THE BALLADS OF CHILD MIGRATION

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: october 2018 :: RMTnews 22 Two former RMT executive committee members Jim Gray and Gerry McCann were presented with their 40-year badges back in March this year by RMT general secretary Mick Cash at the Scottish regional council belatedly published due to a local difficulty. Next month a collective of brilliant and respected musicians and singers are taking to the road to tell the moving story of Britain’s forced child migrants. Around 100,000 British children were sent overseas without their parents and without consent. These migration schemes were aimed at children believed to be 'deprived of a normal family life', that's to say orphans and children living in poverty. The songs in this concert were recently heard as part of a major BBC Radio 2 dramatisation of Michael Morpurgo’s book Alone on a Wide Wide Sea. They include an all-star cast with award-winning folk artists: John McCusker, Michael McGoldrick, Boo Hewerdine, O’Hooley & Tidow, Chris While, Julie Matthews, John Doyle, Jez Lowe, Andy Seward and Andy Cutting and narrated by Barbara Dickson. Forced child migration is a little known and dark part of the history of Britain, sent overseas to places including Australia and Canada with the promise of finding a better life. Some did but many others found only hardship, abuse and loneliness. The Ballads of Child Migration is a tribute to those children. After each concert there will be a short Q&A session where members of the audience can ask questions of the performers and other experts about child migration. THE BALLADS OF CHILD MIGRATION This tour is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and is produced by 7digital – the digital music and radio services company that also produced the BBC Radio version of Alone on a Wide Wide Sea. November 2018 Monday 12 – Folk In The Barn, Gulbenkian, Canterbury Tuesday 13 – Saint James Church, Clerkenwell, London Wednesday 14 – Corn Exchange, Cambridge Thursday 15 – The Albert Hall, Nottingham Friday 16 – Floral Hall, Southport Tickets available from www.ticketline.co.uk / 0844 888 9991 “One of the pre-eminent song collections of recent times, poignantly re-telling one of the most important stories to have emerged from these islands” Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2 AYR AWARD A tribute to a lost generation of children sent abroad from 1869 to as recently as 1970