The Power of Music

By Zahid Torres-Rahman,
Founder, Business Fights Poverty

The Power of Music: Fat Boy Slim Helping Create Opportunities for Youth in the UK

On 6 March, Business Fights Poverty will be helping make a little history, but not of the sort you would probably imagine. For the first time, house music will be coming to the UK’s House of Commons, with headline act Fat Boy Slim (aka Norman Cook).

According to Fat Boy Slim, “I’ve played some exciting and unique places around the world from Bondi Beach to The Great Wall of China to Igloo but playing in the House of Commons might be the most unique to date.”

But exciting as that is in itself, and the reason Business Fights Poverty has been the online community partner to “House the House”, is that it is the culmination of an initiative driven by the British music industry that is bringing new opportunities to youth across the country.

House the House, organised by the Last Night A DJ Saved My Life Foundation, aims to empower young people aged 16-25 years old, by engaging them in the House The House DJ contest and by linking into their own communities by providing a number of hours of voluntary work within a community project in their own city.

The competition, that has spanned regional heats across the UK, will not only discover the UK’s best young DJ talent but will also help re-engage 16-25 year olds with their local communities using the positives of dance music as a tool for change.

The winner will get the chance to play a DJ set alongside Fat Boy Slim in the House of Commons terrace bar on 6th March 2013 – the first time the House of Commons has opened its doors to such an event, making this an historic occasion for the whole dance music community. The winner will also earn a full Audio Production degree scholarship worth £20k at one of the four UK campuses of the world renowned SAE Institute. The winner will also be given the opportunity to play a set at We Love… Space, Ibiza & The Ministry Of Sound, London.

British youth have been incredibly disenfranchised, and we need to do better at creating new opportunities for them – to give them a better voice and empowering them to be the drivers of positive change in their communities.

House the House represents a coming together of the British music industry, established DJs, club promoters and music professionals – around a stark recognition that something needs to be done, and that together we can make a very real difference. All money raised from the 6 March event will support young people through grassroots community music projects.

And the motivation for Fat Boy Slim? As the world-famous DJ, behind hits like Right Here, Right Now, says, “Music is a huge part of my life and to give something back in this way is amazing”.

The 6 March event is hosted by Mike Weatherley MP, and has energised cross-Parliamentary support. That tells me that politicians, across the political spectrum, recognise that to tackle the issues of poverty and exclusion, and to create a better future for our youth, requires a coming together of government, business and charities in new, unusual and exciting ways.

Editor’s Note:

Fat Boy Slim, aka Norman Cook, will become the first DJ to perform in the House of Commons. To find out more about Fat Boy Slim, visit his Facebook page and follow on Twitter @FatboySlim.

To find out more about House the House, visit House the House,

For all the latest updates click like on the Last Night A DJ Saved My Life FoundationFacebook page and follow on Twitter @lastnightadj

Business Fights Poverty is a Community Partner and Sponsor for House the House.

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