Rogue World Music is proud to announce that we are the recipient of the 2023 Oregon Recreation and Parks Association 2023 Private Sector Partner of the Year Award!

RWM was nominated for this award by our *Ashland World Music Festival co-producer, the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission, with whom we have a 7-year (and counting) collaborating partnership for our work on the AWMF.

“The ORPA Private Sector Partner Award recognizes a business entity, corporation or non-profit that has made a significant contribution to the park and recreation profession in Oregon, either through an agency or the state association. Nominees may be recognized for their significant financial support, volunteer time, in-kind services, equipment, or other contributions to parks and recreation in Oregon. Nominees’ actions should be made without concern for direct personal or corporate gain or profit. Organizations may only receive this award once every five years.” - Oregon Recreation and Parks Association

Award submissions are evaluated on criteria that focuses on:

• What difference our contribution makes.

• How many people our contribution impacts.

• How lasting the impact is.

• How consistent our contribution is over time.

• If our contribution is significant in terms of monetary value, time, delivery of resources, etc.

• Whether or not we make this contribution without concern for gain.

• If our actions advance the park and recreation field.

• If we demonstrate an advancement of equity in the field of parks and recreation.

“RWM is deserving of the Private Sector Partner Award and a successful organization that is building community and cultural connection through world music. The partnership that has been established with Ashland Parks and Recreation is built on understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses, keen ability to leverage resources and skilled professionals to meet the challenges of producing a multiple-event festival.  RWM continues to develop innovative programming that provides access to cultural arts in the Ashland area and surrounding communities […] RWM is a indispensable partner for Ashland Parks and Recreation and should be recognized for their contributions to making the entire Rogue Valley a place residents of all backgrounds feel safe and call “home.” - Lonny Flora, APRC Recreation Manager

With a collaborative partnership founded in 2017, RWM and the APRC have worked together to create an extraordinary platform: a free, multi-day festival that celebrates the richness and diversity of cultural traditions. This one-of-a-kind event, held across multiple venues, brings together an impressive array of culture-bearing artists - mesmerizing dancers, virtuoso musicians, soulful singers, and captivating storytellers. These talented individuals not only grace the stage as performers but also impart their wisdom and expertise through immersive workshops and musician talk-backs. Held every Memorial Day weekend, this event serves Rogue Valley locals and visitors with accessible, high-caliber artistic, participatory experiences. Since 2020, it has simultaneously raised almost $40,000 of funding for local Almeda Wildfire recovery efforts without ever charging a fee for entry. Over the past 7 years, audience numbers have grown from a few hundred to over 5,000 in 2023. In 2024, the event will launch a slight rebrand as the Rogue World Music Festival. With this rebrand, the event will expand out, to include the cities of Medford and Talent as festival event locations in addition to Ashland.

“We are so excited for this expansion of the festival! This does not mean an end to the RWM/APRC partnership. Instead, it is an opportunity for RWM to facilitate a collaborative output between multiple parks and recreation agencies, building on the model we’ve developed with APRC.” - Ana Byers, RWM Executive Director.

The 2024 Rogue World Music Festival will be held Friday, May 24th through Monday, May 27th, 2024.