The “Today Festival” will run from 20 November 2014 to 20 February 2015 - from the 25th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (20 November), through Human Rights Day (10 December) until the International Day for Social Justice (20 February). The Festival brings together musicians and musicians’ organizations with schools, municipalities, local bodies and cultural associations in a series of music, art and educational events to raise awareness about child labour. Activities will range from concerts, shows and exhibitions to workshops and academic debates spanning across Piemonte, Lombardia, Emilia Romagna and Sardegna and inspired by IPEC’s SCREAM (Supporting Children’s Rights through Education, the Arts and the Media) programme. ANBIMA and FENIARCO, Italian associations of national and regional bands and choirs and signatories of the Music against Child Labour Manifesto, will engage their affiliates around Italy. The aim is to mobilise artists of all ages and all styles of music to join together and form a powerful choir against child labour and for social justice.

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At the opening event, the Milano Classica Orchestra, through a project with the Municipality of Milan “Palazzina for Milan Music”, will organise a workshop on music education for young music groups in collaboration with middle schools specialising in music. Milano Classica will officially pledge their support for the Music against Child Labour Initiative by signing the Initiative’s Manifesto. This will be followed by a performance of the song “Today – say no to child labour," by Maria Olivero (author and composer). All present will be invited to show the Red Card to Child Labour.