London, 06/02/2006 (SPS) The organisers of the international cultural Festival, Sandblast, which will take place this October 2006 in London, officially launched their website "to promote supportive links between Saharawi artists and the international creative community and raise awareness about the ongoing Saharawi struggle through the arts", they stressed in a written statement to SPS.
 
"Sandblast officially launches a new website:http://www.sandblast-arts.org, which aims to offer an engaging space for featuring both Saharawi art and the work of non-Saharawi artists, who have been inspired by the situation in Western Sahara".

The website further represents a good tool for people concerned with getting a first idea about the different features and aspects of the Saharawi culture, and aims at preparing a space for research and information about upcoming events this year culminating in the Festival that will take place this October 2006 in London, the same sources indicated.

Up to 15 Saharawi artists are expected to take part in the Festival which will then be followed by a week long regional tour of the UK and then an international tour in Spain in the form of an overland caravan in early mid- November.

The Sandblast festival is a cultural initiative "designed to have a broad public appeal and draw upon the rich and culturally diverse world of London and the UK in general", and is aimed to "give voice to the Saharawi people whose plight is almost completely invisible and unheard of in the UK", the organisers of the festival wrote in their website presenting the project. 

The festival, as underlined by the organisers, aims to "advance awareness and appreciation of the rich culture and history of this relatively unknown region of Africa which lies at the crossroads of the Arab and Berber worlds", in addition to the desire "to promote a more positive image of refugee communities through the Saharawi experience", the same source writes.

"Most events of the festival will be free to the public. Forging links with refugee communities and artists and reaching out to university students will be a priority", the same source added.

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London has expressed his unequivocal support for the Sandblast initiative in a letter he recently sent to the founding director of the Festival, Mrs. Danielle Smith, it was indicated.

"I am very happy to offer my support for your campaign to raise awareness of the Saharawi Republic, and the ongoing struggles of the Saharawi people", Lord Livingstone said in his letter.

Sandblast will "hold key events in high profile venues to garner maximum publicity and interest. There will be interactive, educational and collaborative activities and workshops for both adults and children and opportunities for the public to make contact with the Saharawi artists informally" The artistic highlights of the Festival will be the 10 member Saharawi music and dance group and the world premiere of a British-Saharawi drama collaboration.

Sandblast is a non-profit project supported by an ever expanding network of artists, campaigners, students, academics and educational and cultural/artistic institutions.
 
It has already been fully endorsed by numerous trade unions such as the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Women’s TUC, the Scottish TUC, AMICUS, UNISON, FBU, Landmine Action, War on Want,  the Western Sahara Campaign, Justice for Colombia, SOAS Student Union, STAR (Student Action for Refugees), the University of East London (UEL), the Refugee Studies Programs at Oxford University, the Spanish Department at Leeds University, Humanities Educational Centre in Tower Hamlets, The Side Cinema in Newcastle. (SPS)  

060/090/000 061209  Feb 06 SPS

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