Festival organisers call for donations of £1 to ensure the legacy of Rise Festival lives on

By LiseS | Tuesday, March 09, 2010, 15:52

UpRise is the legacy of the Rise Festival, Europe’s largest anti-racism festival. Since the event's cancellation last year, the UpRise team have been working to provide a free music, arts and culture festival; organised by the people and for the people, ensuring that the essence of the historic Rise Festival is kept intact.

A happy face, a thumping bass, for a loving race: UpRise organisers want to bring back the Rise festival's message of positivity and unity.

Established by the TUC in 1996, Rise featured acts including Asian Dub Foundation, Incognito Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Public Enemy, De La Soul, Run DMC and Graham Coxon over the years. UpRise started as a grass roots campaign responding to the cancellation of the festival, and working to bring back the original event's anti-racism message.

The organisers, Finsbury Park's Freya van Lessen and Mike Barnard, are asking members of the public to help in their efforts to raise £100,000 by the end of March. Donations of just £1 will see the legacy of Europe’s biggest anti-racism festival live on this summer.

Speaking about the fundraising drive, Mike Barnard said: “We are passionate about keeping the memory of Rise alive through UpRise and we know that thousands of Londoners feel the same way. Although we are asking for a lot of money, if each of the 100,000 people who attended Rise Festival in 2008 donated just £1, we would reach our target."

Mike added: "With the Mayor of London slashing funding for a series of cultural events and a rise in publicity for far-right views, UpRise aims to display the true picture of London, which is that of a united, vibrant and diverse leading capital city. We want the festival to once again be a landmark event in London’s calendar, as it was for the 14 years prior to its cancellation."

Echoing the views of thousands of Londoners who support UpRise, Beardyman, a Rise Festival performer in 2007 and 2008, said: “Bring back Rise, London really needs it, and the world needs more festivals like it!”

Support has already been secured from a number of organisations previously involved in Rise, including the TUC. Organisers are hoping for more donations to increase the scale of this year's event.

Donations for UpRise can be made by visiting www.uprise.org.uk.