Savera UK, a leading charity established in Merseyside to help people affected by ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) and harmful practices, has revealed the acts set to perform at a vibrant free celebration of culture at Liverpool’s iconic Bombed Out Church on Saturday 29th August.
The festival will take place following the charity’s annual “March to End HBA” with Brazilian drums and spectacular choreography from Katumba Drumming & Movement bringing a melting pot of UK club music and the carnivals of Northeast Brazil to open the event.
There will also be vibrant performances from The Dancing Queens, the award-winning intergenerational dance, wellbeing and carnival collective of the Black Women’s Health Forum, renowned drummer and percussionist Felix Ngindu, and the Community Music Group from RAWD a disability-led performing arts charity dedicated to creating creative opportunities for disabled artists.
There will be powerful dance performances from MD Productions, who use movement, music, and storytelling to spark conversations, celebrate identity, and promote unity, and Luma Creation’s Inti Tusuy, a Latin American group led by Valeria Cazas performing folk dances from Bolivia, Mexico and Colombia. They will also be joined by Liverpool Rainbow Chorus, an inclusive LGBTQIA+ community choir that has been bringing people together through music since 2008, performing a diverse repertoire of contemporary music. The stage will be hosted by Motormouf (Alex Young) and will also feature soon-to-be announced guest speakers and readings from the charity’s clients and team.
The event will also feature a free henna station and a craft tent, where children and adults will be able learn how to write their names in Arabic, with the team from the Liverpool Arabic Centre, and try their hands at origami and carnival mask decorating, supported by Savera UK volunteers. There will be stalls featuring a fundraising raffle and prize draw to win a three-night stay at a five-star caravan at Thornley Leisure, a Savera UK information stand, local services and businesses, and food stalls includingEat Up Gud, serving up flavours of the Caribbean.
Festival sponsors include Thornley Leisure, Merseyrail and Auteur Media and Performance Supporters are Morecrofts and MSB Solicitors. The event will be delivered in partnership with Zonta UK, part of Zonta International, who established the March to end HBA with Savera UK in 2022, and venue partner, St Luke’s Bombed Out Church.
Under the theme ‘Culture is Beautiful: No Excuse for Abuse’ the events seek to raise awareness of the issue of HBA and harmful practices and how these forms of abuse can easily be missed due to lack of recognition and understanding. It also aims to separate these forms of abuse from culture or certain communities, defining them instead as a collection of abuse characteristics and a violation of human rights that can affect anyone regardless of culture, background, gender, age, sexuality or disability.
Afrah Qassim, Savera UK CEO and Founder, said: “Too often the issues that we work to end – HBA and harmful practices like forced marriage, FGM, conversion ‘therapy’ and spiritual abuse – are wrongly conflated with culture. Those who practice these forms abuse use faith and traditions to excuse them. This event seeks to break that connection. Our first March to End HBA took place in 2022 with 50 supporters marching from the Bombed Out Church to celebrate culture rather than allowing it to be an excuse for abuse. Last year, through creativity and community collaboration we were able to expand this message to a full festival to celebrate the true meaning of culture even more widely. Culture is beautiful. It is music, dance, food and traditions that create a sense of safety, identity, belonging, pride and community wherever we might be. It is never abuse. These are all things that make a place home. Us sharing them with Liverpool invites people into that home, uniting communities and strengthening pride and love for our city.”
David Thornley, Managing Director at festival sponsor Thornley Leisure said: “Supporting Savera UK is incredibly important to us as a family business. The work they do to protect and support individuals is life-changing, giving people the chance for a new beginning and a safer future. At Thornley Leisure Parks, we’re passionate about creating safe spaces where people can relax, feel secure and make lasting memories with their loved ones. Being able to support a charity that helps others rebuild their lives and look ahead with hope is something we’re very proud to be part of.”
Suzanne Grant, Chief Commercial Officer & Deputy MD of Merseyrail said: “Women and girls are disproportionately affected by ‘honour’-based abuse and harmful practices, so we are proud to support this festival and the important role it plays in raising awareness and empowering women. Its values closely align with our commitment to female safety and creating environments where women feel respected, supported and safe. We are delighted to stand alongside our partners and the wider community in supporting this important cause.”
Last year, more than 1,000 people attended the march and festival over the course of the day. With the event taking place over the bank holiday weekend, this year’s event is expected to be even bigger.
The “March to End HBA”, supported by Merseyside Police & Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, will start at Williamson Square at 12noon, arriving at the Bombed Out Church at 1pm, with the festival starting shortly after. The festival site and stalls will be open from 12noon.
Stay tuned to social media @SaveraUK for festival announcements.
If you would like to sponsor or support the event through volunteering, opportunities are still available, find out more atsaverauk.co.uk/culture-is-beautiful/ or contact nikki@saverauk.co.uk.
