Page 31 - SOUTHERN OREGON MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

EVENTS
E V EN T S

ROGUE WORLD MUSIC FOR FIRE RECOVERY

KEEPS THE PACE IN 2022
ogue World Music presents its live and in-person flagship event,
Rthe Ashland World Music Festival, Memorial Day Weekend, May
27-30. This FREE multi-day, multi-venue event features: a mainstage
concert highlighting culture-bearing artists at Lithia Park’s Butler
Bandshell; a HeartBeat Stories story-telling event, location TBA; a per-
cussion workshop with Ghanaian artist Okaidja Afroso at SOU; and a
weekend of SoundWalks through beautiful downtown Ashland, blend-
ing visual art installations with festival music for a self-directed cultural
experience.

The last in-person edition in 2019 brought together over 1,500 people
in multiple Ashland venues to enjoy heritage stories, concerts, work-
shops, dancing, and community spirit. In 2020, RWM pivoted to a
virtual offering of the Main Stage concert event, followed by a hybrid
version in 2021.

When the Almeda fire devastated over 2,600 homes in September of
2020, RWM realized that the Festival could leverage this new virtual
format to support the urgent community need, fire relief. They joined
forces with the Phoenix-Talent School District to raise over $10,000
during the virtual Festival in November of 2020. For the festival of 2021,
they collaborated with UNETE to raise $10,000 for their Immigrant
Family and Farmworker Fire Relief Fund.

The 2022 Festival will continue as a fundraiser, its focus on fire recov-
ery. “Rebuilding after the fire is underway, but the communities of both
Phoenix and Talent will require years to fully recover from the impact
of this disaster. Our organization’s mission is community building, and
we are committed to supporting that through creating opportunities
for connection and tangible rebuilding efforts,” says Ana Byers, Rogue
World Music Executive Director.

RWM and collaborators like Ashland Parks and Rec, the Ashland
Chamber and various community partners warmly extend the invita-
tion to participate in the 2022 event – in the fundraiser and in the fun!

Donate any amount at www.rogueworldmusic.org/awmf/fundraiser.
You may sign up for the mailing list as well. The website will update
fundraiser progress and tell of event details.

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