Today, War Child is proud to announce the launch of The Right To Dance, a music-led fundraising platform rallying the underground music scene as a collective force for good.
Launching online today to raise vital funds for War Child's critical work assisting the safety and recovery of children affected by conflict, The Right To Dance will reframe the concept of donation by working with the global dance music community to reward supporters with subscription access (from £3 per month) to exclusive events, new music and mixes, one-off merch collaborations and partner offers - created in collaboration with some of the world’s finest artists, labels, promoters and collectives.
Supporting the right to community, freedom, identity and self-expression is central to War Child’s work in the field - values shared by underground music scenes worldwide. Powered by a mission to build a positive community united by a passion for music and progress, The Right To Dance movement offers supporters the chance to fuel War Child’s action rebuilding the lives of children in war-torn countries - providing ‘safe spaces’ for childhood to be reclaimed, and where simple pleasures like laughter, playing and dancing can be rediscovered.
Alongside 20% off TRTD merch - including t-shirts, tote bags and slip mats available on the site - TRTD will be producing their own fundraising events.
The first of which will be a Yemen Emergency Fundraiser on Sunday 5 December at Oval Space & Pickle Factory, in partnership with We Out Here Festival and Foundation FM. Lineup and tickets will go live on Thursday 4 November, with TRTD members gaining exclusive access to pre-sale and ticket discounts.
On sign-up members will receive discounts from brand partners, including grocery delivery company Gorillas, Audio-Technica, Juno Records and East London Liquor, with more added regularly. Following launch, members will also gain access to limited discounted tickets from a growing network of promoter partners around the UK, including Club Blanco, Ghost Town, High Hoops, Labyrinth, LWE, Materials, Oval Space, Soul Stew, and Worm Disco Club.
TRTD will also be producing regular content to celebrate underground scenes and figureheads, past and present. To mark the launch, South African DJ and Producer, DJ Lag will drop an exclusive mix to launch their monthly TRTD Mix series, where members get access to the download and tracklist. This will be accompanied by two newly commissioned ‘Scene Spotlights’ - Tim Lawrence on David Mancuso and The Loft, and Queer Uganda Club Culture by Kakyo Trinah - as part of an ongoing series highlighting dance music movements past and present.
DJ Lag commented: "War Child have always understood the music space well and this specific campaign has an electronic music focus which felt like a very honest fit. Obviously, the organisation is doing amazing work with children and young people around the world and to be part of those efforts is truly a privilege. I hope you’ll enjoy having a sneak preview from my new album that drops on 18 February. The songs are not available anywhere else so getting a taste of them now means being one of the first people in the world to do so."
Rob Williams, CEO of War Child commented: “For over 25 years War Child has been working with the music industry to make remarkable things happen. In the UK, War Child’s work has motivated artists to record unique music and perform unforgettable shows. Now, we add a building block to our musical heritage with The Right To Dance – creating a new movement rooted in the values shared between War Child and the underground music community to change the lives of children living in conflict across the world.”
Since 1993, War Child has been working with children impacted by conflict to keep them safe, give them an education, equip them with skills for the future, and stand up for their rights. Money raised from The Right To Dance platform will help War Child to protect, educate and build a future for tens of thousands of children affected by war across Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq and Yemen. Joining this movement will help improve the lives of the children War Child works with across the world.
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Notes to the Editor:
About War Child
War Child UK is the only specialist charity for children affected by conflict. For more than two decades they’ve been driven by a single goal – for no child’s life to be torn apart by war. They aim to reach children as early as possible when conflict breaks out and stay to support them through their recovery – keeping them safe, helping them learn and cope with their experiences, and equipping them with skills for the future. They understand children’s needs, respect their rights, and put them at the centre of the solution and campaign for changes to policies and practices to support children in conflict, working with children and young people themselves to demand their rights. Together with their partners they deliver vital, life-saving work in 15 countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and Latin America. In 2019 alone, they reached over 100,000 children.
About The Right To Dance
The Right To Dance is a music-led fundraising movement created by War Child UK, which invites people to donate differently and stand up for children impacted by war through the shared values of the underground music community.
Founding Partner - Gorillas
The Right To Dance is supported by start up delivery service Gorillas, whose backing has allowed The Right to Dance to be big and bold in its ambitions, allowing for a greater impact on the children it works with.
The Right To Dance Committee
A crucial element of launching TRTD is the creation of an advisory committee made up of leading figures from across the music industry. Members include:
- Abigail Busenze - Member of War Child’s Youth Advocacy Programme
- Alexandra Ampofo - Promoter, Metropolis Music
- Aly Gillani - EU Label Head, Bandcamp & First World Records founder
- Becky Richardson - Co-founder Foundation FM
- Charisse Beaumont - CEO Black Lives In Music, Help Musicians Board Member
- Frankie Wells - Co-Founder, Foundation FM
- George Thomas - Artist Development, AWAL
- Gideon Berger - Founder of NYC Downlow and R3 Soundsystem
- Hannah Shogbola - Agent at Echo Location and UTA
- James Briggs - Co-Founder at Open Fundraising and War Child Trustee
- Kwame Safo (Chair) - DJ Funk Butcher, Grants & Programmes Manager at PRS Foundation
- Niks Delanancy - Co-Founder, Black Artist Database
- Tashan Leah-Campbell - DJ & radio host - Club Yeke, Worldwide FM, Kiss FM
