Last weekend, in Moscow, there was a unique charity concert SHOW DREAMS, prepared by Tony Watkins and the crew of Diema’s Dream Fund supporters. In the stylish and excellently technically equipped hall of the Zolotoe Koltzo National Song Theatre, the audience saw a unmatchable show that had been prepared to a highly professional standard. The goal of the event was to draw attention to the problems of children with special needs living in orphanages or residential care facilities.
Tony Watkins who is a member of supervisory board, leader of the Tony&Smokebreakers band and General Director of Electronic Arts has been the central figure and show runner of the DREAMS show. It was he who created the outstanding emotional content of the show, including fiery Irish melodies, hard rock’n’roll riffs and sad yet lyrical vocals sung by the talented singer Elena Beletzkaya. Tony took the part of the compere, introducing the actors, and as a soloist performing popular hits by Elvis, Harry Moore and Leonard Cohen.
The concert took place on the Eve of St Patrick’s Day, which is why the audience were surprised by the precisely structured dances by the Irish IRIDAN band. The performance of the famous song Zombie by The Cranberries, together with the entire audience in the hall, was the culmination of the concert. Elena and Tony were encored many times.
Yet it was really the children who were the central figures of the show, both on stage and in the hall. The audience included children from the Kimovsk Orphanage and from the Moscow psycho-neurological boarding schools which are under our fund’s care. The children liked Tony very much and he was supported by their applause. They also liked the children’s choir from the INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF MOSCOW. After the concert, all the musicians, performers and dancers were presented with flowers.
Tony Watkins, sponsor of the Diema’s Dream Fund and General Director of Electronic Arts quoted: “Charity doesn’t need any reason. For those who have the possibility, it’s a duty. To my mind, this is a simple and natural thing. All collections will be sent to the Diema’s Dream Fund. Sometimes, people would eager to help but don’t know how. I would be happy if the concert were to motivate them”.
The Diema’s Dream Fund thanks the Board of the Zolotoe Koltzo Theatre, 101XP, Coca Cola Hellenic, Renault Russia, UFG Private Equity Limited and Electronic Arts and gives personal thanks to Tony Watkins, partners and sponsors of the Fund. Thanks to you, we can improve the lives of children with special developmental needs!
For eleven years, Diema’s Dream Fund has helped bed-bound orphans and physically challenged children, orphanages for backward children, boarding schools alumni and has paid for operations as well as treatment for physically challenged children. Since the Fund’s inception, more than 5000 orphans from twenty eight orphanages and boarding schools have received the support they needed.