In this International Women’s Day After Hours chat, we speak to Andrea Berbegal, Director of Development at Brass for Africa, and Sumayya, Music and Life-Skills Teacher based in Uganda. Our conversation focussed on the important work Brass for Africa do tackling gender inequality in communities in Uganda, Rwanda and Liberia. Not only educating young people to play brass instruments, but also using the power of music to bridge gender inequality divides, and to empower, inspire and give confidence to women in these communities to follow their dreams. Interviewed and hosted by HP’s Fiona Livingston Links and Resources Brass for Africa is an award-winning charity that delivers music education with integrated life-skills training to over 1,000 disadvantaged children and young people in Uganda, Liberia and Rwanda. Working in partnership with over 20 community-based organisations, our local team of teachers are all African and alumni of the programmes themselves. They teach music, and through an integrated life-skills curriculum, nurture transferable skills such as self-confidence, perseverance, concentration and communication. Music is an incredibly powerful tool to engage and transform and Brass for Africa uses music to champion our four strategic goals of; workplace readiness, community empowerment, disability inclusion and gender equality. We want to equip children, young people and their communities with the skills to fulfil their potential and thrive. From 1 – 31 March, Brass for Africa is launching BreakTheBias Campaign aimed at raising enough to fund one entire year of music and life-skills education for 250 girls in sub-Saharan Africa. Visit the link to find out more about how you can get involved! This is the fifth episode in our spin-off series of short After Hours chats discussing issues relating more broadly to the arts and culture sector. The Culture Bar is a podcast series created by HarrisonParrott focussing on conversations in culture and the arts. Use #theculturebar or follow us on Twitter @_TheCultureBar to keep up with our latest releases. A special thank you to Robert Cochrane as the composer of the theme tune music, and Merlyn Thomas our editor. Photo credit: ©️Geoffroy Schied / MUSIC CONNECTS