Big Samba a CPD and Performance Event from Music Connect led by ArtForms. 

On Friday 10th July, Music Connect led by ArtForms will host our 11h annual Big Samba event for upper key stage 2 children at Pudsey Civic Hall.  This event is partially funded by ArtForms as part of the West Yorkshire Music Hub.  There will now be a charge of £2 per child to take part. 

Teachers from participating schools will attend a twilight Samba workshop at Pudsey Civic Hall on Monday 27th April – 4:00-5:30.  For the first time this session will be led by ArtForms staff featuring Will Fletcher and Jim Gaylard from the Percussion team alongside Sam Mercer and Claire Rivers who lead Music Connect.  They will teach teachers how to use the instruments and how to play and compose Samba grooves.  At this session staff also collect the Samba Kits, provided by ArtForms specifically for the project, to take back to their schools.   

For those of you who don’t know, Samba is a form of Music for untuned percussion that originates from Brazil.  Like Brazilian football, Samba Music has a degree of flare and joy that encourages movement and dance, particularly when you are playing it.   

The project is a wonderful way of encouraging and inspiring class teachers, to learn new skills and teach a completely new style of Music.  The grooves that staff learn at Pudsey start at a basic level but progress to a good level of challenge for both staff and the children who they will be teaching.  This is brilliantly supported by a full set of YouTube videos produced by our partners, Louder Than Life, with each part clearly broken down, so that staff can use them for reference or to support their teaching.   

Our evaluations show that 100% of the staff who took part have developed new Music teaching skills and feel that their confidence to teach Music has improved as a result of this project.  When asked went well here’s what they had to say –   

‘They loved it! Best event ever was pupil voice.’  Caroline Pattenden – Alwoodley Primary 

 ‘The children were buzzing when they returned to school and school leaders invited them to perform in an impromtu assembly!’  Marion Barnes – Shakespeare Primary 

 Youtube videos really helpful – such high quality. Not onerous. We have high level of SEN (over 50%) and it all still felt really accessible and inclusive. Friendly atmosphere etc.  Sarah Triner – Bankside Primary