The Hague—The Secret Singer-Songwriter Society (S4), a Dutch non-profit foundation whose twofold mission is to foster the work of singer-songwriters by recording, distributing and promoting their songs in support of diverse humanitarian causes around the world, announces their second global humanitarian project.
The initiative will support the City Shine Foundation, a non-profit organization that first developed after Reannon Clarke’s travels through Kenya. Clarke, a Canadian living in The Hague, saw firsthand the need for proper education and a safe environment for children living in Soweto slums in Nairobi. After speaking to the high school students and the teachers at the City Shine School, she realized how little they had in equipment, materials and resources and knew that she had to do something. After Reannon’s two-month trip in 2008, $5000 was raised with the help of friends and family members. Reannon then returned to the City Shine School in May 2010 together with Jeroen Klaassen, a Dutchman. With the raised funds, they were able to equip both the City Shine Secondary and the Reannon Clarke Primary School. The school gave the honour of re-naming itself after Reannon and is now known as ”Reannon Clarke Primary School“.
The S4/City Shine Project features eleven international singer-songwriters from seven different countries: The Netherlands, England, the United States, Denmark, Kenya, Wales and Australia:
Each artist has contributed an original song to the project that will be available for downloading beginning on April 1, 2013. Revenue generated by the downloads—and related merchandise purchased exclusively on the S4 website—will be divided in a unique revenue-sharing formula whereby the artist, the cause and the foundation each receive a one-third share of the proceeds, thus enabling artists to re-invest their share in their careers; the cause, their share towards a number of essential projects; and the foundation, their share as a source of funding enabling it to provide recording, mastering, artist development and a wide array of promotional and professional services to their artists. And in the spirit of cooperation, the S4, artists and the charitable cause all share in the promotional activities of the project by spreading their message to the far-reaching corners of the world. Last but not least there are the donors, or what the S4 refer to as “Music Lovers” who, in downloading the music (at a level of giving they determine from 99 eurocents per track), are supporting independent artists, vital humanitarian projects while in turn receiving great music that will continue giving them enjoyment for years to come without the negative effects of donor fatigue or having to make long-term commitments of giving.
For more information about the project, please visit secretsingersongwritersociety.org