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Simmer Down Music Festival

It’s time to Simmer Down and feel the festival vibe…

The Festival season is well and truly upon us and this is your chance to experience the Festival vibe on your doorstep. That’s right, you don’t have to spend hundreds of pounds, travel loads of miles or stand around for hours knee deep in mud. Why? Birmingham has its very own Family Festival and we’re inviting you to join us for Simmer Down at Handsworth Park on Sat 17 Jul 2010 from 1 – 7pm.

Simmer Down at Handsworth Park is completely FREE. This festival is a great opportunity for all members of the family to enjoy a relaxing, fun day out. There’s a music stage featuring local artists including ‘Reggae Empress’ Yaz Alexander, Skibu, Peter Spence, Tenna Star, ‘King of Dhol’ Gurchan Mall; there’ll be Middle Eastern music and dance from locally-based Kurdish Ensemble Daholl, originally from different parts of Africa but now resident in Nottingham, we have the Ngoma Band who will be performing the infectious sounds of Afro Pop and Afro Reggae plus Bob Marley Tribute Band ‘Legend’ will be encouraging you to sing along to lyrics such as “sun is shining, weather is sweet, make you wanna move your dancing feet.” Sounds perfect doesn’t it? And if you’re worried about keeping the children occupied, relax. Children and young people will have the opportunity to take part in free singing and dance workshops. The workshops will be led by local RnB gospel star Gen Slyva and Hip Hop Dance moghul Kashmir Leese. All this, plus there’ll be face painting and carnival mask making. There’s a food area with a wide variety of stalls where you’ll be able to buy drinks/snacks and sample foods from Asia, the Caribbean and beyond.

Now in its second year, this Family Fun Day was the brainchild of Jesse Gerald at Perry Barr Constituency Arts Forum, “Simmer Down is a great opportunity for Birmingham residents to come together in Handsworth Park and take part in a day of free entertainment and activities. It’s a day where people from different cultures from different parts of the City - from the very young to the very old - can come down, enjoy free music and entertainment. The children can take part in mask making which will culminate in a mini-carnival procession later in the day and, of course, as with any good festival, there’s food and drinks on sale” he said.

“Last year the festival attracted around 1,000 visitors. This year’s Festival is bigger and better and we are hoping to double that figure” added Mukhtar Dar, Director of Arts from The Drum. “The unique collaboration between Perry Bar Arts Forum, The Drum, Birmingham Opera Company, Birmingham Hippodrome and funding partners, Urban Living and Birmingham City Council’s Emerging Festivals Fund, has resulted in our combined efforts creating a vibrant festival package which reflects Birmingham’s diverse communities and pays homage to the many local reggae artists who have put Birmingham on the world stage Our aim is to establish this as an annual International Reggae Festival as part of the Cultural Olympiad and Birmingham’s Bid for the City of Culture 2013”.

So don’t forget Sat 17 Jul is time enjoy the sunshine, chill out, relax and feel the vibe at this year’s FREE Simmer Down Festival at Handsworth Park.
After the park and the kids are all tucked up in bed, its back to The Drum for the official Simmer Down Festival After Party hosted by The Drum & Wassifa Sound featuring Saxon with guest deejays Phillip Levi, Daddy Colonel plus special guests to be announced soon.
ENDS

For press enquiries please contact Helen Liddle, Marketing & Press Officer, The Drum. Email h.liddle@the-drum.org.uk; Tel: 0121 333 2409.

Notes to Editors:

Title Simmer Down @ Handsworth Park
Date & Time: Sat 17 Jul 2010, 1pm – 7pm
Ticket Price: Admission Free
Venue: Handsworth Park, Hollyhead Road Entrance, Birmingham B20 2HF
Box Office: 0121 333 2444
Online Bookings: www.the-drum.org.uk
Facebook: Drum (West Midlands)
Twitter: Follow us on Twitter/The_Drum
MySpace: www.myspace.com/drumb6

About Simmer Down
Simmer Down has been made possible with funding from a range of partnerships including Perry Bar Arts Forum, Birmingham City Council Emerging Festival Fund, Arts Council England, Urban Living, Be Birmingham plus a range of partners which includes Birmingham Opera Company, Birmingham Hippodrome, Perry Bar Constituency Neighbourhood Office, Perry Beeches Schools Cluster, Perry Bar Youth Forum, BCU, Age Concern, Tony Fairweather Jerk Cook Out.
Simmer Down at Handsworth Park is presented as part of the The Drum’s Simmer Down International Reggae Festival which comprises a series events taking place from July – August 2010. These events include:

Date Event Title Ticket Price
Sat 17 Jul Simmer Down Festival After Party £7(£5)
Thu 15 Jul A History of UK Reggae with Mykaell Riley £3.00
Mon 19 & / Blackheart Man Schools only
Tue 20 Jul

Sun 1 Aug Luciano with Turbulence £22.50/MOTD