EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS
CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMMES
INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCES AND CONCERTS
DENIS,originally from Uganda in East Africa, lives and works in Devon, UK. He is founder and director of ABANTU ARTS, which was created to explore, develop and pass on traditional, educational African art forms, using music, dance, poetry, story telling and hand crafts. The company's outstanding reputation has resulted in numerous alliances/collaborations with organizations and institutions throughout the South West of England and the UK.
Denis has been running educative African culture ‘edutainment’ projects for the last 5 years. He has lead already over 150 workshops, through open music projects, performances, youth programs, promotion of new artists, lecture demonstrations, community outreach & creative partnership programs with renowned artists and other performing companies.
ABANTU ARTS is a Devon-based organisation dedicated to the promotion of African music, dance, theatre, and culture, founded in 2004 by Denis Kigongo Victor, an experienced African performer and educator. 'ABANTU' is an African word meaning ‘people’ or ‘humanity’.
MOTTO
- "HERITAGE, MUSIC AND STORIES TO SHARE!"
MISSION
- to paint a positive and celebratory image of the continent of Africa and to help promote community cohesion through dispelling stereotypes
VALUES
- CULTURE
- HERITAGE
- COMMUNITY
- EDUCATION
- ENTERTAINMENT
AIMS
- to promote social inclusion through multifaceted African performing arts activities accessible to all
- to promote community cohesion and understanding of difference
- to share with its audience the beauty and energy that pure traditional African drumming, dance, music and theatre can generate
OBJECTIVES
ABANTU pursues its mission through ongoing workshops, performances, youth programs, tours, lecture demonstrations, community outreach, and creative partnership programs with renowned artists and performing companies.
- EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPSbring African Arts and Music to schools, colleges, universities or youth groups. ABANTU offers various programmes reaching various target groups:
- School Programmes
- Community Programmes
- Special Interest Groups Programmes
- Residencies
Workshops aiming to: encourage respectful listening and responding, provide a safe framework for interaction, foster creativity, flexibility and spontaneity, develop leadership skills, build confidence, highlight importance of team-work, develop respect, friendship and appreciation, unite individuals and communities, improve social and community cohesion, encourage concentration and improve behaviour, foster understanding of cultural diversity and build awareness of racism and bullying.
Workshops are cross-curricular and are linked to literacy, geography, community cohesion, music and dance, PSHE, R.E. and drama. Workshops help to develop skills such as: listening, speaking in a group, writing and researching, playing musical instruments, drawing, movement and coordination and rhythm and devising theatre pieces. They celebrate the beauty and diversity of African life and culture, including music, art, food, African drumming and dance. ABANTU offers following packages:
- African Focus Days
- African Drumming Workshops
- African Dance Workshops
- African Story Telling
- African Crafts and Jewellery Making
- Amadinda Workshops
- Teacher’s Workshops and INSET Days
- INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMMES
ABANTUpromotes trips to Africa for Secondary school, College, and University students, company performers, and community class members. These exchange programs provide an opportunity for these groups to participate in dance and drum workshops, perform for the host organizations, and learn about African culture while exposing the society to aspects of their European lifestyles. More details on REAL AFRICA ADVENTURESwebsites (www.real-africa.co.uk).
- INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCES are run schools, colleges or community with a high level of audience participation. The audiences are involved in clapping, stomping, and playing rhythms, drumming and dancing on stage. Everybody gets a chance to participate in the fun!
- CONCERTS are focused on traditional music, instruments and beats interspersed with modern styles and arrangements. The shows include drumming, dancing, singing and storytelling and introduce traditional instruments such as akogo, endingidi, engalabi, engoma, djembe, adungu, guitars and much more.
CONTACT DETAILS
ABANTU ARTS
Denis Kigongo Victor, Director of Abantu Arts Ltd
35A The Parade, Exmouth, Devon EX8 1RH
Tel.: 01395268639, Mob: 07950448131
Email: web.info@abantuarts.com
Web:
www.abantuarts.com
www.real-africa.co.uk