Africa Projects/ Arts & Cultural Weeks/ Celebrations
Our exhilarating African Drumming Experiences offer KS1 to KS4 children all the fun of playing drums together, whilst learning about other cultures, building musical awareness and improving communication and social skills, coordination, teamwork and confidence.
A highly creative way of fulfilling key aspects of the National Curriculum:
‘READY STEADY DRUM!’ is a highly accessible programme of creative drumming activities for Early Years, bringing the amazing benefits of regular music to your School or Nursery.
Brilliant fun for staff as much as for children … and inexpensive – just colourful washing-up bowls and little drumsticks.
3hr Staff Training – with activities to fill the school year.
‘Ready Steady Drum!’ was created by Sarah Westwood for Birmingham Education Authority, to improve literacy, numeracy and motor skills in Foundation and KS1.
KS1 to KS4
Our African Drumming Experiences for Schools are practical, educational and come with a big ‘wow’ factor!
Children love playing the beautiful instruments and enjoy feeling successful quickly, whilst learning the fundamentals of music-making. Sessions are tailored to each age group, and include:
Whole or half-day sessions and weekly classes.
Up to five classes in a day, or two to three longer classes culminating in a sharing or video performance.
Staff Training
‘Ready Steady Drum!’ engages children in creative rhythm and rhyme activities, building a wide range of foundational skills.
This highly accessible programme gives staff all the skills to lead successful musical activities. Drumming is thrilling for young children – and staff! … making it an ideal activity to support:
‘Ready Steady Drum!’ is offered as a 3-hour training, with optional follow-up sessions available. Includes full written material for on-going inspiration.
Give your staff a big boost next INSET day!
Drumming is always a popular choice and offers valuable benefits:
1 hr to half-day events.
“We look forward to our drumming workshops every year. The children love them. How can such fantastic music be composed in such a short time? Absolutely brilliant!”
“The best external activity brought into school. A thoroughly enjoyable day.”
“The comments from all our staff following your workshop sessions last half term were so positive and all were amazed at how much you were able to get the children to produce after such a relatively short time working with them – it was very impressive, and most importantly the children loved it.”
“Sarah provides weekly African drumming lessons for pupils in Years four, five and six, as well as a pioneering steady beat programme for children in Early Years called Ready Steady Drum! Sarah inspires maximum musical development in those she teaches. Her results are always outstanding.”
“Sarah has been running African drumming workshops at The Arthur Terry School, Sutton Coldfield, for seven years. This is a part of our annual Year 7 multi-cultural week and ties in well with the work students have been doing on pulse and rhythm earlier in the year. Sarah’s workshops are meticulously planned and give students the opportunity to experience a range of drumming styles and techniques. Our students have benefited enormously from Sarah’s workshops and always thoroughly enjoy the experience.”
“It was incredible to see how much the children could do after having only a very short session and fabulous to see the look of excitement and enthusiasm on the children’s faces. Sarah had a lovely manner with the children and we have already booked her for next year.”
“What was especially great was the performance at the end of the day, and several other teachers who watched commented on how much they’d enjoyed it too. It was so lovely to hear all the children drumming, singing and clapping together, when often their singing is rather lack lustre!! We shall definitely be booking for you to come for another session next year!”