The Teachers’ Resource Centre resounded with the beat of seventeen drums for three consecutive days. From Monday, November 11 to Wednesday, November 13, school Guidance Counselors, Education Welfare Officers, Substance Misuse Counsellor/Therapist, personnel from Probation and H.M.Prison as well as other education personnel participated in a “DRUMBEAT” Facilitator Training Program.
The award-winning program, which was created ten years ago by Mr. Simon Faulkner of the Holyoake Institute in Australia, aims at connecting persons who are at risk of social isolation from the community by increasing their social skills and feelings of self-worth.
Mr. Faulkner, who was the main facilitator, travelled from Australia to Anguilla to deliver the program. The training was co-facilitated by Teacher Judy Guthrie, Music Facilitator for the Education Department. Mr. Faulkner explained how hand drumming is used in ten one-hour sessions, to promote a guided dialogue – hence “DRUMBEAT – Discovering Relationships Using Music, Beliefs, Emotions, Attitudes and Thoughts”. While learning specific rhythms, the trainees experienced how the program combines the benefits of the group drumming process with cognitive behavioural therapy so that young people can transfer the lessons from the drum circle to their everyday lives. Analogies are used to create awareness of the links between the social skills developed as part of the music group and those required to form healthy and supportive relationships with others. In the program young people also look at social issues such as peer pressure, bullying, dealing with emotions, tolerating diversity, identity, and social responsibility.
In a few weeks, 144 Djembe drums from Ghana will be arriving in Anguilla and will be used in several institutions so that the program can be implemented. The training and the purchase of the drums was made possible through the generosity of the Anguilla Community Foundation, and private Canadian donors Susan and Mac Van Wielingen, Calgary Alberta and Susan Hess, Toronto Ontario. The Education Department is very grateful to Teacher Judy Guthrie who co-ordinated Mr. Faulkner’s services and spearheaded the fundraising in order to bring this valuable program to our island’s youth. The Department is convinced that the program will have a significant impact on the target groups.
Mr. Faulkner thanks the Education Department for its recognition of DRUMBEAT as a way to make a difference in the lives of people especially the youth, and to the trainees for their enthusiastic involvement.
– Contributed
(Published without editng by The Anguiillian newspaper.)
