African Drumming & (Gumboot) Dancing

School Workshop

We can visit your school in: South West

Why book 'African Drumming & (Gumboot) Dancing'

FabDrumming offers exciting and fun African Drumming, Dancing and Gumboot Dancing workshops.

African Drumming

The benefits of drumming are many. It improves manual and psychomotor skills, encourages creativity, self-expression & rhythmic coordination. African drum workshops are about percussion and rhythm, listening, discipline, teamwork, building self-confidence and above all, having fun!

African Dancing

Dance is an important part of African culture. The children learn a dance routine, a song and the role dance plays in everyday African life.

Singing and dancing is also good exercise, improving balance, control and coordination. It can reduce stress and improve physical fitness.

Gumboot Dancing

This unique dance style originated in South African gold mines. To communicate they slapped their boots. Outside of the mines this became a dance. It is a combination of body percussion, drumming and dancing and the children love it!

Fab Drumming workshops are a highly creative way of fulfilling key aspects of the National Curriculum. Every workshop is tailored to the specific needs of the school or class and

put together in close cooperation with the school and teachers. The workshops are

suitable for all ages and abilities: pre-school children, KS1-3, children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and teachers (for team building or inset days).

FabDrumming covers South West England.

Teacher Checklist

Risk Assessments

What activities are available during this educational workshop?

Every pupil gets to play her or his own drum during the African Drumming Workshops. The little ones discover different sounds and learn basic music skills. I can add storytelling, singing and dancing to the workshop. As they get older, I go a step further, I’ll teach them djembe drumming techniques and traditional African rhythms. When these rhythmic patterns are combined the result is a fantastic piece of music.

African Dance is an integrated part of African Culture. The children learn a traditional African dance routine and a song. I can bring African costumes and will give them information about the dance and region the dance comes from. It will give them an understanding of traditional life and culture in Africa.

Which Curriculum Subjects do you cater for?

Dance

FabDrumming offers African Dance and South African Gumboot Dancing workshops.
A lot of movements in African dance are sourced from daily life. It's expressive, dynamic and a good way to get fit! During an African Dance workshop, the children learn a traditional African Dance routine and a song.

Gumboot dancing originated in the mines during apartheid in South Africa. The workers made music with the only things available to them: their voices, hands, and rubber gumboots. This dynamic and powerful dance style consists of rhythmic slaps, claps, stomping and singing. It is always a great hit with the children. 'Miss, I like this' was the comment of a boy who initially didn't want to participate.

Music

Playing Musical Instruments Singing

FabDrumming workshops are funky, inclusive, musical fun and suitable for all ages and abilities, absolutely no experience is necessary. Every pupil gets his or her own djembe drum to play.
Children love banging on drums, playing rhythms and making music. It is a great way to blow off steam and is a great team building exercise. Drumming encourages socialization and self-expression. African Drumming can be linked to support areas in the school curriculum and are often used as part of arts weeks, enrichment days, Africa topics, black history month or cultural awareness days.

During a drumming session the little ones discover different sounds and learn basic music skills. I can add storytelling, singing and dancing to the workshop. As they get older I go a step further. Playing simple interlocking parts that soon become musical, the whole sound will be powerful, resonant and much greater than the sum of the parts.
I’ll also encourage the pupils to create their own rhythms, which often leads to a whole new piece of music.
The workshop can lead to a performance at the end of the day where they show what they have learned and created.

SEN

Autistic Spectrum Emotional and Behavioural Disorders General Learning Difficulties Dyslexia Dyscalculia and Dyspraxia Deafness Visual Impairment Physical and Mobility

For vulnerable children and children with physical or learning disabilities, drumming offers an excellent opportunity for self-expression, because it’s all about what they can do instead of than what they can't.
The children all get to play their own instrument and they don’t need prior knowledge of drumming or special musical skills. The workshops are tailored to the needs and abilities of the children, for instance working with stories, doing rhythm and drumming games, music exploration or learning rhythms.
FabDrumming workshops are about giving the children a sense of achievement and making sure they are having fun. This memorable experience will stay with them for the rest of their lives!

Team Building

A drumming workshop is a fun team building activity. You have to work together and listen to each other, otherwise it won't sound good! A drumming workshop can also be used as an ice-breaker, teambuilding exercise or de-stressing session during INSET days. The teachers can use it as a source of inspiration for their own music lessons or gain fresh insights into the benefits of using rhythm in education.

Black History

An African drumming and/or dancing workshop links in perfectly with Black History Month. The children experience Africa through music, rhythm, song and dance. They learn how to play a djembe drum and other African percussion instruments and enjoy a fashion show with African costumes.

By participating in a Gumboot Dancing, workshop the children learn about South Africa, apartheid, Mandela and his fight for a better world.

What size groups do you cater for?

Up to 35 pupils.
Group sizes and timings are flexible and depend on the requirements of the school.

Do you offer access for visitors with disabilities?

Yes, the workshops can be adapted to children with disabilities.

Do you cater for visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?

Yes, the workshops are suitable for all ages and abilities.

Anything else?

We provide all the drums and instruments.
For the Gumboot Dancing workshops the pupils need to bring their own wellies.

Teacher Checklist FabDrumming