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CURRENT : 2012 : 2011 : 2010 : 2009 : 2008 : Earlier

Aidan on Facebook

I can perform solo or with a range of other musicians as needed.

This page gives information of all activities that I'm involved in, from community arts projects, to residencies and performances. For bookings, and confirmation of dates and times of public events please email contact[a]aidanjolly.com

If you would like to receive updates or information about Aidan Jolly, click here and put 'mailing list' in the subject line

"Well crafted contemporary roots" - Time Out
"A powerhouse songwriter with a big heart and a great voice"
- Birmingham Post
“Songs for people, about people”
- Phillip Kendall, St James’ Arts Centre, New Mills
“Aidan Jolly’s music is passionate, accessible and an absolute inspiration to listen to.” Ann Nicholls, Raise Your Banners Festival

2013

UNITea EVENT: British Red Cross event to celebrate Refugee Week
Wednesday 19th June, 4.00 – 7.00pm at The Brink, Parr Street, 21 Parr Street, Liverpool, L1 4JN

This is an arts and culture event, with 4 acts across the evening. The main theme of the evening is celebrating the positive contribution refugees have made to the culture history and heritage of the UK. Tracey Zengeni is a Zimbabwean artist who is bringing several pieces of her art to show and talk about, in addition to some acapella singing. Raj Govindarajah is a Sri Lankan film maker who has made a film about his friends’ experience of fleeing Sri Lanka and becoming a refugee in Britain. Aidan Jolly and Sai Murray are a musician and poet respectively, who have worked with many refugee and migrant groups. There will also be a ‘Cakes of the World’ section, where desserts from common refugee origin countries will be available for attendees, and they can guess where the desserts originate. In addition, there will be an ancestor mapping activity to plot the journeys of attendees relations throughout history.

The event is open to all, with free drinks tokens available to the first 100 people. RSVP to Josh Hughes at the Red Cross

Friday 22nd March, 1pm at Z-Arts
Musicians without Borders presents: Singing Without Borders - the culmination of our spring schools project
for details click here, to book FREE tickets click here

Friday 15th March 7.30pm 'Break Free', by Other Ways Of Telling.
A site specific performance with poetry, movement and music in St Helens Central Library - looking at mental ill-health, wellbeing, and stigma
TICKETS FREE BUT BOOKING ADVISED 01744 677087 OR artsservice@sthelens.gov.uk

2012

Weds 28th November 6 - 8pm CRUDE KILLINGS - Climate, Race, Poverty DISCUSSION, PERFORMANCE + BOOK LAUNCH
a free event by Virtual Migrants, @ International Anthony Burgess Foundation, 3 Cambridge Street, Engine House, Chorlton Mill, Manchester M1 5BY
Book your place at www.crudekillings.eventbrite.co.uk (registration is strongly advised to be sure of entry)
Virtual Migrants present the latest of their ‘Passenger’ events using live music and spoken word, plus a panel discussion in response to Platform's new book The Oil Road.
The Oil Road, quotes BP - the fourth largest company in the world - describing their operations as “Safe, Silent & Unseen”, but we need both to "see" and to "hear" at whose expense are their billions of dollars of annual profits.
This event by Virtual Migrants with support from Platform will explore the themes of the book and ask, "How does the sanitisation of difficult, violent processes and imperialist histories inform the fight for climate justice today?"
The panel includes:
JAMES MARRIOTT - Platform & co-author of the book
ANNA GALKINA - Platform
JAYA GRAVES - Southern Voices
DEYIKA NZERIBE - Hulme Green Party
MARC HUDSON - Steady State Manchester
ARWA ABURAWA - Manchester Climate Monthly
KOOJ CHUHAN (chair) - Virtual Migrants
The 'Passenger' performance will involve Virtual Migrants' artists:
SAI MURRAY (poetry/spoken word)
AIDAN JOLLY (music)
TRACEY ZENGENI (vocals)
TANHA MEHRZAD (multimedia projection/poetry)
www.virtualmigrants.com
Platform (London) are a social justice organisation combining Arts, Activism, Education and Research. For more info on The Oil Road and their work including the campaign for justice in the Niger delta, Remember Saro-Wiwa see http://platformlondon.org/.

And coming soon: Stone Flowers at St Giles in the Fields, London - December 15th, 3pm
More details and tickets from Freedom From Torture

Missed it:

4th October - Stone Flowers will be performing in Albert Square at 6pm - FREE!
This event is part of Manchester Food and Drink Festival AND Manchester Peace Festival
A culmination of work in partnership with Freedom from Torture NW with survivors of torture living in the UK. This project was created as a positive response to the use of music around the world as a form of torture. This uplifting performance includes original songs in English, Arabic, Farsi, Kurdish, French and Kikongo, influenced by the folk, jazz and classical genres.
You can listen to the Stone Flowers CD here: http://www.musicianswithoutborders.org.uk
Followed by Balkanite
7.30pm, £8 early bird, £10 on door
Tickets available from http://balkanite.eventbrite.co.uk
A wild concoction of live Balkan Beats, Gypsy Soul, Middle Eastern surf and Nomad Ska
with music from Gypsy Hill, the Organgrinder, Behar, and Satellite State Disko DJs.
Indulge in the delights of the Balkans by feasting on Rakija and Baklava

Peace festival information on Facebook

28th September - Hans Eisler celebration, at Cross St Chapel
Music Concert: Eisler in Exile
A performance of music and prose inspired by the work of German composer Hanns Eisler, will take place on Friday 28 September, 7.30pm in Cross Street Chapel, Manchester, as part of the Manchester Peace Festival. Tickets cost £7/£5, and are available on the door or at the Peace Festival website (below).

Hanns Eisler served in the German army during the First World War. In the 1920s he studied with Schoenberg, but after moving to Berlin, became increasingly influenced by jazz and by cabaret. He joined the Communist party and began working with Bertold Brecht , writing the music for a number of his plays, including “The Decision” and “The Mother”. After the Nazis came to power Eisler went to the United States, where he composed the music for several Hollywood films. Eisler fell foul of the anti-Communist hysteria in the USA and was deported in 1948. He eventually settled in East Germany, where he continued to compose until his death in 1962.

A brand new documentary performance has been created, featuring a wealth of extraordinary material, including excerpts from
the FBI files on Eisler, and eyewitness accounts of the Nazi purge of so called degenerate art and music. Readings, underscored by
improvised music based on Eisler's work, mixed with his songs and the poetry of Bertold Brecht will tell the story of the years Eisler
spent in exile between 1933 and 1947, and will examine the role of music and musicians in promoting progressive ideals.

This unique event will be performed by a mixed ensemble of voice, acoustic and electric guitar, percussion, double bass, piano, french horn and clarinets.

There will also be support with the debut performance of 'Round Trip' with Aidan Jolly, Tracey Zengeni and Jaydev Mistry, and a showing of the short film 'La Pluie' (Rain) by Joris Ivens, with a score by Eisler, as well as a second hand book stall featuring rare and unusual works and a raffle.

It promises to be one of the most unusual and original events in the Peace Festival.

Aidan Jolly, who has created this documentary piece, said "Hanns Eisler is one of the most important musicians and composers of the twentieth century, and yet his contribution is completely overlooked. Much of what he had to say on the role of music in society seems strikingly relevant to contemporary society, and now, 50 years after his death, it seems appropriate to re-examine his legacy"

The event is a collaboration between Musicians Without Borders, Manchester Peace Festival and Oldham Unity. The profits from the evening will go towards Oldham Unity, which supports destitute asylum seekers by providing a basic food parcel every week. The event replaces the premiere of music by 'Our Liberated Winter', which has been postponed because one of the musicians involved, Robin Bowles, has been seriously injured in an accident. We wish him a speedy recovery.

The full programme of the Manchester Peace festival is at http://manchesterpeacefestival.wordpress.com

'Buy This (v3)' installation - Thursday 17-Saturday 19th May 2012, 10am-7pm except Friday to 9.30pm
'Running Order' live performance - only on Friday 18th May 2012, 7.30-8.30pm.

www.virtualmigrants.com
www.chorltonartsfestival.com
video installation + performance: climate justice, race and migrant-refugee voices at the Creative Corner Café, 14 Milton Grove, Whalley Range, Manchester M16 0BP, UK
a part of Chorlton Arts Festival. Admission free.

Running Order performance (Passenger 10)
a Virtual Migrants performance by artists Tracey Zengeni, Sai Murai, Razia Mohamed, Aidan Jolly, Tanha Mehrzad and Kooj Chuhan
Connecting the climate with US wars, UK policing and the refugee experience is a challenge for aspiring radio presenter Amira. A semi-improvised performance full of songs and poetry from contrasting geographies including Zimbabwe, Iran and the UK, performed in dialogue with the audience and accompanying the ‘Buy This’ video installation. 'Running Order' is the latest in the ‘Passenger’ series of events, involving the installation as an integral component.

'Buy This (v3)' Virtual Migrants video installation led by artist Kooj Chuhan
Refugees and ‘third-world’ migrants bring with them intimate and undervalued knowledge about climate change. ‘Buy This’ juxtaposes such voices on one screen against another, over-saturated with colliding imagery of wars, colonial struggles, environmental upheaval and UK racism, overlaid with scrolling news messages. An exploration of how environmental change is integral to the economic and political forces bringing about human displacement and racial inequality, and a continuation of the “Centre Cannot Hold” project discussing climate imperialism and the violent commodification of humans and the environment.

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2011

Friday 25th and Saturday 26th February - 100 Stories
An evening live performance by B-Arts as part of DAT Fest
A digital guided performance through Hanley's streets offering glimpses of the hidden stories of local people, culminating in fire sculpture and live music
Details from www.datfest.org.uk

Friday 15th April - Spring - starts 7.30
A Promenade Performance by B-Arts in Northwood Park, Hanley
Featuring the second set of songs written with members of the Jam Factory, Changes, and the Acoustic Tinkers as part of the Growing Hearts and Minds Residency

Saturday 21st May - an evening of music and poetry with Aidan Jolly, Sai Murray and guest Simon Prince on Sax and Flute
A rhythmical and part improvised combination of performance poetry, folk and jazz, riffing and blending around contemporary themes
the Art Lounge, upstairs at the Beehive Inn, 67 Albion Road, New Mills, SK22 3EY
contact 01663 742087 doors open 7pm performance starts at 8pm

Saturday 16th July - Road Alert! Folk Train
Marking the 30th anniversary of the closure of the Woodhead Tunnel
- Northern Trains dragged their feet about permission - but we took the 10.18 from Piccadilly to Hadfield
to mark this event, singing as we went...

Sat 23rd July 2011- FAIZ AHMED FAIZ IS NOW! - a poetry-multimedia 'discussion-jam'
by Lifting The Lid at the Manchester Mela, Platt Fields Park, M14 6LW
Performances 3.00 – 3.30pm and 7.00 – 7.30pm Chai Serai Marquee
ALL WELCOME


Experience a taste of the life and poetry of the renowned Pakistani poet, writer, journalist and political activist Faiz. Although Faiz was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize, nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize, and was imprisoned in Pakistan for his beliefs, popular knowledge and recognition of his life and work has not happened in the UK.

With Mohsin Zulfiqar (historian and educationalist), Mazra (photographer and media artist) and Yvonne McCalla (performance poet with Caribbean roots). Presented together with a mix of multimedia projection, sounds, music, stories, poetry – and opportunities for you to share your own views and responses.

Produced by Lifting The Lid, a new organisation developing progressive educational activities and events in a variety of environments. With support from Aidan Jolly, in partnership with Virtual Migrants, Commonword, the Faiz Centenary - www.faizcentenary.org, and the Manchester Mela. Actual times may vary. For more information www.liftingthelid.org
A part of the Manchester Mela – July Sat 23rd & Sun 24th, Platt Fields Park, M14 6LW. www.manchestermela.co.uk
A Cornerhouse Micro Commission, supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation.


Saturday August 6th 2011 - Hiroshima Commemoration
Peace Walk from Delph Assemble 1.30 pm Heights, Church 3.00 pm

Speakers include
Debbie Abrahams MP
Rev Robert Davies (Delph Methodists)
plus Poetry & Music

This year Saddleworth Peace Movement will commemorate the 66th Anniversary of the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima with a peace walk from Delph village to the historic church high above the village at Heights, where we will be holding a Peace event with music, poetry & prose.

Manchester Peace Festival/Peace Without Borders:

Tuesday, September 20th - Chiasmus Ensemble, Carrie Penty Mason, Aidan Jolly
Sacred Trinity Church, Chapel Street, Salford, M3 5DW
7:30pm - 10:00pm
Admission £5 (all proceeds to charity)
North-west folk singers Carrie Penty Mason and Aidan Jolly team up with contemporary music ensemble Chiasmus for a benefit concert to raise money for Musicians without Borders UK. Including classical and part -improvised works written in the last 25 years by Paul J. Abbott, Leon Kirchner and James Stephenson, as well as traditional and new folk-inspired songs from Mason and Jolly, and a collaborative work devised especially for the occasion.

Sunday 25th September - 'Stone Flowers'
Imperial War Museum North, The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, M17 1TZ
Performances at 12 and 2pm - Family friendly and free!
A moving and truthful journey with expressions of protest, peace, love and hope. An original song-cycle in English, Lingala, Farsi, Kurdish, French and Kikongo, influenced by folk, jazz, classical, spoken word and hip-hop music. In collaboration with Freedom From Torture North West.
The Stone Flowers CD is available to buy for just £10 (plus P & P) from www.musicianswithoutborders.org.uk. All proceeds from the sale of this CD go towards the continuing work of Stone Flowers.

Friday and Saturday 28th and 29th October - Harvest
with B-Arts, and marking the completion of the Growing Hearts and Minds residencies - a performance with food and music about the weeds
growing through the cracks in the pavements.....

Raise Your Banners Saturday 26th November - last minute appearance in Bradford for the 'Our Songs, Our Voices, Our Lives’ concert at Raise Your Banners this Saturday 3pm details here http://raiseyourbanners.org/index.php?page=How-to-find-us

Virtual Migrants presents
BUY THIS (v3) + UN-EARTH
video installation + performance
a part of 'Counterpoint' exhibition/live art strand of the Platforma Festival at Club Row, Rochelle School, Arnold Circus E2 7ES London, Nov 29 - Dec 3rd. Admission free.
'Buy This (v3)' installation - Private View on Monday 28th November, 7pm. RSVP to tom[at]platforma.org.uk
'Un-Earth' live performance - only on Friday 2nd December, 5pm
www.virtualmigrants.com
www.platforma.org.uk/events/counterpoint-multidisciplinary-event

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2010

1st May - Mayday at Birley Fields - from 3pm
(I'll be on around 6pm - see this link for details)

19th May, 7.30 - Second Time Around singing project - Staffordshire Gatehouse Theatre, as part of Stafford Music Festival. Premiere of 'Born In A Different Age', a specially commissioned piece of music written by Aidan with Second Time Around (Over 50's Signing group, and Tillington Manor and Gnosall St Lawrence Primary Schools. 100 voices, supported by a live band. Tickets available from the Gatehouse.

18th September - Manchester Peace Festival
With Leon Rosselson and Ivor Dembina,
many more to be announced
updates on: http://manchesterpeacefestival.wordpress.com

Virtual Migrants, RICC and MRSN present
CLIMATE JUSTICE, SCIENCE AND REFUGEES
DEBATE AND DISCUSSION WITH MULTIMEDIA, FILM, MUSIC AND POETRY
Wednesday 27th October 2010, 5.30pm - 10pm
Book online NOW at http://climatejusticesciencerefugees.eventbrite.com

International Anthony Burgess Foundation,
Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge St, Manchester M1 5BY
(10 mins walk from St Peters Square - walk down Hulme Street opposite the BBC on Oxford Road)

5th November - The Doers, The Drifters, The Dreamers
Exhibition launch, Islington Mill, James Street, Salford, M3 5HW
Performance as part of 'Dressed for the Street' by Maurice Carlin, an installation based on Aidan's collection of political T-Shirts

17th December -'Frost' - event starts at 6.30
A Winter Promenade Performance by B-Arts in Northwood Park, Hanley
Featuring the first set of songs written with members of the Jam Factory, and the Acoustic Tinkers as part of the Growing Hearts and Minds Residency
***Please note this event has been moved to the Barracks, Newcastle because of bad weather***

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2009

Sunday 13th December - Global Grooves Christmas Weekender
7.30 pm Band On The Wall (with Virtual Migrants)
The Northern Quarter 25 Swan Street Manchester M4 5JZ
information from http://global-grooves.org/

Thursday 10th December 8.00.pm - Benefit for Save The Woodhead Tunnel
Glossop Labour Club 11-13 Chapel Street Glossop SK13 8AT
with Jack Crowshaw

Saturday December 5th 2.00pm - Working Class Movement Library
The Library is holding an afternoon of songs and readings which are linked to the Library's collection and inspired by working class struggles over the last 200 years - with Aidan Jolly, Ben Harker, Emily Weygang, Bernie Murphy and Maxine Peake.
Because space is limited, we'd be grateful if you could contact us by email to if you are interested in coming along - we'll come back to you and let you know if there are still places available.

Saturday December 5th 7.45 pm - Fundraising Social for Gaza
The Millgate Arts Centre, Delph, Oldham OL3 5DY £5
With Poetry by Nahida Izzat Ghaith - Palestinian Crafts
Eyewitness account from Palestine - Middle Eastern Supper

SUNDAY 4TH OCTOBER 2.00PM FREE at Arnolfini Gallery (with virtual migrants)
16 Narrow Quay Bristol, Bristol, Southwest BS1 4QA
virtual migrants live performance “Passenger 5: Climate Racism” Artists, guests and participants - live and recorded - discuss racial and imperialist backgrounds to climate change interacting with sampled documentary, interviews, music and video. Special Guests: Arun Kundnani (virtual) from Institute of Race Relations, and Guy Bailey OBE (live) originally of the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott and vice-chair of the Black Development Agency. more information www.virtualmigrants.com

Saturday 10th October at Hoot, Huddersfield (free)
PIGS MIGHT FLY - FESTIVAL OF ARTS & MENTAL HEALTH
www.pigsmightflyfestival.co.uk

SATURDAY 7TH NOVEMBER 2.00PM FREE at Arnolfini, Bristol as above
virtual migrants live performance “Passenger 6: Third Resistance”
A narrative montage combining live dialogues with sampled documentary, interviews, music and interactive video. This will evolve with new material continually added in response to global events that are yet to take place. Featuring interviews from the Declaration of Rights for Indigenous People Conference at the Pierian Centre (Bristol), 12th October 2009. more information www.virtualmigrants.com

Monday 16th March 7:00pm Sounds Of Folk - Oldham Community Radio 99.7fm
live performances and an interview with presenter Ali O’Brien

Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th April 7:00pm The Shaw Theatre (Foyer)
100 - 110 Euston Road, London, NW1 2AJ
A half hour performance in the foyer of the theatre before the show ’Maggie’s End’, about the death of Margaret Thatcher. For details about the play go to www.theshawtheatre.com

Wednesday 15th April The Musician
34 Crafton Street West, Leicester, LE1 2DE
supporting Robb Johnson and The Irregulars
for more information: www.themusicianpub.co.uk/

Thursday 16th April Saki Bar
2 Wilmslow Road, Rusholme, Manchester, M14 5TB
tickets available from www.wegottickets.com/event/45454 Cost: £4
with Robb Johnson & The Irregulars and Al Baker & The Dole Queue

Wednesday 27th May 8:00pm CUBE Gallery
113 - 115 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 6DW
A performance with virtual migrants as part of the event "The Cosmopolitan City and Manchester Migrants". Check www.virtualmigrants.com for details

Saturday 12th September 12 Noon, MMU campus Didsbury
Communities For Change Event

Projects:

Virtual Migrants: The Centre Cannot Hold Part (1)
climate change, imperialism and displacement:
a major new project, beginning at The Arnolfini in Bristol (UK) - see www.virtualmigrants.com

Second Time Around: Age Concern Stafford Intergenerational Singing Project - leading up to a performance at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre on March 30th - for more information see www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk

Work with Hoot Music, Huddersfield

Work with Drake Music Project

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What you may have missed in 2008!

Projects:

Sundial Project - celebrating a new sculpture in Stalybridge with a musical installation all about time - 24th July, Armentieres Square, Stalybridge
Ridgehill Heritage Project, Stalybridge

Saturday 27th September - ***Special DIY home town launch event***

Roughtown Community Centre, Roughtown Road, Mossley, Tameside, OL5 0SG

with Jilah Bakhshayesh , Nicki Dupuy, Lis Murphy and Ben Lee + live projections from VJ Kooj
and support from KILBREIGE - “superb songs” B’ham Post
free entry, donation to cover costs

Friday 26th September - Tower Of Song, Cotteridge, Birmingham - with special guest Kilbreige
Tower Of Song 107 Pershore Road South Cotteridge BIRMINGHAM B30 3JX (nr King’s Norton Station)
Tickets £3 - contact 0121 486 1300

Saturday 20th September - Working Class Music Festival, The New Picket, Jordan Street, Liverpool
Tickets and details from the festival website as above

Saturday 13th September - Take Five Cellar Bar, Norwich - With special guests the Red Flags
Cellar Bar, Take 5, 17 Tombland, Norwich NR3 1HF
Tickets £5/£3 from 01603 458222 (or on the door)

Friday July 18th - Tolpuddle Festival, Dorset - 8.00pm, in the Martyrs' Marquee

24th May 2008 - Hay Festival Fringe, Hay Castle, Hay-On-Wye - details on: http://www.fourdogsmusic.co.uk/_P_764_events/

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Previously in 2007:

Friday 26 January 8:00pm  - Marsh Mill
Four Lane Ends, Thornton Cleveleys, FY5 3SZ,UK -  
A solo appearance in a superb old Mill near Blackpool, converted to an intimate venue

Saturday 27th January Glossop: The Lift, Glossop Town Hall 8.00pm
(supporting Mark Gwynne Jones and Psychic Bread)

Tuesday 20th February Sale, Manchester: Bar Amp 8.30pm (solo)

Saturday 24th February New Mills: St James’ Arts Centre (with Martin Milner and Lis Murphy)

Thursday 15 March 8:00pm  - The Late Room
23 Peter Street, Manchester, M2 5QR,UK -  
CANCELLED - the Late Room had a change of management and bumped the hire charges from £130 to £470!


Friday 16 March 8:00pm  - Thornton Little Theatre
Four Lane Ends, Thornton Cleveleys, FY5 3SZ,UK -  
A return to Thornton with Martin and Jilah for a full evening's set

Friday 23 March 5:00pm onwards - The Green Room (with virtual migrants)
Manchester
National Launch of the Exhale DVD/CD

Sunday 20th May - 9.00pm onwards - One Lounge, Didsbury

Thursday 24th May - 9.00pm onwards - Ceol Castle, Balsall Heath, Birmingham

ON COMMON GROUND:
Saturday 23rd June - 2.00pm - One World Festival, New Mills
Friday 29rd June - 7.30pm - Art Theatre, New Mills
Saturday 30th June - 7.30pm - Art Theatre, New Mills

Virtual Migrants, San Diego, USA (as part of the 'Global Eyes' event at Siggraph 2007
featuring Fabio Olivera (Brazil), Discos Invisibles (Tijuana), James Ilgenfritz (New York)
Saturday 4th August - 4.00pm - UCSD
Sunday 5th August - 2.00pm - UCSD
Sunday 5th August - 4.00pm - UCSD
Monday 6th August - 4.00pm - UCSD

Friday 31st August - 8.00pm - Acousticfest, M19, Levenshulme

Saturday 8th September - 4.00pm, Bragg Lecture Theatre, Martin Harris Building, Manchester University
as part of the 'Creolising Europe' conference

Virtual Migrants featuring Arash Fayazi, Segun Lee-French, Jilah Bakhshayesh, Aidan Jolly

Monday 17th September - 10.00pm - M19, Levenshulme

Wednesday 7th November 10.00pm - The Lounge, 478 Wilbraham Road, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 9AS(with Martin Milner)

Raise Your Banners Festival of Political Song, Bradford:
Saturday 10th November at the New Beehive 2pm to 5pm (we're on at 3pm ish)
Fusion, Hollow Horse, Aidan Jolly, Robb Johnson

followed by (5pm onwards):
David Ferrard, Alistair Hulett, Claire Mooney, Roy Bailey, Scarlet Heights

for details about tickets and other events on during the week: www.raiseyourbanners.org

Saturday 1st December 8.00pm - Celebrating Radical England: St Mary's Parish Hall, Longlands Road, New Mills. Tickets £6 and £4

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Previously in 2006:

Monday March 6th - High Peak Community Arts, New Mills Town Hall - with Jilah Bakhshayesh and Martin Milner

Saturday 25th March, Ashton-Under-Lyne Baptist Church, Wellbeck Street, Ashton 6.30pm - 10.00pm, Benefit for Innocent Nkung - food, speakers families welcome - with Martin Milner

Friday 12th May, Mossley, Roughtown Centre- Benefit for Innocent Nkung - with Jilah Bakhshayesh and Martin Milner

Sunday 28th May - Mossley Folk Festival (2.00pm) AND Longford Park International Festival, Manchester (4.00pm) - with Jilah Bakhshayesh and Martin Milner

Saturday 17th June - Middlewich Festival, 8.00pm Golden Lion - with Martin Milner. For tickets contact www.midfest.org, or call the box office tel: 0709 2390501

Sunday 18th June - Middlewich Festival, 1.00pm White Horse- with Martin Milner. For tickets contact www.midfest.org, or call the box office tel: 0709 2390501

Sunday 25th June - Sunday 25th June - "A Small World In Salford" Refugee Week event, Salford Museum and Art Gallery, 12 - 4pm - Aidan, Martin and Jilah are doing a half hour set in a full programme of artists playing in a range of traditions including Ukrainain guitarists, a Rwandan dance group, Kurdish dancers, Bhangra drummers, with activities like Indian head massage, henna painting, Iranian face-painters, traditional costumes etc etc - it promises to be a really good day for the whole family - for more information contact Lis.Murphy@salford.gov.uk or ring 0161 778 0800

Friday 30th June - Workhouse Festival, Llanfyllin, Powys.
with Jilah Bakhshayesh and Martin Milner. For tickets and info contact www.workhousefestival.co.uk.

23rd July - Futuresonic 2006 Festival, Manchester,
The Late Room, 23 Peter Street, Manchester, M2 5QR
8pm Sunday 23rd July 2006
Tickets £6/£4 concessions and Futuresonic discount wristbands, free to people seeking asylum and Futuresonic Festival pass holders
Passenger X
Travels through deceit and denialconscious live music and multimedia projection by artists from Glasgow, London and ManchesterAn incredible range of creative expression exploring the stories and global situations of people denied status in the UK. Live music and projections play off each other in an experimental real time performance to produce a rich narrative and texture. A one-off prequel to the Passenger show touring later this year - not to be missed!
Featuring:
4D - award-winning young rappers from Glasgow
Poulomi Desai - international radical sound artist
Aidan Jolly and Jilah Bakhshayesh - acoustic folk and dissonant samples
Kooj Chuhan - digital artist creating live multimedia video projections
and the acclaimed artist Keith Piper's original interactive ROM work 'Stranger'
Workshops:
2.30pm: 'Electronic Disturbances' - ways of using digital and electronic sound in a radical context, by Poulomi Desai with Aidan Jolly
4.00pm: 'Writing Struggle' - getting lyrics to express our own experience and politics, by 4D, with Aidan Jolly
Free with ticket for the evening performance, or a small voluntary contribution.
Workshops take place at the Late Room - advance booking recommended - contact info@virtualmigrants.com

13 August 2006 4:00pm  - The Trades Club, Holne Street, Hebden Bridge, HX7 8EE 01422 845265

The Maize Field Tour - dates between 2nd and 20th October
There are now about twenty dates for this play about young people living in rural areas - if you would like more information, drop me a line as above

21 October 2006 2:00pm  - Big Pink Music
61 Thomas Street, Manchester, M4 1NA -  Free
A Personal Appearance promoting the CD! phone 0161 833 0003 for details. Big Pink is the best independent shop in the area for world, roots, alt.country, jazz, folk etc

18th November 2006 8:00pm - Watermans Arts Centre Brentford, London, TW8 0DS 
A Virtual Migrants event, launching the DVD/CD 'Exhale' and featuring workshops in projection and sound by Kooj Chuhan and Aidan Jolly. Part of a whole evening's event from 4 to 10pm.

23 November 2006 8:00pm  - The Railway Folk Club (singers' night)
Lymm, Cheshire 
I'm going to go along to the Singers' Night, contribute a couple of songs, and find out about one of the best clubs in the area

30th November 2006 8:00pm  - Plymouth Arts Centre 38 Looe Street, Plymouth, PL4 0EB
A Virtual Migrants gig with Aidan Jolly, Jilah Bakhshayesh and other guests to be confirmed, launching the DVD/CD 'Exhale' - featuring live visual projections by Kooj Chuhan. Details tbc nearer the time.

9th December 2006 8:00pm - M19 Bar, Levenshulme
With Jilah Bakhshayesh and Martin Milner. Contact Aidan for details.

13 December 2006 8:00pm  - The Cavern Club
Mathew St, Liverpool, L2 6RE,UK -  £4.50/£3.50 with flyer
With Jilah Bakhshayesh and Martin Milner. We'll be appearing as part of the Cavern's regular Wednesday band night - if you want to come and you want to save a pound, let us know and we'll send you a flyer

14th December 2006 8:30pm -  The Topic Club (supporting Kieran Halpin)
The Cock & Bottle, 93 Barkerend Rd , Bradford, W. Yorks, BD3  -
 01274 222305
with Martin Milner and Jilah Bakhshayesh

15th December 2006 8.30pm - Take 5 Below, 17 Tombland, Norwich
phone 01603 451184 for information and details (or email the above address)
with Martin Milner and Jilah Bakhshayesh, and support from local heroes Red Flag

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Projects and commissions:

'Their Past, Your Future' project, completion date April 2006.

Beginning in April 2006, I will be working with Wear Purple in Cheshire and video artist Heather James, to create a music and video DVD that looks at how elders reflect on their lives.

During half term in February, I worked as part of the 'Animate' project led by Latent Productions, developing musical content for a website for looked-after children.

I am continuing to collaborate with the young musicians of Visyon, Congleton, and with Salford Start

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Previously in 2005

'Our Town' event Friday 9th December, Ellesmere Port Civic Square

Raise Your Banners festival of political song in Norwich (11th, 12th, 13th of November)

July

Workshop residency at Salford Start

June
18th: Middlewich Festival: performances on the Fringe, and with Visyon. 5.00pm onwards, Boars Head

Workshop residency at Salford Start

May
1st May: Performing at Longford Park International Festival, Manchester

20th May: The Big Gig- celebration event of one year of the ID Music Project, Burnley @ Burnley Mechanics 7.00 - 10.00pm

Workshop residency at Salford Start

March - April
Visit Neuva Esperanza, El Salvador, to work with Cumbia and Andeno musicians. Compilation CD of music will be available soon (July)

Terminal Frontiers tour:
Waterman's Arts Centre, 40 High Street, Brentford, London, TW8 0DS, 020 8232 1010, www.watermans.org.uk
20th January - 6th March
Launch event and live performance with Jilah Bakhshayesh and others 27th January

Plymouth Arts Centre, 38 Looe Street, Plymouth, PL4 0EB, 01752 206114, www.plymouthac.org.uk
12th March - 23rd April
Launch event and live performance with Jilah Bakhshayesh and Khasrow Mustafa 11th March


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