Parents and children from both established Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and new migrant groups came together at Leith Community Centre on 15^th February for a multi-cultural musical event, jointly organized by Citizen Curator and Multi-Cultural Family Base.

The half-term social event was open to families accessing services at MCFB and made possible by funding from Creative Scotland for Leith-based Citizen Curator’s ‘Live Leith Multicultural Music pilot project’. The aim of the event was  both to celebrate the diversity of MCFB service users as well as to bring together families of many different nationalities for a social event during the school half term break.

The event brought together 22 parents and 34 children who have settled in Edinburgh from Syria, Sudan, China, Greece, Malawi, South Africa and Romania.  Young people were provided with a chance to try out musical instruments, listen to some Malawian and Scottish live music performances by Davie Luhanga and Jed Milroy and take part in an open mic session.  A very enthusiastic audience were treated to an impromptu beat box group formed by young people from MCFB’s junior and senior group work projects, utilizing guitar and a syncopated beat box back beat. There was food, provided by Punjabi Junction, a chance for families to learn Scottish dances and take part in a traditional Scottish ceilidh and the day was rounded off with a joint rendition of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and calls from many of the children and parents to hold another event again soon.