Surge Forward

Surge Forward Music & Arts Report to Annual Parish Meeting 2024

Surge Forward is a music and arts CIC that delivers projects and events in the West Midlands and on a national and international level. Our office here in Clun is above the Postcard Café.
Having moved to Clun 3 years ago we are starting to deliver more events here and have been delighted with the support for the music we provide.
Our focus is mainly folk and traditional music from around the world, which we feel complements the existing jazz, classical, roack and popular music scene in the area.
A key aspect of our work is to take the artists into local primary schools so that the children can learn about other cultures and the music they make. The impact has been tremendous and artists have commented on the good behaviour and enthusiasm of the children.
Ruth has started a local string group which has up to 8 members ranging from beginners to intermediate. We plan to deliver further music making activities for local residents.
We are running residency programmes where artists get to stay in Clun for up to a week. They visit local schools and perform a concert. We aim to use many different venues to reach a variety of audiences. Venues to date are St George’s Church, The Sun Inn, the Methodist Chapel and the Postcard Café. Visiting artists love Clun and benefit greatly from being here.
Concerts we have presented in Clun are:
Nirwel Tsumbu – Congolese guitarist
Julia Kozakova and her band – Slovakian vocalist
Mohinder Singh with Peacock Angell – Midlands based tabla player
Duarte – Portuguese fado singer
Mayunkiki – Japanese Ainu vocalist
Bonfire Radicals – Midlands based folk group
Irina Muha and Volodymyr Vasolenko – Ukrainian vocalist and accordion player (will be coming back!)
Events we have planned include:
Black Umfolosi – Zimbabwean gospel choir – 27th June
Kris Drever – Scottish folk singer and guitarist – 21st November
Leonie Smith – Birmingham reggae singer – 2nd week of July
Nirwel Tsumbu – Congolese guitarist
We have been supported by Inclusive Communities and Arts Council England.
We are excited about future activities in the Clun Valley and will now work closely with our local entertainment providers to avoid clashes in the diary. We want to support and complement other activities and not compete.
Contact: Sid Peacock – Artistic Director 07789 933131  sidpeacock@gmail.com