‘CHIME to DRUM’

A Drum4urLife (D4L) Team from North Ayrshire presented a workshop at the recent European Drum Circle Facilitators Guild (DCFG) conference in Madrid. Led by Jeanette Allan of RAMH North Ayrshire Recovery College who shared the story of using a social inclusion model to establish Buddy Beat, Paisley in 2007 with community musician Dr Jane Bentley and how a movement of music making in drum circles has evolved. Now with Community Musician Michelle Connolly Drum4urLife has a weekly attendance of 30+, offers 2 monthly drum circles and in the last year has provided over 50 community workshops and has a team of 15 trained drum circle facilitators.

At the conference Peer Drum Circle Facilitators Jon Stevenson, Kim Taylor and Linda Jamieson also contributed their lived experience of how Connection, Hope, Identity, Meaning and Empowerment has grown through rhythm.

Those gathered for the conference were impressed and moved by the work in Ayrshire and have encouraged D4L to share the model in the wider DCFG community. The team experienced lots of new learning from a breadth of professional Drum Circle Facilitators and have come back to Scotland energised and inspired with fresh ideas to share. Their next booking is to facilitate music making at a Pan Ayrshire Mental Health Conference entitled ‘No Wrong Door’. For further info contact: Jeanette.Allan@ramh.org