Beyond the Games: Art and Sport for a Better World in Paris this Summer

At Sing for Hope, we believe that the first step in creating a better world is to imagine it, and there is no tool more powerful for honing the imagination than the arts. 

This summer, Paris will host the 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games, and will welcome the world to promote sport, culture, and education, and to increase connection, wellbeing, and peace for all people.

With these goals in mind, Sing for Hope is honored to partner with Yunus Sports Hub and Yunus France on creative arts activations during the period of this global sporting event, including:

• - Sing for Hope Pianos created by artists including Naderson Saint Pierre and Linéda Buffa to be placed in public spaces including Les Canaux and 360 Paris Music Factory for anyone and everyone to play and enjoy. 

• - Pop-up musical performances offered free of charge and open to all, centering under-represented composers and groups. 

Says Sing for Hope Founding Board Member, 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate, and Olympic Laurel Recipient Muhammad Yunus, “I believe we have a responsibility and a built-in urge to use our creativity to help improve the lives of the most vulnerable among us. Sing for Hope does this every day, from healthcare centers to schools to the Sing for Hope Pianos on our city streets. I am inspired by this work and proud to be a part of an organization that uses creative expression to transform lives.” 

Haitian-born Sing for Hope Pianos artist partner Naderson Saint Pierre will be among the artists featured in Paris this summer. Saint Pierre’s Sing for Hope Piano will be available for the public to view and play at 360 Paris Music Factory, 32 Rue Myrha 75018 Paris, France.

 

Parisian Sing for Hope artist partner Linéda Buffa will be highlighted this summer season in her home city. Buffa’s Sing for Hope Piano, available for public play and enjoyment, will be unveiled July 1, 2024 at Les Canaux, 6 Quai de la Seine, 75019 Paris, France, beginning July 1, 2024.

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Upon presenting Professor Yunus with the Olympic Laurel in 2021, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach stated, “Muhammad Yunus is helping to build a new model with minimum impact for the planet and maximum impact for legacy for the people of the host country. We are very thankful for all he is doing for the community.” 

Professor Yunus, who was introduced to the International Olympic Committee in 2016, opened the ESS 2024 (Social and Solidarity Economy program) Strategic Committee meeting stating, “They are more than Games now: in the wake of crises, they have become a symbol.” Together with President Tony Estanguet, SOLIDEO General Director Nicolas Ferrand, and other key leaders, Professor Yunus convened stakeholders of the Games to reassert, now more than ever, the role that the social economy (including arts and culture) plays in organizing the Games. 

“Recent developments in neuroscience back up what we all know in our hearts: art and sport have profound effects on our collective and individual health and well-being. The music we have chosen resonates with these values,” said Monica Yunus, Co-Founder of Sing for Hope. Continued Sing for Hope Co-Founder Camille Zamora, “Sing for Hope is thrilled by the opportunity to join our Founding Board Member Muhammad Yunus and our partners on the ground in Paris this summer. By leveraging the unifying powers of public art and sport, we can help reframe and ultimately transform our cities.”