WOMAD festival goers fund a complete clean water project

With one week to go until  the gates open to WOMAD - World of Music, Arts and Dance held at Charlton Park, near Malmesbury, in Wiltshire clean water project FRANK Water will be there celebrating.

The Bristol based charity who have attended the festival for the last three years to highlight their FreeFill drinking water initiative have announced they will be celebrating on site having raised enough funds for one clean water project for a village in India.

Thanks to the continued support and generosity of WOMAD festival-goers and its crew, FreeFill at WOMAD has generated enough income to fund one complete clean water project for the village of Baddipadaga, Southern India.

Festival veterans, FRANK Water have provided chilled, filtered water to thirsty festival-goers since 2010. Developed to raise funds for clean water projects in developing countries, FRANK Water's FreeFill campaign is a drinking water initiative designed to reduce plastic waste and recycling, encourage behaviour change and raise funds for FRANK Water Projects.

FreeFill generates income through sales of branded, refillable water bottles that festival goers pay for once and then refill for free as many times as they like!

FRANK Water have over the last 3 festivals sold thousands of bottles and delivered 100s of thousands of refills to raise the full £5200 it takes to implement one project. FRANK Water stated, "We've recruited hundreds of volunteers, walked tens of miles, dragging our mobile refill units behind us and drunk gallons of the cold, wet stuff. And it was worth it!"

Baddipadaga has a population of 2317 villagers comprising approximately 579 households. Of these, approximately one third are considered to be below the poverty line. Agriculture and agricultural related labour is the main source of employment for villagers and work is available for only eight months of the year at a daily rate of approximately £2.20 for men and £1.10 per day for women.

None of the existing sources of drinking water in Baddipadaga are guaranteed safe to drink due to biological and chemical contamination. Mr Dhanraj, the rural medical practitioner treats frequent cases of water-related disease such as diarrhoea and fluorosis (the result of very high levels of fluoride in the water).

Thanks to WOMAD festival goers, FRANK Water can provide clean water to villagers at an affordable rate of approximately 4p per 20 litres. The difference this will make to the Baddipadaga villagers will not just be improved long-term health, but also fewer work/school days missed due to sickness. WOMAD's support will bring water safety to the whole community, with long term and far-reaching impact.

To celebrate this announcement, FRANK Water have collaborated with their Bristol-based friends, band RSVP and the Bollywoodettes to appear on stage on Saturday 27th June to perform their interactive, engaging and inclusive set against a Baddiapadaga backdrop. They are offering all WOMAD goers to join them, complete with beating drums and Bollywood dance moves to celebrate WOMAD's achievement.

The weather is stunning and the outlook great for a 'hot' WOMAD which sees Gilberto Gil, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Alice Russell, Rokia Traoré and David Rodigan, and everyone’s favourite Afrocentric hip-hoppers, Arrested Development, lead a line-up that includes Parov Stellar, The Heavy, Adjagas, The Bombay Royale, Arrested Development, Craig Charles, Joseph Arthur, Ed Harcourt, Babylon Circus, Amesmalua, Nynke, La Chiva Gantiva, Imperial Tiger Orchestra, The Bookshop Band, Barrule, Capercaillie, Dawanggang, Desmali & D'Ambo de la Costa, DJ Tudo e Sua Gente de Todo Lugar, Dogan Mehmet and the Boombox Karavan, Family Atlantica, Guy Schalom & The Baladi Blues Ensemble, KonKoma, La Pegatina, Mavrika Nefes with Fidan Hajiyeva, The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Roopa Panesar, Zykopops, Carminho, Christine Salem, Dizu Plaatjies and Ibuyambo Ensemble, Fimber Bravo, Flavia Coelho, Hidden Orchestra, Iadoni, Jesca Hoop, Katy Carr & The Aviators, Malouma, Mohammad Reza Mortazavi, Riot Jazz, Spoek Mathambo, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, YesKing, Asif Ali Khan, Bwani Junction, Canzoniere Grencanico Salentino, David Wax Museum, Debapriya and Samanwaya, Dub Inc., Emel Mathlouthi, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Fredy Massamba, Gocoo, Huun Huur Tu, Jagwa Music, Kissmet, Le Vent du Nord, Levon Minassian, Mala In Cuba, Malawi Mouse Boys, Mokoomba, Nano Stern, Ondatropica, Osibisa, Sam Lee, Schlachthofbronx, Syd Arthur, Tamikrest, and Urna & Kroke

This year the Thursday night for early entries entertainment includes annual performance with the Malmesbury School Project who have collaborated with Farah, a quintet of experienced mentors from the Middle East but a UK premiere and something new to WOMAD – L’'Orchestre di Piazza Vittorio – 'Il Flauto Magico' offering a WOMAD style fusion of sounds from salsa to reggae in their version of Mozart's Magic Flute before the musical soul revolutionary Rachid Taha makes a very welcome return to WOMAD's main stage. 

Festival Director Chris Smith said, "The really hard work begins now to get the site ready but it’s looking in excellent shape so far and we look forward to a very exciting Festival with too many highlights to mention."

WOMAD brings together many forms of music, arts and dance from countries and cultures around the world on seven separate stage and workshop areas, at the picturesque site of Charlton Park, near Malmesbury in Wiltshire from Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th July 2013.

2013's festival also welcomes back the Taste The World stage, where artists performing are invited to present and prepare native dishes for audiences, occasionally using techniques not familiar to these shores.

There's also a full programme of adult and childrens workshops (limited spaces available - turn up early!), a cabaret tent, fun fair, comedy, DJ sessions, as well the normal festie fodder, WOMAD Spa, and a huge market of world crafts.

On Thursday for 'early bird' ticket holders The Open Air Stage is expected to once again offer live music from 7-11pm.

A weekend ticket - which are valid from the Friday until Sunday are priced at £145 (Thursday arrivals will also need a Thursday camping ticket costing £25).

Other ticket prices & options available will include:
Teenage Weekend Ticket (aged 14-17) - £75
Early Bird Disabled Weekend Ticket - £125
A campervan ticket is priced at £45
SN16 Resident Ticket is priced at £90

Day tickets are available with prices kept the same as last year. A Saturday or Sunday ticket is priced at £66 (£55 for SN16 purchasers).

Children 13 and under can come free with each adult ticket holder, but need a free child ticket. All children must hold their own ticket and must be accompanied by a ticket holding parent or guardian over the age of 21. One ticket holding parent or guardian can only accompany up to 4 people under the age of 18. Thursday tickets do not need to be purchased for children aged 13 and under.

To buy tickets now, click here.

Latest Updates