The legendary Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club has launched its third biennial Instrument Amnesty through its charitable arm, the Ronnie Scott’s Charitable Foundation. The amnesty will take place on Saturday 20th July and will coincide with a free, 60th anniversary street party complete with street food, outdoor bars and live jazz.
On 20th July, members of the public are encouraged to donate musical instruments, which are then distributed to school-aged children across the UK and overseas whose social situation has prevented them from having the opportunity to learn to play an instrument. Instrument donors are then given a tracking number so that they can follow their instruments’ journey as it makes its way to its new home.
Since 2015, the initiative has donated 350 instruments to beneficiaries in need of instrument provision. Past beneficiaries have included Play for Progress in Croydon, which delivers therapeutic and educational arts programmes for child refugees across London; Kinetika Bloco, a performance group in Tulse Hill, which engages South London Youth with creative arts; and In Place Of War in Manchester, which delivers arts programming for young people living in war-zones.
In previous years, the Instrument Amnesty has been supported by the likes of Sam Smith, Jamie Cullum, Nora Jones and Ronnie Wood, and some big names have already been confirmed for 2019.
This year’s campaign is kick-started by composer, pianist, bandleader and broadcaster Jools Holland OBE, who will be unveiling a special call-to-action video alongside pledging an instrument to the amnesty. He is joined by James McVey, lead guitarist of the British pop rock band The Vamps, and award-winning songstress KT Tunstall, who will also be donating instruments.
Other musicians who are donating instruments to the amnesty include Christian Scott, Blue Lab Beats, Rudi Cresswick, Project Karnak, Femi Koleoso from Ezra Collective and Jao Caetano.
Fatine Boumaaz, Head of Ronnie Scott’s Charitable Foundation, said:
“Owning your own instrument is vital to becoming an accomplished musician; unfortunately, this is not a cost all families can afford. Even schools today struggle to provide descent music tuition because of the lack of instrument provision. Our initiative help tackle this issue.”
The Vamps guitarist and I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here star, James McVey, said:
“I’m really excited to donate this guitar. In this crazy world of politics and technology I think it’s important to nurture passion for music. I hope it goes to a great cause.”
2019 beneficiaries are set to include The Nucleo Project in North Kensington, a music programme that uses musical excellence as a way of enriching the lives of young people; Music in Detention, which brings together immigrant detainees with professional musicians to create and enjoy music; Mount Merrion Music Academy in Belfast, which offers accessible and affordable music tuition to the local community; and Parkwood Primary School in West Yorkshire.
International beneficiaries for 2019 will also include BrassForAfrica in Uganda and Music Art Society in Nepal, which provide musical tuition to disadvantaged children, alongside DCMA in Zanzibar, which is the only music school in the region.
Members of the public who would like to donate a musical instrument to the 2019 Instrument Amnesty should ensure their instrument is in good condition before dropping it off at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club (47 Frith Street, Soho, London, W1D 4HT) on Saturday 20th July from 10 am onwards. All instruments are welcome from piccolo’s to double basses!
Alongside the institution’s important charity work, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club will also celebrate its landmark 60th birthday in 2019 and will be celebrating with several birthday events throughout the year, including The Ronnie Scott’s 60th Anniversary Street Party and the sold out A Night at Ronnie Scott’s: 60th Anniversary Gala at Royal Albert Hall.
