Midwesterners have one more chance to see three incredible artists in communities near them through World Fest. World Fest offers Midwestern communities, especially smaller and mid-size communities, an opportunity to experience music, language, and culture from across the world. During each cycle, Arts Midwest partners with one organization in each of the nine states we work with in the region.
World Fest, which has been serving small Midwestern communities since 2003, will come to a close following this spring’s tours. Throughout the last 22 years, World Fest programming has reached more than 750,000 people, including 550,000 youth through more than 300 public performances and 3,000+ educational events. We’ll have even more to celebrate in May when tours wrap up – and we’ll have plenty more reflections to share about World Fest’s decades of impact.
Over the last year, Farah Siraj, LADAMA, and A Moving Sound have spent time getting to know communities across the Midwest. As this cycle comes to a close, it’s giving us a chance to look back on high points of their tours so far.
Farah Siraj
In Portsmouth, Ohio during their residency with the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts, Farah Siraj and her band had the opportunity to connect with university choir students. Singers from Shawnee State University, adjoining to the auditorium, spent their week rehearsing with Farah. Farah’s songs, fusing Arabic music, flamenco, jazz, bossa, and pop, with lyrics in Arabic, Spanish, and English, challenged the university singers to sing in new ways. Then, the choir capped off their exchange by joining the band onstage for their public concert at the end of the week, including a collaboration on Farah’s original song “See the World.”
LADAMA
In Freeport, Illinois, LADAMA worked with our partners at the Freeport Art Museum to reach community members. The band, with members from Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil, connected with local Spanish speakers at schools and during other community outreach. At the museum that week of the band’s visit, the “Midwest Lands” exhibition featured “unique visual and literary art … [that] focuses on farmland, rural landscapes, and the aesthetics, psychological, and emotional content of these themes.” From the Midwest to Latin America, the world felt a little smaller during the week of LADAMA’s visit through shared language, music, and conversation.
A Moving Sound
In Custer, South Dakota, A Moving Sound connected with the Custer Area Arts Council for their week-long residency. Among their many outreach workshops that took the band through the scenic Black Hills, the group also had the opportunity to sit down and jam with local musicians. After a shared meal, a mix of polka, bluegrass, and Taiwanese musical tradition made for an unforgettable experience for all.
Spring World Fest Tour Dates
| Ensemble | Community | Community Partner | Residency Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Moving Sound | Oskaloosa, IA | George Daily Auditorium | March 2–8, 2025 |
| A Moving Sound | Freeport, IL | Freeport Art Museum | March 9–15, 2025 |
| A Moving Sound | Marinette, WI | Rusty Wolfe Studio | March 16–22, 2025 |
| LADAMA | Portsmouth, OH | Vern Riffe Center for the Arts | March 30–April 5, 2025 |
| LADAMA | Sullivan, IN | City of Sullivan | April 6–12, 2025 |
| LADAMA | Albion, MI | Bohm Theatre | April 13–19, 2025 |
| Farah Siraj | Minot, ND | Minot Area Council of the Arts | April 20–26, 2025 |
| Farah Siraj | Hot Springs, SD | Chautauqua Craftsmen & Artisans of the Black Hills | April 28–May 3, 2025 |
| Farah Siraj | Fairmont, MN | Fairmont Opera House | May 5–11, 2025 |
