Summary
World Citizen Artists (WCA) first year attracted artists, musicians and fans from all continents, backgrounds, styles, ages, political views, religious beliefs, levels of wealth and poverty, etc…
Despite our differences, we all share the same world and our WCA team and members have been working actively to reunite those who believe that together, we can create positive change in the World.
On 20th June 2014 (World Refugee Day) WCA created its website and Facebook page in order to Raise Awareness through Creativity. Artists contributed their ‘Voices‘ to issues covered by the United Nations World Days.
Within the first three months, WCA reached over 10 000 fans.
On 21st September 2014 (International Day of Peace), WCA launched its first Worldwide Competition on the theme of Peace, in partnership with Playing For Change Foundation (worldwide music foundation, operated in association with world-class musicians and producers, which assists children to learn music.) Belgravia Gallery (named Gallery of the Year 2013. One of Europe’s leading art galleries, it regularly features the work of renowned artists and celebrities such as: Picasso, Andy Warhol, Matisse, HRH The Prince of Wales, Nelson Mandela, Sir Peter Blake and others) and Issuu (one of the world’s leading digital publishing platforms, which gives publishers tools to deliver over 5 billion page views each month to more than 80 million readers.)
WCA Competition Slogan: “Compete for Peace – Not War”
This competition has been a key opportunity for emerging and established artists to exhibit their work in the prestigious Belgravia Gallery, Mayfair, London, and for musicians to have their name featured by the renowned Playing for Change Foundation on their website and social media channels.
Yosvany Terry, the famous Cuban saxophonist/percussionist/composer and Grammy Award Nominee 2015 joined the WCA jury and Nomfusi (the South African celebrity singer and actress portrayed the character of Miriam Makeba in the Golden Globe winning film about Mandela “Long Walk To Freedom” with appearances at both the Hollywood and Berlin premieres) announced the results on 5th December 2014.
issuu gave free premium memberships to the winners and finalists and the first WCA Art, the music winners were featured on Playing For Change Foundation and the visual artists winners saw their one month exhibition taking place at the Belgravia Gallery on 11th December 2014.
On 21st June 2015 (World Music Day), WCA will celebrate its first Anniversary in partnership with International Day of Peace (Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981 “Peace Day” is an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date. Pathways To Peace, working with members of the UN, helped obtain historic levels of support for Peace Day. In 1984, PTP held the first major International Day of Peace celebration in San Francisco with major events including the Minute of Silence Moment of Peace, when business cash registers stopped, a TV station was silent, and global Peace Wave bringing the Day to everyone, everywhere. Media called it – A silence heard around the world) and the prestigious Bataclan Café (attached to the famous venue ‘The Bataclan‘ known for leading-edge concerts and gigs. The adjacent cafe, modelled on a Chinese Theatre, is known as a hangout for musicians and fans. Musicians who play there include Alpha Blondy, Paul Weller and Jimmy Cliff, etc) and Playing For Change Foundation.
The World Citizen Artists First Anniversary will be celebrated on World Music Day .
This event is also supported by Radio France Internationale (RFI) who will provide the publicity of the event on their social media channels. RFI generally referred to by its acronym RFI, is a French public radio service that broadcasts in Paris and all over the world. With 35.6 million listeners in 2008, it is one of the most listened to international radio stations in the world, along with BBC World Service, Voice of America and Deutsche Welle.
The event will take place on 21 June 2015 at the Bataclan Café – 50 Boulevard Voltaire – 75011 Paris – Metro Oberkampf
WCA Musicians will start performing @ 7pm and BélO will be receiving his Award during the event. All the musicians have financed their own flight and accomodation with their own savings, in order to make a difference in the World and show that with solidarity, great things happen!
Artists, Musicians, Promoters and Fans from all around the World are welcome to join us, however, many of our fans come from third World Countries and can't afford a flight to join us.
This campaign aims to make a short film (minimum 7 mins) in order to keep the World Citizen Artists community connected.
Initially, we had engaged a well known film director, with over 20 years experience for BBC, PBS, ARTE, etc. who was willing to volunteer for free to do the camera work for the event. Unfortunately, he's had to cancel for urgent professional matters.
Since World Citizen Artists is only one year old, the non profit organisation can't afford a professional with such skills.
World Citizen Artists believes that together, we can make this film for our fans and for artists who will come all the way to Paris from Brazil, Canada, Haiti, Ireland and Argentina to perform.