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Learn to Live: Safe and Sound concerts announced by Kate Moss
‘The psychological effects of war can rob children of their futures, preventing their ability to learn and connect,’ supermodel says
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Your support makes all the difference.A host of A-list stars today backed The Independent’s Learn to Live campaign as they announced a series of one-off gigs held in aid of children affected by war around the world.
Children from Jordan to Iraq and the Central African Republic have linked up with four London schools through our Learn to Live campaign. It aims to increase understanding between pupils of all backgrounds, and let children whose lives have been devastated by war know that neither they nor their educations, or their need for long term psychological support, have been forgotten.
Indie favourites Everything Everything, who thrilled children at one of the London schools “twinned” through Learn to Live by turning up impromptu during the school day, are to give a special performance at the O2 Shepherds Bush with supporting acts, as will rising star Tom Misch and electro producer Jon Hopkins.
Announcing the Safe and Sound concerts, supermodel Kate Moss said: “What happens today can last a lifetime. The psychological effects of war can rob children of their futures, preventing their ability to learn and connect. Long term support is so important because these children could be our future leaders and peacemakers.
The campaign is seeing a diverse collection of London schoolchildren create real friendships, share lessons, and complete an imaginative art project with child refugees, including those who lived under Isis.
Many of the children, who all learn through education programmes run by charity War Child, lost out on years of formal education due to living in refugee camps or bombed-out cities, and today live in displaced communities in which child labour and child marriage are rife.
Pop band Bastille, who visited War Child programmes, said children are “struggling to cope”, and former Spice Girl Mel C hailed the campaign as “vital”.
She said: “Children need help to understand their experiences, parents need support to support their children.
The cool thing about these gigs is that it is all about collaboration and community and reaching out
“The whole community will have lost years of schooling, that’s why a campaign like Learn to Live is so vital, no child should have to do it alone.
Safe and Sound will run in the last week of November as a Learn to Live campaign finale – and all ticket proceeds will go towards funding War Child programmes, which give children in war zones the years of support they need to ensure they can recover from psychological trauma.
Up and coming 22-year-old south Londoner Tom Misch, whose hip-hop meets jazz style has won him legions of fans since releasing his debut album this year, said: “I felt this is something I wanted to get involved in.
“It’s about showing empathy and also a bigger thing about the global community, and learning about people from different cultures and different countries, and showing support because we can.”
Everything Everything lead vocalist Jon Higgs said the campaign is important because it will allow young people to “see the real hurt, and not just the statistics”.
He said: “The cool thing about these gigs is that it is all about collaboration and community and reaching out.
“This will just be great music, and it will be for a great cause, and an important one that we think should be supported. So if you like us, get your ass down there.”
Mercury Prize winners Alt-J concluded: “To see London schools being paired with children War Child supports in conflict zones as part of the campaign is amazing. It’s so important as a society that we can learn about each other’s differences and similarities and build a better future.”
How to buy tickets
Tickets to all shows at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire will to on sale on 5 October from £35, with VIP packages available.
All proceeds go to War Child UK. Ticketmaster will also donate a portion of the booking fee.
25/11/18 Jon Hopkins / Alexis Taylor and Special Guests
26/11/18 Tom Misch and Friends
27/11/18 Everything Everything and Special Guests
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