A team of award winning artists are holding a thought provoking day of music and film to highlight the plight of refugee children and raise funds for their ongoing support.

 Two of the UK’s leading artists: pianist/composer Kate Williams and vocalist/lyricist Georgia Mancio whose past collaborations include performances  at legendary jazz venue Ronnie Scott’s will be at Thornton Heath’s Salvation Army today (Sat 29).

The two community pay-what-you-can event sare part of Kate and Georgia’s Arts Council backed Finding Home album tour, a trilogy of new songs documenting the true stories of refugee children.

The day starts with a fun, family-orientated afternoon includes song, dance and craft making with a vocal led jazz quartet from 3-5pm. 

The band will encourage guests to sing some nursery rhymes with them, dance and join in with the arts and crafts provided. 

The event is intended for all ages and a light afternoon tea will be available. 

From 7pm to 10.30pm  there will be a double bill with a screening of director Sue Clayton’s award-winning film, Calais Children: A Case To Answer and a live performance of Finding Home – a concert of songs, old and newly co-written for trio, string quartet and voice. 

Calais Children is a moving and memorable example of filmmaking for legal and political change. As the unofficial refugee camp in Calais dubbed The Jungle was set to be razed in October 2016, there were over 1900 unaccompanied minors stranded there – many of whom had a legal right to enter the UK. 

Sue Clayton fought to get these children recognised and their cases heard in time but when the government still refused, she and her legal team sued the UK Government in the High Court: this film is their powerful witness statement. 

Finding Home has been described as a “sublime song cycle” by leading music magazine, Jazzwise, and awarded four stars by The Guardian. 

The songs highlight the real stories of refugee children either from The Jungle in those last days where Georgia volunteered or their perilous and inspiring journeys into and across Europe. 

Other songs include reworked classics from Chile, Brazil and the Great American Songbook and a focus on the natural world, loss, love and hope, performed to stunning effect by a highly acclaimed ensemble. 

There will be snacks, tea, coffee and soft drinks at both events. Everything, including tickets will be on a pay- what-you-can basis. 

Profits will be split between ongoing support for the young people featured in Calais Children, including a safe day-time refuge in Calais, and the charity Safe Passage who help unaccompanied child refugees and vulnerable adults find legal routes to sanctuary. 

For tickets:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/family-friendly-jazz-concert-afternoon-tea-tickets-62570147997

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/finding-home-concert-calais-children-a-case-to-answer-film-screening-tickets-62366663369