Half Term with Eugene Skeef

We had the delight and privilege to welcome the legendary education-focused musician, poet, and composer Eugene Skeef to work with and join our community. It was a week full of drumming, singing, trust development, improvisation, poetry, and above all, love. Thank you, Eugene!

Half term might be a much needed break for some, but for our young people it can be an overwhelmingly lonely and triggering time. That’s why we take each half term as an opportunity to engage with new creation partners, from local Croydon artists to large national organisations.

As Eugene said himself:

“COME TOGETHER ALL ABOARD THE FREEDOM TRAIN.”

It is profoundly inspirational to have to be reminded by young vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers from parts of the world immersed in conflict about the value of family, community, love, peace, trust, respect, hope, faith, courage and focus.

I have just emerged from a week of leading creative workshops on the theme of Freedom Train with participants of Play For Progress at the Refugee Council in Croydon, London. Thanks to Alyson Frazier for inviting me. Immeasurable thanks to my long-time sister Marcina Arnold for her creative companionship blessed throughout with her phenomenal singing, guitaring, dancing and her inspiring spiritual presence. Thanks to Anna McDonald for her astute guidance and permission to ensure that our time together was always tuned to LOVE. Thanks to our super talented fellow musicians Alice Williamson and Simon Roth for their selfless giving to the highest degree.

My greatest gratitude is to the young participants whose generosity of being was the key ingredient in the whole UBUNTU experience. I can’t wait for the next time…