In addition to our free weekly samba drumming workshops, we deliver bespoke team building and positive diversionary activities workshops to groups and organisations across the private, statutory and voluntary sectors.

Workshops can either be one-offs or a series depending on the aims, objectives and the budget. Our tailored, interactive team building programmes and activities demonstrate and profile what an effective team can achieve at both intellectual and emotional levels. It is an enjoyable, dynamic and inclusive way of working towards a common goal using the medium of music as a vehicle to promote effective communication, foster greater understanding and enable joined up thinking. 

Our team building activities tend to be single, half-day sessions with already existing teams to promote a sense of unity and togetherness or as part of a strategy to troubleshoot organisational challenges. We have also delivered programmes of team building sessions with newly formed groups to dovetail with their growth and development and emerging identity.

Our programmes or series of workshops are most popular with newly formed groups as a means of establishing group cohesion and unity. Examples include diversionary activities for groups young people to complement awareness raising initiatives around issues such as mental wellbeing, substance misuse awareness and sexual health. We also work with specific and often marginalised groups of people such as care leavers, asylum seekers and refugees and the elderly to promote inclusion and a positive sense of self, identify and belonging. As Carnival is one of the traditional settings for popular samba there is also scope to broaden any activity we deliver to include singing, dance and costume design.

Aim

To use drumming as a vehicle to promote team building, social cohesion and community wellbeing.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

• Learn the rudiments of various samba rhythms
• Work together towards a common goal and experience the energy of collective achievement 
• Gain insight into team dynamics and the behaviours that contribute towards making an effective team.

The workshops are for 8 – 20 people. They are both dynamic and participative, promoting a safe and stress-free training experience and designed to challenge and encourage participants to interact with one another to a common goal. They will learn and develop new and existing practical skills, competencies and experiences that are transferable to facets of everyday life.

Each drum has its own specific musical patterns -role and responsibility- within the ensemble. The combination of these patterns constitutes a powerful and intoxicating rhythm. The music will provide a source of enjoyment and means of expression for the participants. 

Time is also allocated to evaluate the learning and explore how it can be put to effective use in the context of the participants’ environment to enhance their performance and effectiveness. This activity is designed to be accessible for all abilities and is fully inclusive.

Costs vary according to the proposed numbers of participants and duration of the programme. 

If you do not have a suitable venue we will source one.

For further information and bookings please contact…..

Facilitator: Steve Henfrey – Gentleness is Invincible

Steve is a solution focused practitioner with over 30 years’ experience of working in frontline services as a youth worker, educator and counsellor. He is a well-respected and highly skilled facilitator and coach with extensive experience providing clients with learner-centred training and consultancy services.  He works with organisations to build customer focus, train and develop people and facilitate a positive culture. He has led diverse teams of professionals in training and learning design interventions, and facilitated training programmes in partnership with broad-ranging groups of stakeholders. Steve is committed to providing clients with an opportunity to learn, develop skills and achieve their full potential. 

Steve has lived and worked in Brazil and has a good knowledge of the history and evolution of samba music. He is also a founder member of the samba band the London Afro Bloc.

Steve is a member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP).

Clients include

• APE Media
• 15billion
• Chrysalis Care
• College of North West London
• Corelli College
• London boroughs of Bexley, Croydon, Greenwich, Lambeth, Newham, Kensington and Chelsea, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth
• Greenwich PCT
• Lewisham Youth AID
• NCY Trust
• Osmani Trust
• Peabody
• UK Association of Solution Focused Practitioners (UKASFP)
• YMCA George Williams College

Feedback includes

The feedback from the team and our board members was extremely positive, with all of them saying they would really like to take part in another workshop if the opportunity arose. Here are a few quotes: 

• The workshop has helped me to realise I can be a support to others
• It helped me to identify what being synchronized as a team looks and sounds like
• I enjoyed everyone working as a team to produce a fantastic sound and then realising this was produced because it was made up of everyone doing their bit

The workshop really helped to set the scene for our team building day and helped us to achieve our main aim which was for both staff and board members to gain an understanding of how their individual and collective roles help towards the continued growth and success of our company. 

Your facilitation enabled all participants to have a practical and hands on experience of what it means to work as a team, to gain an understanding of how important they are as an individual in ensuring the team is both harmonious and focused. 

96% of all attendees said the session was very good in delivery & meeting their expectations. Their comments included: 

• Brilliant workshop thoroughly enjoyed the experience
• Excellent teaching and enjoyed the relaxation and learning
• Brilliant session we should have this every week
• Absolutely brilliant fun session really enjoyed it