Rehearsals at the primary schools

Through SNS specialist schools status we have extended our work that began with AfroReggae workshops in 2006 to a much larger community based project working with five nominated primary schools. Working with our creative partner, TARU and using their “Scrap Kingdom Party“ banner to deliver workshops to 300 children, the project will result in the children forming the main part of a procession taking place in Clissold Park during StokeFest on Sunday 8 June.

Over a number of weeks TARU went into five of our local primary schools to run assemblies and workshops on Brazilian percussion, dance and costume making using recycled materials.

The artists worked with whole classes ranging from as young as one Year 2 (7/8 year olds) class in Betty Layward through to Year 5s (9/10 year olds) teaching them Brazilian rhythyms and moves and showing them how to make their own costumes.

But, this is carnival and all of that wasn't enough. In addition to working together as a team to perform as a band or to dance as a group the children had to come together to design their own "gang leader", a giant puppet to be carried at the carnival, something that could be pure imagination or factual and would be the uniting element for them all.

Participating schools are: Betty Layward, Grasmere, Grazebrook, Sir Thomas Abney, William Patten. The theme of recycling links to work currently developed through primary liaison work with the Stoke Newington School art department.