India, UK RhythmXChange bilateral festival from Nov 25-27

Bengaluru: The Indian Music Experience Museum (IME), Bengaluru in partnership with Manchester Museum, part of The University of Manchester and supported by the British Council, will be organizing a collaborative cross-cultural music festival. Titled 'RhythmXChange', this collaborative project seeks to explore rhythm as a shared language between East and West. As part of the year-long programme, four young musicians from India and the UK, took part in a mentorship programme. The four mentors are established musicians and music producers from India and the UK who guided the young group of musicians to collaborate and develop a rhythm-based art project, which they named JAVA – The Cadence Collective (Joash Gill, Aditi B Prahlad, Vinthya Perinpanathan, Ashwin Mandoth). The first phase of 'RhythmXChange' will be held at the Indian Music Experience Museum in Bengaluru between November 25-27, and on the 26th JAVA will give their debut public performance.

The Festival at IME will include Percussion-themed Museum Walkthroughs, enthralling performances by young artists from around the world, a rap battle, panel discussions and a screening of 'Dollu', National Award winner for Best Kannada Film. Speaking about the initiative, Preema John, Museum Director, IME said, "IME has always been known to create unique events that bring out the best in artists. Through RhythmXChange we aim to promote young musicians from India and UK and grow their global networks. Being a bilateral project and on-site festival, the young musicians have had the opportunity to discover musical connections between India and the UK and now get to travel to the partner country to perform and connect with the host communities. I am positive that RhythmXChange Festival will resonate well with our audiences in Bangalore and will be a thorough hit. We also look forward to supporting the Festival's UK leg this coming March in Manchester. We remain committed to developing many more such programs with the support of our partners like the British Council that promote opportunities for young musicians, diversity, and interconnectedness through music."

RhythmXChange seeks to understand how music traditions interact across borders. While this unique experience focuses on developing and giving autonomy to young musicians and growing their global networks, it also aims to create a collaborative cross-cultural artistic outcome.

The Global Director of Arts at the British Council, Skinder Hundal MBE said "This collaboration between the Indian Music Experience Museum and Manchester Museum – showcases Indian Carnatic music alongside eastern and western percussion traditions to explore rhythm as a shared language to engage young people and artists beyond borders to improve how we understand our cultures. The festival will run at Manchester Museum in the UK and the Indian Music Experience Museum in Bangalore. It is curated by young people and is a fantastic opportunity for people seeking new experiences. We are excited to support the RhythmXchange festival through our India/UK Together Season of Culture to celebrate the power and the fusion of contrasting music traditions."

The same artists will perform in the second phase that will take place in Manchester Museum in the UK between March 17-19, 2023.