Rise to rise again as UpRise

By LiseS

Saturday, February 06, 2010, 08:30

A new one day festival will continue the legacy of Rise after a two-year hiatus this summer. UpRise: London United Against Racism will mark a return of the event in an updated form.

The Rise Festival, July 2008

 

"Rise was a landmark event for Londoners, and it is for this reason that we have been working tirelessly to plan UpRise, a festival with the same purpose as Rise," said co-organiser Mike Barnard. Rise was Europe's largest anti-racism festival, with acts including Fun Lovin' Criminals, Public Enemy, De La Soul, Run DMC and Graham Coxon performing over the years.

Despite the Mayor’s refusal to reinstate Rise following the receipt of a 3,000-strong petition, campaign organisers Barnard and Freya Van Lessen, who both live in Finsbury Park, are committed to continuing Rise’s legacy by staging their own anti-racism event

The 2010 one-day festival will once again celebrate London’s many cultures and promote anti-racism. Organisers hope that the new event will attract both members of the 100,000-strong audience who attended in 2008, and festival newcomers. The festival will also work closely with, and involve, schools and community groups.

"UpRise will provide the opportunity for London to celebrate its position as the most multi-cultural place in the world," organisers added. The event will be supported by the Trades Union Congress, who established the original Rise festival in 1996, the National Assembly Against Racism, the Runnymede Trust, Unison, Unite and Love Music, Hate Racism.

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