Urban Circle brings Caribbean festival to Wales

University of South Wales (USW) partner organisation, Urban Circle, is bringing an international festival to Newport next month.

The award-winning youth arts charity is hosting a ‘Reggae & Riddim Festival’ at Tredegar House and Country Park on 30 and 31 July. The music and arts festival has been developed and designed by Urban Circle alongside The Jamaica Rastafari Indigenous Village, USW, G-Expressions, and JukeBox Collective.

The festival will see international artists such as Maxi Priest, Carroll Thompson, and Richie Spice performing on the same stages as Wales’ own BBC Radio host and reggae star Aleighcia Scott. Sound systems from Cardiff, Newport and Birmingham will be sharing familiar and new hits as well as numerous poets and bands from across the region. The event has been endorsed by the Jamaican Government as an official celebration of Jamaica's diamond jubilee and its 60 years of Independence.

Reggae & Riddim Festival 2022 is a non profit, two-day event, developed to be accessible for families and people of all ages. This unique festival will share the cultural heritage of Jamaica and Wales through music, food, art, dance, fashion, wellness, and knowledge.

The festival is made possible thanks to the charity's hard work throughout the Covid pandemic. Funding has been received from Arts Council for Wales and Newport City Council, which has enabled a team of 9 qualified youth workers and 15 young people of Newport to plan and deliver the event.

Loren Henry, co-founder of Urban Circle and USW graduate, said: “The support that we have received from USW has allowed us, as an organisation, to go from strength to strength. Building partnerships with key organisations has been vital for us to be able to support young people of the community.

“My partner, Ali Boksh, and I are so proud to launch this festival and to host a delegation from Jamaica for the week in our rich and diverse city."

Jamie James, USW’s Head of the School of Education, Early Years and Social Work, said: ‘We are hugely proud to be able to support the ‘Reggae and Riddim Festival’ and to be working in partnership with Urban Circle, The Jamaica Rastafari Indigenous Village, G-Expressions, and JukeBox Collective.  Having a positive impact through community working is central to our mission and vision at USW.  This is a fantastic opportunity bring people together and to celebrate the vibrant and diverse culture in our city as well as to foster understanding and appreciation of just what is possible when we are open to learning from one another.’            

Cllr Jane Mudd, Leader Newport City Council, said: “I am so pleased to support Urban Circle and the work they do with young people in the city. This festival is going to be an incredible event for our culturally diverse and exciting city and will help strengthen bonds across Newport and internationally. It is amazing that we are having this event in Newport on the 60th anniversary of Jamaican independence and that Newport will always be linked to these celebrations.”

Tickets are available on the event website: http://www.reggaeriddimfestival.com/