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Drumming up Youth
Rockingham Youth Services teamed up with Cooloongup Primary School to offer ‘at risk’ young people, an opportunity to participate in an exciting initiative delivered as part of their learning program.
Drumbeat, originally designed by Holyoake, uses drumming as a way to open up discussions about social issues with young people. The idea to run the program was first floated in response to an identified need for early youth intervention strategies in particular areas in Rockingham.
Intrigued by the success a local high school was having in connecting with young people through an African drumming program, Youth Worker Arbie Pattiselanno suggested piloting the Drumbeat Program at Cooloongup School as an alternative way of encouraging “at risk” young people to relate.
“Through the work we do with young people, we identified that young people often resisted the option of formal counselling in addressing their issues.”
With a personal interest in drumming, Arbie understood the resonance a music based program could offer in building self esteem. He committed to his own professional development by undertaking the Drumbeat training program.
“African drumming is exciting, it is physical, expressive and a cool way of breaking down barriers and having a chat to young people about stuff that is affecting them”.
Arbie identified the benefits to be realised through participation in Drumbeat. These included increasing co-operation and self-esteem; recognising and understanding emotions; as well as developing respect, relationships, and self-expression through exposure to positive role modelling.
With a demonstrated need, a project plan identifying outcomes endorsed by the community, the Station Youth Centre received support from the City of Rockingham to cover the cost of running a Drumbeat pilot at Cooloongup Primary during the school term. This support did not include the cost of purchasing the equipment to run the program, which prompted the Youth Centre, to look for other players.
The Station Youth Centre was successful in attracting the interest of the near-by Town of Kwinana. Together the two neighbouring local government authorities of Rockingham and Kwinana drafted a Memorandum of Understanding to ensure any drums that were purchased for the pilot would be accessible to other community groups within the region for similar community development initiatives.
On the strength of the identified need, strategy and breadth of the initiative, the Youth Centre was successful in receiving a Lotterywest grant of $6,870 for purchasing a set of djembe drums to be utilised by the broader community.
“It was an exhilarating experience for me as a facilitator to bring 10 kids together with different backgrounds and home lives and see them excel and come together for a graduation performance in front of their peers. We made some real connections with these kids.”
With the pilot complete, the Youth Centre has already fielded several enquiries from other schools wishing to run the program and is looking at ways to sustain the project financially. Eager to establish a network of Drumbeat facilitators in the area Arbie advises anyone embarking on a similar project.
“Plan your project well and have a back up. I was unwell during week 3 and had to cancel the session with the group - they were so disappointed!”