OUR WORK
Brass for Africa operates in three countries: Uganda, Liberia and Rwanda.
We work in partnership with community-based organisations, and our local team of teachers are
all African and alumni of the programmes themselves.
HOW WE WORK
In partnership with Mango Tree, an African-led curriculum specialist, we have designed a tailored programme that integrates music
education with life-skills training. Working with over 1,000 children and young people twice a week, we deliver lessons, workshops and performance opportunities to over 20 outreach partners.
Our teachers are alumni of the programmes themselves and, being from the same backgrounds as our participants, they are uniquely qualified to understand the difficulties they face. All of our local staff receive a monthly salary with private health-care access as well as personal and professional development support.
MUSIC EDUCATION
The programmes consists of twice-weekly sessions delivered at each location, regular performance opportunities and exchange days where we bring two or more of our musical communities together. The curriculum is composed of brass band training, music theory lessons and local memory tune learning along with integrated life-skills.
LIFE-SKILLS THROUGH MUSIC
We have created a ground-breaking and innovative curriculum whereby we integrate life-skills into each music lesson. We select an attribute each month, and – through the music – train our participants to approach these as transferable skills, which they can call upon to help them with difficult situations and challenges they may face.
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TEACHER TRAINING
The employment of ex-students and young leaders from its programmes to teach new cohorts is key to the sustainability of our model. Our teaching training programme has currently provided employment opportunities to 18 young teachers, all of who are paid a salary and have access to 1:1 musical training sessions alongside professional and personal development workshops every month, including topics such as leadership, teamwork and budgeting.
INSTRUMENT REPAIR WORKSHOP
We have our own instrument repair workshop where training is provided in instrument repair to local young people, equipping them with the technical skills to maintain the instruments used on the charity’s programmes. Technicians trained in these workshops have come through our programmes themselves, and now also provide repair services to several external customers including the Ugandan Military Band.
HOW WE WORK
In partnership with Mango Tree, an African-led curriculum specialist, we have designed a tailored programme that integrates music
education with life-skills training. Working with over 1,000 children and young people twice a week, we deliver lessons, workshops and performance opportunities to over 20 outreach partners.
Our teachers are alumni of the programmes themselves and, being from the same backgrounds as our participants, they are uniquely qualified to understand the difficulties they face. All of our local staff receive a monthly salary with private health-care access as well as personal and professional development support.
MUSIC EDUCATION
The programmes consists of twice-weekly sessions delivered at each location, regular performance opportunities and exchange days where we bring two or more of our musical communities together. The curriculum is composed of brass band training, music theory lessons and local memory tune learning along with integrated life-skills.
LIFE-SKILLS THROUGH MUSIC
We have created a ground-breaking and innovative curriculum whereby we integrate life-skills into each music lesson. We select an attribute each month, and – through the music – train our participants to approach these as transferable skills, which they can call upon to help them with difficult situations and challenges they may face.
READ MORE
TEACHER TRAINING
The employment of ex-students and young leaders from its programmes to teach new cohorts is key to the sustainability of our model. Our teaching training programme has currently provided employment opportunities to 18 young teachers, all of who are paid a salary and have access to 1:1 musical training sessions alongside professional and personal development workshops every month, including topics such as leadership, teamwork and budgeting.
INSTRUMENT REPAIR WORKSHOP
We have our own instrument repair workshop where training is provided in instrument repair to local young people, equipping them with the technical skills to maintain the instruments used on the charity’s programmes. Technicians trained in these workshops have come through our programmes themselves, and now also provide repair services to several external customers including the Ugandan Military Band.
OUR STRATEGIC GOALS
GENDER EQUALITY
Girls, adolescents and young women in the communities we work in still have to go against historical inequalities to make any achievements possible. Our programming focuses on deliberately including and supporting girls, creating a safe space for them to learn and compete equally with their male counterparts.
DISABILITY INCLUSION
Growing up as a disabled child in a society that is not especially sensitive to the challenges of persons with disability can be a dream killer. We use music to ensure that as many children and young people with disability get the opportunity to showcase their potential and demonstrate that all they need is opportunity and not sympathy.
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
We work in and with different communities to bring about positive change, making community empowerment a core value that we believe in. Both natural and manmade issues affect people living in informal settlements in Africa. Empowering communities by developing resilience and leadership can help them recover and rejoin the paths of development again.
WORKFORCE READINESS
Brass for Africa has already been a key contributor the labour market in the arts and especially brass and jazz music in Uganda, Rwanda and Liberia. We are committed to preparing the young people we work with to be ready to take the next challenge in life and prepare for that big exam, that big job interview, develop that business idea or further a cause in their communities.
GENDER EQUALITY
Girls, adolescents and young women in the communities we work in still have to go against historical inequalities to make any achievements possible. Our programming focuses on deliberately including and supporting girls, creating a safe space for them to learn and compete equally with their male counterparts.
DISABILITY INCLUSION
Growing up as a disabled child in a society that is not especially sensitive to the challenges of persons with disability can be a dream killer. We use music to ensure that as many children and young people with disability get the opportunity to showcase their potential and demonstrate that all they need is opportunity and not sympathy.
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
We work in and with different communities to bring about positive change, making community empowerment a core value that we believe in. Both natural and manmade issues affect people living in informal settlements in Africa. Empowering communities by developing resilience and leadership can help them recover and rejoin the paths of development again.
WORKFORCE READINESS
Brass for Africa has already been a key contributor the labour market in the arts and especially brass and jazz music in Uganda, Rwanda and Liberia. We are committed to preparing the young people we work with to be ready to take the next challenge in life and prepare for that big exam, that big job interview, develop that business idea or further a cause in their communities.
