Local performers are being invited to take part in a ‘Battle of the Bands’ contest, which will raise funds to enable two teenagers from Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS) to go on an educational trip to Southern India.
Entry costs £15 and the winning band will receive a cash prize of £200 (courtesy of Bradley Stoke Matters) and be invited to play a 45 minute set, centre stage at Bradley Stoke Community Festival in June 2011 (courtesy of Southern Brooks Community Partnership).
Applications to take part in the competition must be received by 20th October.
A number of audition events are planned for October, from which a panel of judges will select seven artists to perform live on-stage at the Battle of the Bands final on Saturday 6th November 2010.
At the final, the audience will be asked to vote for their favourite band and select the overall champion.
All monies raised will be used by the event organisers, Sam Beaumont and Joel Ip (two 15-year-olds at BSCS), to fund an educational trip to India in August 2011, where they will be working on a community project as well as exploring the country and culture.
Joel said:
“Whether you are a solo performer, a band looking for an opportunity to perform or a group of friends wanting to share their music, you are invited to come and join us for the Battle of the Bands.”
Full details of the competition are available on the dedicated Battle of the Bands website. You can also follow the latest developments on Twitter (@joelschallenge).
Sam Beaumont tell us more about the planned India trip
I have the fantastic opportunity to go to Cochin, in Southern India on a World Challenge expedition next August 2011, to carry out some charity work for a small village there. This could be building an extra shower block for the orphanage or putting an extra classroom on an existing school.
There is a group of 16 students from years 10 and 11 going, on arrival we will have a day or two to acclimatise and then take on a 4-5 day trek across the mountains until we reach our village. We will be living alongside the villagers whilst we are working there. There is no doubt from the start that as well as it being very hard work it will be a life changing experience.
Each student has to raise £3,000 to fund this expedition and this amount of money to find is a very daunting task. Myself and the other students are finding ways of raising money, from quiz evenings to bag packing, (you may have seen us in Tesco’s Bradley Stoke recently!) and even washing cars or gardening. If you have any ideas on fund raising then please let me know! Every penny will help me to help those children that really do need it.
I can assure you this is NOT a holiday but a working opportunity for me to make a difference! If you would like any more details please ask me. Also there is an official World Challenge web site, if you would like to see the work the charity does.