The Bathroom Set: Melanie C and KT Tunstall sing from their smallest rooms to encourage the public to spend a penny in support of WaterAid
Singer-songwriter Melanie C is hoping to spice up lockdown this week by teaming up with other influential female artists including KT Tunstall, Nadia Rose and Jessie Ware to launch a series of sets streamed from their bathrooms to raise money for international charity WaterAid.
The socially isolated singers hope to make a splash when they’re joined virtually by a host of other artists such as Eliza, Lilla Vargen, and Sarah Close on Thursday 7 May and Friday 8 May to form an all-female line-up for the launch of five Bathroom Sessions streamed from musicians’ homes. The public can watch the performances for free on Clash Magazine’s social channels.
Together, they are encouraging donations for WaterAid’s lifesaving work and showing their support for the women and girls around the world who spend hours each day walking to collect water for their families.
Washing your hands is one of the most important ways to reduce spread of disease, yet in poorer countries three-quarters of people do not have somewhere to wash their hands with soap at home. WaterAid is racing to reach communities with clean water, handwashing facilities and information about good hygiene so they can protect themselves in the fight against Covid-19.
Former Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm will be headlining the unique online event on Thursday 7 May, performing a current single as well as some older classics fans will love in the exclusive Bathroom Session that goes live on Clash’s Facebook Live at 9pm BST.
Melanie C said:
“I’m really excited to be launching the Bathroom Sessions for WaterAid; it’s great to be part of this unique online event that’s bringing together some amazing female talent while also raising money to help transform lives.
“Now more than ever we can appreciate the importance of good hygiene, and it's shocking to think millions of people in the world’s poorest communities don’t have clean water or handwashing facilities at home, putting their lives at risk. Women are facing increased challenges in the current crisis, as they’re often responsible for collecting water and caring for family members who are sick. Together, we can help women and their families protect themselves against the spread of disease.”
BRIT and Ivor Novello Award winning Scottish Singer-Songwriter KT Tunstall (“Suddenly I See”, “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree”) will headline the Bathroom Session on Friday 8 May from 9pm BST on Clash’s Facebook page.
KT Tunstall said:
“I’m really proud to be headlining one of WaterAid’s Bathroom Sessions, uniting with a host of awesome female artists to create exclusive online sets packed full of great music for everyone at home to enjoy, while helping make a difference around the world.
“It’s unacceptable in 2020 that millions of people have no clean water at home, when it’s such a basic human right and so important for our health. The money raised from the event will help WaterAid get clean water, handwashing facilities and good hygiene education to vulnerable communities around the world, as well as helping in the fight against Covid-19.”
British rapper and songwriter Nadia Rose, whose performance will be streamed into fans’ homes from 8pm on Thursday 7 May, said:
“The Bathroom Sessions are a great way for people to come together during the lockdown and enjoy good music while also supporting a worthy cause, and I’m thrilled to be part of it.
“We’ve all heard how washing your hands with soap is vital to reduce the risk of contracting Coronavirus, but two in five people don’t have handwashing facilities at home, and so are particularly vulnerable to the spread of disease. By supporting WaterAid, we can help get clean water and good hygiene to families around the world so they can protect themselves now and in the future.”
WaterAid’s Bathroom Sessions will run in partnership with Clash Magazine. This week's two-day event from the ladies’ rooms will be followed by a ‘Live session’ on Tuesday 12 May, featuring Maverick Sabre and Reuben James. On 15 May, WaterAid and Clash will be hosting an Electronic session, headlined by Fabio and Grooverider, and then a Global session on 18 May, headlined by Stonebwoy.
For more information about the line-up and WaterAid’s work, please visit: www.wateraid.org/uk/bathroom-sessions.
WaterAid
WaterAid is working to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. The international not-for-profit organisation works in 28 countries to change the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 26.4 million people with clean water and 26.3 million people with decent toilets. For more information, visit www.wateraid.org/uk, follow @WaterAid or @WaterAidPress on Twitter, or find WaterAid UK on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wateraid.
- 785 million people in the world – one in ten – do not have clean water close to home.[1]
- 2 billion people in the world – almost one in four – do not have a decent toilet of their own.[2]
- Around 310,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That's almost 800 children a day, or one child every two minutes.[3]
- Every £1 invested in water and toilets returns an average of £4 in increased productivity.[4]
- Just £15 can provide one person with clean water.[5]
[1] WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG Baselines
[2] WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG Baselines
[3] Prüss-Ustün et al. (2014) and The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (2018)
[4] World Health organization (2012) Global costs and benefits of drinking-water supply and sanitation interventions to reach the MDG target and universal coverage
[5] www.wateraid.org
