In the time of dance music‘s supremacy over the airwaves, there has been an increasingly hostile behavior towards the booming genre of music over the general perception on how the media and populace view the industry. As the dance movement is in full swing, now seems to be the right time to shift some of the negative perception out of the spotlight and present the world an argument on how much potential positive change is a capable from such an unlikely group of artists and fans.
That’s where the Apollo Aid Foundation enters the picture. The UK based charity, founded by Dan Willis and Nick Tuckett, came up with a creative base model for their charity, utilizing a combination of the artists and fans working together as equals is a such a forward-thinking idea that has the ability to create some meaningful change.
A donation of just one performance a year from every participating artist goes towards each of their favorite charities as well an organization the fans have chosen through the Apollo Aid Fan Fund. The Fan Fund gives the fans a voice in deciding what cause will be the benefactor of the foundation, which changes periodically. They are also given the chance to donate through the Fan Fund themselves.
I am looking forward to seeing Apollo Aid achieve so much in giving back to those in
need in the world. It is exciting, and very positive that we are working hard to unite
the Dance music industry to make such difference with the foundation globally.’ co-
founder Dan Willis states.
We got the chance to ask them a few questions about their budding organization.
What was that “ah ha” moment when the light bulb switched on and you came to the conclusion that this charity foundation had to be established?
We took inspiration from the few artists already doing charitable work, and we thought as an industry united we could make a much bigger impact than any one artist alone. We set about to build something that would act as both a call to action to the entire industry and a vessel to show the rest of the world how positive and beautiful the dance music community can be.
The main premise behind this unique concept is that the artist’s contribution is very simple. Just a paycheck from one of their performances. Besides artist involvement in the community, what other engagements are you hoping to promote through this organization?
For one, we have been offered support from several promoters and venues around the globe to promote charity shows, and will be partnering with Exchange LA who will host the first Apollo Aid Foundation show later this year. 100% of proceeds from ticket sales are being donated and the line-up will consist of only Apollo Aid Foundation artists, giving fans an opportunity to get involved and give back by attending. There is more in the pipeline but we’ll save that conversation for another day 😉
It was stated that you’re hopefully the Apollo Aid Foundation will help curb some of the negatively held opinions and perceptions about dance music by creating a bridge of understanding between the mass media and electronic music community. It always takes two to tango, with each side continuing to add fuel to the fire so to speak. How do you see the AAF’s role as acting ambassador to help facilitate this change?
We all know the beauty, passion and positivity that comes with being part of this industry, but look into mainstream media and the stories you’ll find are dominated by festival washouts, collapsing stages, and artists calling each other out on social media.
By bringing artists and fans together, uniting them under a common banner, raising a serious amount of money and then using that money to genuinely make a difference, our combined voice will be loud enough for the world to sit up and notice the of positive impact we, together as a community, are creating.
You guys have assembled quite the team of industry professionals to help build this concept from ink on a page to an organization capable of carrying out your vision as well as attaining quite a few artist sponsorships already (46 by my count) before the foundation has officially been launched. Having such a head start, how does this help the overall movement you’re pushing?
Having a deep roster of supporting artists adds a huge amount of weight to the AAF launch and validates us to the fans. The team has believed in what we have been working toward since day one, but to see so many artists also believe in and pledge support to what is really untested and uncharted waters, is hugely inspirational and has only served to make us work harder.
AAF thrives on bringing the fans and the artists together. But without the amazing support we have had from the artists pre-launch, it would be a lot harder to reach the number of fans we are now able reach inspire and empower through the Foundation. We are eternally grateful to every single artist who has pledged to support us.
Where can I get t-shirt?
Merchandise will be available soon from our website www.apolloaid.org. We hope to see it on a dance floor near you soon!
