Projects
PAST PROGRAMMES
WORKSHOPS / RESIDENCIES
The company’s Educational programme has been very successful in giving schools and colleges the opportunity to work with the company’s experience artists and this has seen Osagyefo visit the following Counties:Isle of Wight, Suffolk, Norfolk, Kent, Essex, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Sussex, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Wiltshire, Durham, Hampshire, etc. Other institutions to have benefited from Osagyefo’s workshops include, Immigration Detention Centres, Prisons and Young Offenders Institute around the country.
PERFORMANCES
Osagyefo has been taking part in Festivals, Carnivals and other functions all over the country. Among these occasions are; Luton Carnival, Essex Carnival, Isle of Wight Carnival / Festival, Milton Keynes Festival, Bedford River Festival, Cambridge Festival, World Music Stage and many more over the years.
PRODUCTIONS
Osagyefo has in the past, successfully toured with 2 productions ie; ‘VERDICT OF THE COBRA’ and ‘THE ETERNAL IDOL’ at theatres in Norwich, Luton Library Theatre, The Hat Factory in Luton and the Stantonbury Campus Theatre in Milton Keynes.
ON-GOING PROJECTS
The company received a grant from the Luton Borough Council last September, to run series of drumming workshops in schools in Luton North and West and that is about to finish. Harpur Trust in Bedford gave Osagyefo money to run drumming workshops in 3 Special Needs’ schools in Bedford and that has just been completed. Another grant was received from Bedford & Luton Community Foundation to support our workshops in selected schools in Luton.
FUTURE PROJECTS
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS / RESIDENCIES (TOURING)
Osagyefo will be seeking funding from Arts Council, to run series of one-day sessions in visual art, drumming & dance in schools in Bedfordshire and Hertfordashire, which would be used as taster sessions for a future project, between September and November 2019. To give schools in Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk the opportunity to experience Osagyefo’s projects, the company will be looking for funding to run week-long residencies in over 40 High, Primary & Special Needs’ schools next year (2020). The company is in discussions with The Luton Music Hub and the UK Centre for Carnival Arts, to collaborate and host the 1st African Arts Festival for schools in Luton next year (2020), to celebrate our rich cultural heritage. Osagyefo will be applying for funding from Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council and other funders to tour its educational projects in schools and the communities in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire in the coming year. We will be looking for funding to explore how to launch Osagyefo’s Participatory Arts in Education projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which will run from September 2021.
COMMUNITY & OTHERS
We will be hoping to start community projects to help both young people and adults use African drumming and dancing to keep themselves fit and create activities for families to enjoy during after-school hours. The company will be hoping to work in collaboration with the Luton Culture to set up various activities within Community Centres in Luton, for families to participate and have fun, at the weekends.
HEALTH & FITNESS (WEIGHT LOSS THROUGH AFROROBICS)
Osagyefo is proposing to run dance classes for the community at the weekends which will enable the participants to use as a way to reduce their weight and maintain their bodies in shape. Using African drumming & dance to run these classes, will encourage participants to enjoy the sessions the more, as it’s fun. We have also been working with Mental Health Hospitals, to help run drumming sessions for their patients, as our sessions help to relax them and give them something to have fun with.
CUSTODIAL SERVICES
Osagyefo is looking for funding to run African drumming & dancing projects in Young offenders institutions, Prisons and Immigration Detention Centres all over the country. We will therefore be happy to welcome any funder that is willing to support these projects to take place and give people in these confinements, something to help them release stress and enable them learn creative skills.