Music Connects and Brass for Africa are partnering to bring a stage, a recording studio, instruments and a small cinema to Bidibidi — one of the world's largest refugee settlements located in Northern Uganda.
It is home to over 240,000 refugees, many of whom have fled the civil war in South Sudan.
Women and children make up approximately 86% of the population, with the vast majority out of work and relying on food aid.
Fully equipped
The German Foreign Office provided financial support to design, develop, and produce a fully equipped mobile multimedia 'Music Lab' prototype.
Music Connects is a German non-profit organisation comprised of musicians and entrepreneurs who, with the financial support of the country's Federal Foreign Office, have developed and manufactured a prototype of a fully equipped mobile multimedia music laboratory.
Creative energy
Speaking about the project Geoffroy Schied of Music Connects, said: "On our two visits to Bidibidi, we were overwhelmed by the creative energy of the young people. They are dreaming of expressing themselves and reaching out not only to the world but to their neighbours in this vast settlement.
With our mobile LAB, we hope to reach many of them, and give them a chance to work together and be heard".
Brass for Africa told 4BR that they were "honoured"to have been selected by Music Connects as the implementing partner for Lab Uganda.
In addition to ensuring the full utilisation of the Lab, Brass for Africa will also implement weekly Music Education and Life-Skills Training sessions for children and young people living in Bidibidi alongside regular workshops and special community events across the settlement.
They are dreaming of expressing themselves and reaching out not only to the world but to their neighbours in this vast settlementMusic Connects
Honoured
Speaking to 4BR, Jim Trott MBE, Executive Director of Brass for Africa, said: "We have long been in admiration of Uganda's and the UNHCR's refugee response and feel honoured to now be able to play our part too.
Not only will Lab Uganda and the Community Music programmes help nurture talent and release potential but through the incredibly powerful tool of music we can address many other social and personal issues and pressures that young people are facing in Bidibidi.
We are very excited to be a part of this ground-breaking project".
The project will start in October 2021.
