PVD World Music

What PVD World Music does

PVD World Music Institute is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 by Chance Boas Kinyange and based in Providence, Rhode Island. It produces African and world-music concerts, an annual African Film and Art Festival, Inanga-focused exhibitions, and Kora and Inanga workshops. Its core audience is Rhode Island’s African refugees and immigrants, especially Burundian communities, along with the general public and African diaspora youth.

Program access and revenue span free concerts with donations encouraged, sliding-scale film tickets of $10–$25, a $200 five-session Kora workshop, and a $35 branded T-shirt. The stated revenue streams are donations and contributions, grants, ticket sales, workshop fees, and merchandise. Distribution is community-led through public parks, cultural venues, universities, libraries, social media, and email. The available technical evidence does not identify a proprietary platform, app, API, SDK, or integration stack; the disclosed operation is event and community programming rather than a software product.

Name

PVD World Music

Legal name

PVD World Music Institute

Website

https://pvdworldmusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PVD World Music Institute is a volunteer-run Providence nonprofit that produces African and world-music concerts, film festivals, exhibitions, and workshops for Rhode Island’s African refugees, immigrants, diaspora youth, and the broader public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Cultural Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAHAD

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAHAG

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAHAB

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

Keywords

• World music festivals
• African film festival
• Cultural nonprofit events
• Music education workshops
• Cultural heritage preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting cultural preservation efforts. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Event Tickets: Ticket sales for festival events and concerts, with sliding scale pricing to ensure accessibility.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including T-shirts.
4. Workshop Fees: Fees for educational workshops such as the Kora workshop ($200 per person for 5 sessions).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PVD World Music Institute is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces free outdoor world music concerts, an annual five-day African Film and Arts Festival, gallery exhibitions of traditional African instruments, and music workshops to celebrate and preserve African musical heritage for refugees and immigrants in Rhode Island. Its offerings are supported by donations, grants, sponsorships, ticket and workshop fees, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

PVD World Music Institute is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that does not offer a software product or technology platform. Its offerings consist of community programs: free and ticketed live music concerts featuring African and world music artists, the annual African Film and Arts Festival (AFAF) spanning five days with film screenings and live performances, the Finding the Spirit of Inanga gallery exhibition of traditional African musical instruments, Kora and Inanga music workshops, and a small merchandise line (T Shirt). All programs are curated to promote, celebrate, and enrich African musical traditions and arts for refugee and immigrant communities in Rhode Island.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• African Film and Arts Festival (AFAF) Annual five-day African film and arts festival held at multiple venues across Providence, RI, featuring film screenings, live performances, filmmaker Q&As, and cultural programming for African refugees, immigrants, and the Rhode Island public.
• Free Outdoor World Music Concert Series Series of 30+ free outdoor concerts per year at public parks in Providence (e.g., 195 District Park, Biltmore Park, Roger Williams Park) featuring African and world music artists for the general public and African refugee and immigrant community.
• Finding the Spirit of Inanga Gallery Exhibition Gallery exhibition of traditional African musical instruments, with a focus on the Inanga and Great Lakes region heritage, presented at partner venues such as Machines with Magnets, the Haffenreffer Museum, and other cultural spaces.
• Kora Music Workshop Five-session hands-on Kora instrument workshop led by master musician Yacouba Diabate, priced at $200 per person and open to community members interested in West African music.
• Air Tanganyika Music Festival Signature annual music festival celebrating the heritage of the Great Lakes region of Africa and marking the anniversary of Providence World Music programming.
• PVD World Music Branded T-Shirt Branded merchandise T-shirt sold through the PVD World Music online shop at $35 per shirt, supporting the nonprofit's programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ free concerts annually and 4+ African Film and Art Festivals

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rhode Island Council for the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Major funding partner supporting the African Film and Arts Festival and ongoing cultural programs in Providence, RI.
• Rhode Island Council for the HumanitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Supporting cultural and humanities programming for the African Film Festival.
• Providence Department for Arts, Culture and TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Municipal partner supporting outdoor events and cultural programming in Providence.
• Providence Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Hosting film festival screenings at the Donald J. Farish Auditorium.
• 195 District ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Venue partner for outdoor concerts and community events in Providence.
• Social Enterprise GreenhouseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Supporting organizational development and social entrepreneurship.
• Ruth J. Simmons Center for Slavery and Justice at Brown UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic partner providing programming support and sponsorship for African Film Festival.
• Africa Initiative at Watson Institute at Brown UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Brown University program co-sponsoring opening night and festival events.
• Cricket CinemaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Outdoor cinema equipment provider for film festival outdoor screenings.
• The Fleet Library at Rhode Island School of DesignminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic library partner for film festival programming.
• Department of Africana Studies at Brown UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic department providing programming support and filmmaker Q&As.
• Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology at Brown UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborating on Finding the Spirit of Inanga exhibition featuring Steven Sogo's performance.
• Southside Cultural Center of Rhode IslandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Primary venue for African Film Festival closing ceremonies and community events.
• Machines with MagnetscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Gallery venue partner for the Finding the Spirit of Inanga exhibition in Pawtucket, RI.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Symphony Space: New York performing arts center that presents world music, film, and literary programming for diverse communities. Comparable as a multi-program cultural nonprofit presenting world music and film festivals.
• World Music Institute: New York-based nonprofit that presents world music concerts, festivals, and educational programs. Closely comparable as a small nonprofit presenting world/traditional music to diaspora and general audiences, with a similar grants-plus-ticket revenue model.
• Silkroad: Nonprofit arts organization founded by Yo-Yo Ma that produces world music performances and residencies. Directly comparable mission of cross-cultural music presentation and artist development, though at significantly larger scale.
• Cultural Survival: Indigenous and diasporic cultural preservation nonprofit. Comparable as a community-led organization focused on cultural preservation, though broader in scope (global Indigenous peoples) versus PVD's Burundian/African diaspora focus.
• Joe's Pub at The Public: New York live music venue within The Public Theater focused on diverse, global, and emerging artists. Comparable in presenting international and diaspora musicians to engaged community audiences.
• Association for Cultural Equity: Alan Lomax-founded nonprofit that documents and archives global folk and traditional music. Closely comparable in its mission to preserve and disseminate endangered musical traditions from specific cultural communities.
• Afropop Worldwide: Nonprofit media organization dedicated to African and African diaspora music, producing programming and educational content. Comparable in subject-matter focus (African music) and nonprofit educational mission.
• Ashé Cultural Center: New Orleans-based African diasporic cultural center offering performances, exhibitions, and community programming. Comparable as a community-rooted cultural nonprofit advancing African and African diaspora arts for a specific regional community.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage: Federal institution operating the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives. Comparable in cultural-preservation mission and festival programming model, but at much larger institutional scale.
• Carnegie Hall: Major presenting institution running world music, educational, and community programming including partnerships with African and diaspora artists. Comparable in world music presentation and arts-education mission, though vastly larger in scale and resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutu.be/vOmOMJlP0FU?si=m3JAAagMAHjm8CcU
• Facebookfacebook.com/pvdworldmusic
• Instagraminstagram.com/pvdworldmusic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PVD World Music