Shrewsbury tunes up for its Big Busk fundraiser

The event on April 2, which will take place in and around Shrewsbury Town Centre, returns to its traditional one-day slot and will be putting the emphasis on young people with the theme of The Future of Music.

Last year's Big Busk, which was held over two days because it coincided with the Easter Bank Holiday, raised an incredible £6,100 for Shrewsbury Ark, a drop-in centre for homeless and vulnerable people.

The event is held in memory of talented musician, poet and artist Ben Bebbington, who was killed in 2012 in an unprovoked attack. It takes place on the weekend around Ben's birthday.

Ben's sister Karen Higgins, one of the event's organisers, said: "Every year the enthusiasm, from both the people who come and watch and the musicians, dancers and other acts who give their time and talent for free to support us, is infectious.

"We always try to base the Big Busk around a theme, and this year we will be looking at The Future of Music, with a strong focus on the youth. The idea actually came from my son Nathan who said he wanted to see an area where people could try musical instruments for themselves and speak to artists about their music."

• The Big Busk is held in memory of talented musician, poet and artist Ben Bebbington — and this year it will take place on April 2.

• He died from head injuries after an unprovoked attacked on a footpath in Ditherington, Shrewsbury, in September 2012.

• The event was first held on what would have been Ben’s 44th birthday and was intended as a one-off.

• But it has been held every year since and has grown on each occasion due to its popularity.

• The idea behind it is that all entertainment is free, with people only donating what they can afford.[/breakout]

Nathan's idea has been made a reality by Big Busk team members Rebecca Hope and Olly James, who have organised a series of workshops throughout the day at Shrewsbury Central Baptist Church in Claremont Street.

Olly said: "Through these workshops, we hope to give children a better chance of discovering the joy of all sorts of different instruments. We have gathered local musicians who are experienced with woodwind, guitar, brass, ukulele and African Djembe drums to hold 30-minute workshops to educate and excite children into wanting to learn, or to increase skills on their current instruments."

The Big Busk will also be aiming for the record books with a number of marathon musical efforts this year.

Paul Henshaw – who last year broke new ground for The Big Busk by playing on the roof of St Chad's Church with his band The Scientific Simpletons – will be attempting to play 24 gigs in 24 hours.

At the same time, talented young duet Guitar Cubed, who appeared at last year's Big Busk, will also be attempting to play for more than 24 hours – and in doing so break the World Record for the longest busk.

And rounding off the mammoth musical effort will be popular Shropshire DJ Johnty DelMonte will be playing a 12-hour vinyl at The Alb – including a three-hour slot where you can put your name down and play your own favourite tunes.

The idea behind the Big Busk is that all entertainment is free, with people only donating what they can afford. All profits from the event go directly to Shrewsbury Ark, which relies almost entirely on charitable donations for its upkeep. It costs £120,000-a-year to keep the Ark running.

• For more information on the Big Busk visit www.thebigbusk.co.uk