Schools

Hands On skin is available for work in schools. Single sessions, half days or days can be arranged. I also offer lunchtime or afterschool drumming clubs. Sessions can be tailored to the needs & abilities of all ages, from nursery level upwards, or adapted for special needs children.

Prices are around £250 per day (includes provision of equipment for groups of up to 50 children). African singing & storytelling sessions for schools as well as percussion workshops are possible. Work with teachers - either before or after sessions, or one to one work with teachers using djembes as part of general musical education (either on traditional rhythms or for tuning & maintaining drums) can also be arranged.

I have done several collaborative projects with Brightons' Cultures Club in schools such as Carlton Hill, Stanford Infants, & others, delivering 'total theatre' workshops and performances. This work consists of workshops in drumming & african dance dance (plus those facilitated by others - for example street dance or flamenco) which are then incorporated into a story, school pantomine or other performance.

A purely musical or dance session can be arranged or one that is mostly stories. I have a variety of objects from West African daily life such as reed brushes, calabashes, rice baskets, charcoal irons etc - which can be shown to children of all ages to form the basis of a discussion session about other cultures. A session on African musical instruments can also be arranged with some of the more unusual ones such as bolon, with pictures of how these are made and opportunities to play some of them.

I offer a tuning & reskinning service for schools. Generally £6 per drum for tuning & £60 per drum for multiple reskins - plus travelling expenses if collecting from a school outside of the Sussex area.