Drumroots have a special interest in sharing knowledge and skill with diverse communities, using the power of the drum to bring people together, improving quality of life, confidence, well being and a strong sense of belonging.  Our long-term aim is to work in partnership within theraputic communities where music serves as a dynamic catalyst for facilitating positive life changes.

Royal Northern College of Music
The Drumroots Djembe Project offered staff and students the opportunity to experience the traditional rhythms of West Africa over 8 weeks, culminating with a final performance on Thursday 13 November at RNCM (see performance page for details). Thank you to the RNCM for their support and to all the staff and student drummers who made the project inspiring! We hope to continue the success of the project into 2009, working with the RNCM to develop new approaches to music.

Groundwork Cheshire (Youth Arts)
Drumroots were selected to support a new youth arts project for 2008/09. The process aims to build confidence, reduce anti-social behaviour and enable young people to play a full and active part in society by engaging them in the place where they live. More details to follow shortly.

Wythenshawe Drumming Group for Older People
Our longest running project with participants aged 50 to 92 years. The group have a great spirit and are becoming skilled performers. Each players confidence has grown since playing their first public performance and they continue to go from strength to strength.  This group is an inspiration to us!

International Women's Week
Hosting women's drumcircles to bring women of diverse faiths, cultures and backgrounds in Manchester together in a celebration of unity.  Supported by Manchester City Council, The Pankhurst Centre and the Lesbian Community Project. Check the women's page for more details of drumcircles in March 2009.

Victoria Park Service Users Drumming Group
In September 2006, Drumroots established a 10 month 'drumming for well being' project with staff and service users at the Victoria Park Day Centre in Manchester. Victoria Park provides a range of activities for adults with mental health issues, including Tai Chi, local walks and pool competitions!  With the support of an Awards for All grant, West African drumming has proved a lively addition to the programme. Each 45 minutes session focused on traditional rhythms, with warm-up exercises to get the players started.  Sessions develop not only drumming technique, but build participants' confidence and a range of skills. The Victoria Park drummers also created their own music on the instrument of their choice (djembe or dunduns).

Leeds School Summer Project
During June 2006 Drumroots worked with teachers at South Leeds High School to deliver a unique and innovative project that would bring pupils together during a difficult transitionary time for the school.  Two sites, with two separate groups of pupils, were soon to be taught in one building.  With serious concerns about future relations between pupils, Drumroots were called in to help find the perfect solution.  Throughout the project, pupils met each week for 2 hour sessions.  Many opted for African drumming workshops, which explored the history of the drums, playing technique and served as rehearsals for a performance featuring traditional rhythms.  Others chose to sweat it out in Sen's African dance class!  The power of the drum and the dance worked to help overcome rivalry and crossed boundaries of age, gender and ethnicity, as pupils worked in unity. The final show involved not just West African drumming and dance, but a spectrum of drama and musical performances, as well as a fashion show. The show involved hundreds of pupils and took place at both sites on the same night, with coaches ferrying children, teachers and Drum Roots from one stage to the next! The drummers and dancers hard work paid off, their performance brought the stage alive. Pupils proved to their teachers that the next term would definitely have an inspired start in the new building. "The pupils learnt about music from another culture and created an exciting end performance which went amazingly well on the night...The facilitators were very friendly, I liked them! They were good teachers and made it fun as well."

New Projects for 2009
We are always looking to develop our links with local and regional organisations who support diverse communities, young and older people, women, individuals with addictions and people with mental health issues to create innovative community music projects. If you have a project idea, please contact Joanna on 07762 098393 or jo@drumroots.org.uk


Drum Roots is supported by:

RNCM
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE of Music