A new music festival is set to make its debut in Rockwood this summer.
The Sounds of Support summer music festival is being organized by the Guelph-Eramosa Refugee Sponsorship Project to raise money for a refugee family that will likely be arriving in Canada in the next few months.
“It’s quite possible that they would be here in time for the festival so that would be cool,” said Rosslyn Bentley, one of the festival’s organizers.
The sponsorship group has been raising funds for just over a year to bring a family to Canada.
Right now it has raised about $25,000 but hopes to meet its $35,000 target through further fundraising.
“We felt that it needed to be something that presented an opportunity for some giving but we also thought we want to ‘friend-raise’ as well as fundraise,” Bentley said.
“We think it’s really important to expose people to other cultures and try and make our Guelph-Eramosa a region welcoming community.”
The group chose to offer a community music festival on June 17 from 4 to 9pm at Lloyd Dyer Park in Rockwood and visitors will are asked to make a cash donation to enter.
“We thought we’d do it kind of late afternoon and that way kids who were doing Sports and things earlier in the day might be able to join us if they’re musical,” she said. “We hope to provide an opportunity to showcase local talent, maybe engage the schools.”
The sponsorship project includes members of the congregation from Three Willows, Rockwood, Stone, Speedside and Barrie Hill United Churches, as well as non-denominational volunteers.
The choirs from member churches will likely be performing at the Sounds of Support Festival and Bentley said organizers also invited the Guelph Youth Singers.
The group will be holding auditions on March 18 at the Rockwood United Church to give local talent the opportunity to fill a 15 to 30 minute time slot. All performers will be donating their time.
“We … realize that to give your time free as a musician, it’s often people who are starting out and we want to encourage them in their career, so we hope that young people who are interested in making music come,” Bentley said, adding anyone is welcome to audition.
“We want to showcase different people from different cultures and different styles of music and enjoy our community.”
She did say that those who perform acoustically will be more likely to receive a spot because the sponsorship project has not yet secured an amplifier.
“We are looking to raise some sponsorship in case there are people with bands or amplified music because we would need some more tech support and some equipment in that case, especially if bands don’t have their own,” she said.
In addition to the music, local food vendors will be on site at the park selling products. A face painter will be on site and other children’s activities will be occurring on the opposite side of the park.
Bentley also said the group is looking to work with the schools that Rockwood children attend to partner for an art project.
She said they’re hoping each student from the schools will decorate a puzzle piece to depict the theme “How do you welcome new Canadians?”
The pieces would then be linked and installed on the chain-link fence in the park.
“They’ll fit together so kids can come and see their artwork as well and hopefully listen to big brother and sister playing,” she said.
“It’s a way of engaging everybody in the community in a small way and give what you can.”
The sponsorship project is also running an electronic recycling program out of Barrie Hill United Church where people are welcome to drop off small electronics at any time.
“We have a big bin and a company that’s taking them for recycling and reclaiming and we make money from that recycling that they do,” Bentley said.
On April 3 the group will be holding a pick-up morning at Barrie Hill and Rockwood United Churches.
“We can give people feedback about the kinds of things they can drop off,” she said, adding the list includes but is not limited to, microwaves, kettles, printers, computers, phones and batteries.
To audition for the Sounds of Support festival call Bentley at 519-856-4060 or email rosslyn@sentex.net to arrange a time slot. Auditions will take place from 9am to noon on March 18 at Rockwood United Church.
For more information about the Guelph-Eramosa Refugee Sponsorship Project visit www.gersp.ca.
