Kaira Kafo - Future Leaders Programme

Thanks to a long-standing partnership with the Performing Arts Department at Bilborough College, over the years, we’ve been able to include our artists and projects within the department’s curriculum. This year, we worked with Year 13 students to introduce them to a new genre of dance.

Led by Gambian Dance Practitioner and choreographer, Jokeh Silah, our team were able to lead a series of immersive dance workshops exploring aspects of West African dance. We also introduced students to the concept of linking dance steps and sequences to live West African percussion . Students learnt traditional dances to the sounds of djembe, dundun and kora. Songs in languages from The gambia were also introduced, in Mandinka, Wolof and Fula. It was great to see students taking such interest in a new experience and transferring skills.

We’ll look forward to including more students in our future projects. We wish this cohort of fantastic creatives every success in their further studies at universities across the UK and internationally!

Thanks to Arts Council England for supporting our project in Nottingham, Kaira Kafo.