Akademi - Creative Learning Opportunities in London through the European Social Fund

Akademi is celebrating the success of the first in a run of projects that engage young people in creative learning performance programmes. Twenty two girls took part in a series of workshops at the Patidar Samaj Community Centre in Brent, allowing them to develop their dance and vocal practice and life skills and to achieve their Bronze Arts Awards. They also worked with choreographer Gauri Sharma Tripathi and UK beatbox champion Shlomo to create ‘Urban Vani’ – Urban Voice. This piece combined Kathak vocals with beatbox techniques to create an entirely new form of musical performance that was shown at the Southbank Centre on 28th March, 2009. Currently a dance and fashion design project is working with young people from Copland School in Brent, and will culminate in a Bollywood performance at Brent’s Respect festival on July 5th, 2009.

The projects are funded by London Central Learning and Skills Council’s European Social Fund programme and aim to engage 14-19 year olds at risk of NEET in the boroughs of Brent, Hammersmith and Fulham, Camden and Islington.

The ESF ReAct programmes are flexible and typically happen outside school hours and can really contribute to helping young people stay in learning and progress to more education, employment or training. Akademi provides specialist Arts Advisers to guide young people to project and opportunities during the programme that will help inspire them to develop their interests in the arts industry.

There are plans to create a Bollywood soundtrack and a short film for subsequent projects as well as performance platforms; and insights into working in the creative industries in London.

If you have a group who you think could benefit from participating in a project and want to know more please contact Kath Veitch on 0207 691 3210 or kath@akademi.co.uk (or visit www.akademi.co.uk ) More »