Music for Change Fellow 2022, Love Ssega Hosts ‘Live + Breathe 2022’ with Lambeth & Southwark Community Groups over frustrations about local air pollution.
Taking place on Saturday 18 June , Southwark Park, 12 – 6 pm
Musicians, community groups, athletes and activists from Lambeth and Southwark have joined forces to host a free one-day event to campaign against localised air pollution.
The event aims to raise awareness that Black, Asian, and other ethnicities are excessively affected by air pollution and are passionate about campaigning against climate issues.
It is hoped the day will encourage more young people to share their concerns and fears around air pollution. Air pollution in London is constantly higher than the World Health Organisation’s recommended limits and Lambeth and Southwark have some of the worst levels in the city.
Live + Breathe 2022 is a celebration of South London’s music community and culture and will offer local residents the opportunity to get involved in free arts and culture workshops, take part in a football tournament, and listen to poetry by local writers fuelled by their campaign for clean air.
The South London groups involved include Peckham BMX Club, Poetic Unity, Peace Ballers, Neon Elevate, Art 4 Space, and CeCeRollerskates. There will also be performances by ITV’s ‘Peckham’s Finest’ star DJ Mark Ashley-Dupé, Born N Bread, Rebel Clash and Shumba Youth.
Host of Live + Breathe 2022, Love Ssega, is a South London resident and founding member of the band Clean Bandit, wants residents to come and show their support:
“Live + Breathe 2022 is all about showing power brokers that Black people within Lambeth and Southwark care about climate issues. Not only that, the communities and groups involved here have come together to use art and culture to highlight an issue such as air pollution, which is shown to affect people of colour the most. People in the two areas would rather be doing sport, meeting friends, or training to be future Olympians, but if the air pollution levels are too high, then they are going to come together and make noise about it until the government acts to change it.”
In 2021, Love Ssega released ‘Our World (Fight for Air)’, a song dedicated to Ella Kissi-Debrah and the communities living on the South Circular.
Love Ssega is also performing at Billie Ellish’s UK tour ‘Happier Than Before’ on 16th June at the London O2 Arena as part of climate seminar ‘Overheated Live’.
Visit weliveandbreathe.co.uk for more information about the event, the line-up, and the campaign.
Watch the campaign video featuring artists and community groups involved in the Live & Breathe 2022 event below.