bring communities together.

She joined us to talk about how we can tell stories of migration through art, and how this process can help minoritized people form an understanding of their experiences. She also told us how she explores her own story through her stunning body adornment artwork.

ReSounding is hosted by Dr Chris Nicholson, Program Development Manager with Musicians Without Borders.

The art27 theme music ‘Come Together’ was written and performed by Matteo Galesi and was produced for art27 in collaboration with SYNCR.

You can find Matteo at:
www.facebook.com/matteo.galesi
www.instagram.com/teogalesi/
twitter.com/TEOgalesi

In the 1960's the town of Amude on the Northern border of Syria was a haven of creativity and expression. However a tragic fire in one of the town's cinemas left a deep scar within the community that has not been healed for over 60 years.

That is until 2021, when Alaa Abdulfatah and her husband Gernas Haj Shekhmous decided to return to their hometown after years of living in Europe, to build Kulturvan Cultural Center to teach and show art, cinema and music. Kulturvan created the first new cinema in the town since the 60’s, and bring creativity back to Amude. Now they are creating a safe and creative space to start washing away the dust of decades of conflict.

This episode includes clips of Gernas Haj Shekhmous playing the daf in the town of Amude, and a performance by the Kulturvan Band.

You can find out more about Alaa's amazing intiative at kulturvan.org and if you want to make a contribution to the intiative or donate instruments to their music drive, get in touch with Kulturvan, art27, or Musicians Without Borders

ReSounding is hosted by Dr Chris Nicholson, Program Development Manager with Musicians Without Borders.

The art27 theme music ‘Come Together’ was written and performed by Matteo Galesi and was produced for art27 in collaboration with SYNCR.

You can find Matteo at:
www.facebook.com/matteo.galesi
www.instagram.com/teogalesi/
twitter.com/TEOgalesi

Our first episode of a new season of the ReSounding Podcast, and we kick 2022 off with a moving interview with Laura Hassler, the founder and director of Musicians Without Borders, and one of the co-founders of art27.

Laura is an award-winning peace activist who has worked with Musicians Without Borders for over 20 years to help heal the wounds of war through music education, sustainable school programs, and an approach informed by the power of art on the body. In this episode she tells about how she "accidentally" founded the charity, how she finds her hope, and a fascinating story involving the US President Eisenhower and bags of grain.

ReSounding is hosted by Dr Chris Nicholson, Program Development Manager with Musicians Without Borders.

ReSounding was produced by Ed Holland and Maryana Golovchenko, and edited by Ed Holland

The art27 theme music ‘Come Together’ was written and performed by Matteo Galesi and was produced for art27 in collaboration with SYNCR.

You can find Matteo at:
www.facebook.com/matteo.galesi
www.instagram.com/teogalesi/
twitter.com/TEOgalesi

Walk of Shame is an organisation that has one mission: to rehumanize the way Europeans engage with the topics of migration and refugee status. By acknowledging the collective feelings of shame at having not done enough as a global society to help those in need, Walk of Shame hope to create greater communication through empathy and vulnerable understanding.

Rikko Voorberg and Rouddy Kimpioka join us this week to discuss the important difference between helping and understanding, and ask the question 'when should we intervene, and when is it enough just to be there for someone?'

ReSounding is hosted by Dr Chris Nicholson, Program Development Manager with Musicians Without Borders.

ReSounding was produced by Ed Holland and Maryana Golovchenko, and edited by Ed Holland

The art27 theme music ‘Come Together’ was written and performed by Matteo Galesi and was produced for art27 in collaboration with SYNCR.

You can find Matteo at:
www.facebook.com/matteo.galesi
www.instagram.com/teogalesi/
twitter.com/TEOgalesi

What do we mean when we talk about health and wellbeing? Across countries and cultures these words may take on totally different meanings and connotations. In countries where healthcare is taken for granted, the term "healthy" may be totally different to those in countries where healthcare is less easy to access.

This month's guest, Injonge Karangwa, is a Rwandan singer, songwriter, and the Chief Organizer of the Hamwe Festival - a festival dedicated to discussing health equity and the role of arts in culture in healthcare around the world. Through her work Injonge seeks to empower health workers using art in order to bring about shared wellbeing across the world.

You can attend this year's Hamwe Festival in November by going to their website.

Facebook: @hamwefestival
Twitter: @Hamwe_Festival
Instagram: @Hamwe_Festival
YouTube: University of Global Health Equity

ReSounding is hosted by Dr Chris Nicholson, Program Development Manager with Musicians Without Borders.

ReSounding was produced by Ed Holland and Maryana Golovchenko, and edited by Ed Holland

The art27 theme music ‘Come Together’ was written and performed by Matteo Galesi and was produced for art27 in collaboration with SYNCR.

You can find Matteo at:
www.facebook.com/matteo.galesi
www.instagram.com/teogalesi/
twitter.com/TEOgalesi

The Africa Center in New York City has set out on a huge task: to repair the narrative of African heritage and the African diaspora. Through it's incredibly varied programme of events, talks, exhibitions, outreach programmes and performances, the Center aims to create a healthier and more inclusive portrayal of the lives of African people and their descendants.

In this episode Chris speaks to Alana Francis de Govia, the Chief Program and Experience Officer at the Africa Center. She explains their global vision and delves into the power of narratives in identity.

You can find the Africa Center @TheAfricaCenter on all social media and you can follow Alana directly on Twitter at _alanafrancis_

ReSounding is hosted by Dr Chris Nicholson, Program Development Manager with Musicians Without Borders.

ReSounding was produced by Ed Holland and Maryana Golovchenko, and edited by Ed Holland

The art27 theme music ‘Come Together’ was written and performed by Matteo Galesi and was produced for art27 in collaboration with SYNCR.

You can find Matteo at:
www.facebook.com/matteo.galesi
www.instagram.com/teogalesi/
twitter.com/TEOgalesi

Culture Declares a Climate & Ecological Emergency is a rapidly growing worldwide network of cultural institutions and creatives who are dedicating their work to tackling the worsening environmental disaster. 

In this episode we spoke to Victoria Burns, Coordinator of Culture Declares. She told us how the initiative works with - rather than against - large institutions to bring about demonstrative sustainability, as well as how culture can make us all feel more powerful in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

Head to https://www.culturedeclares.org/ to declare your institution and check out their beautiful letters campaign at https://www.letterstotheearth.com/.

ReSounding is hosted by Dr Chris Nicholson, Program Development Manager with Musicians Without Borders.

ReSounding was produced by Ed Holland and Maryana Golovchenko, and edited by Ed Holland

The art27 theme music ‘Come Together’ was written and performed by Matteo Galesi and was produced for art27 in collaboration with SYNCR.

You can find Matteo at:
www.facebook.com/matteo.galesi
www.instagram.com/teogalesi/
twitter.com/TEOgalesi

As a registered City of Sanctuary, the city of Bristol UK, has been celebrating it's diverse cultural society for years. Central to these celebrations is the Bristol Refugee Festival, an annual display of the art, music, food, and beauty of the city's migrant and arrived populations.

Last month, as part of our Artists as Changemakers conference series, our host Dr Chris Nicholson sat down with Danny Vincent from the festival, to discuss how a festival like this comes together and the crucial work of long-term community engagement.

The IN.DI.E Music Project stands for Interculture, Diversity and Empowerment. They offer support and training in music education, career advice and industry networking for musicians with diverse backgrounds living in Germany. This month, Chris Nicholson spoke to project leaders Matthias Witt and Ayham Nabuti to explore the many ways IN.DI.E Music is creating social and personal change on both the large and small scales. 

Matthias and Ayham share touching stories from their experience putting together the project and demonstrate how the negative effects of socially constructed labels can be rejected through music and collaboration.

IN.DI.E Music is funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia and administered by the State Music Academy North Rhine-Westphalia. Find out more here

The music featured in this episode:

Dialogue 1
Shanmugilangam Devakuruparan - Tabla
Serbest Jajan - Bouzuk
Louis Llorente - Guitar
Mehmed “Vefa” Yamalak - Daf

Dialogue 2
Christoph Schumacher - Body percussion
Yahya Issa - Oud
Juan Jose Lama - Guitar
Ilhan Dikmen - Violin

ReSounding is hosted by Dr Chris Nicholson, Program Development Manager with Musicians Without Borders.

ReSounding was produced by Ed Holland and Maryana Golovchenko, and edited by Ed Holland

The art27 theme music ‘Come Together’ was written and performed by Matteo Galesi and was produced for art27 in collaboration with SYNCR.

You can find Matteo at:
www.facebook.com/matteo.galesi
www.instagram.com/teogalesi/
twitter.com/TEOgalesi

In our first episode of the new ReSounding podcast, our host Chris Nicholson spoke with Eduard Nazarski, the former head of Amnesty International Netherlands. Eduard is now working with the refugee advocacy initiative Alarm Europa, in order to resound the alarm for greater action to be taken for refugees and forced migrants. 

Eduard draws on his career in international advocacy and policy lobbying, as well as his experience as a musician, to explore what makes an effective advocacy campaign and where music and performance plays a crucial role in making a statement.

You can support Alarm Europa at their website: https://www.alarmeuropa.nl/

This episode features the following musical performances from participants of Alarm Europa:

Wilco Oomkes - accordion rendition of Song of the Birds: www.facebook.com/100000262317827/posts/3976851292333575/

Bart Scheenman and David Mackor - oboe and lute rendition of Song of the Birds: www.facebook.com/AlarmEuropa/videos/876000689634981

SOS Moria ensemble - rendition of Song of the Birds: www.facebook.com/100000500289273/posts/4378313958861904/

The art27 theme music 'Come Together' was written and performed by Matteo Galesi and was produced for art27 in collaboration with SYNCR.
You can find Matteo at:
www.facebook.com/matteo.galesi
www.instagram.com/teogalesi/
twitter.com/TEOgalesi