Body percussion – Communication via rhythm

The gaps between people in Sweden is growing, where more and more people experience a feeling of alienation. In the outer regions of the cities and even in rural areas, parallel societies are often created where people does not have opportunities to take part in the activities that general society offers, not the least cultural and musical activities. Nowadays methodology to integrate together and achive a greater connection with others, are in high demand. Not excluded to kindergarten and primary school, where teachers and staff require knowhow, but also among the elderly that often are isolated with no access to physical activities.

After a longstanding collaboration with the Instituto Batucar, body percussion institute, based in a suburb to Brasilia, in Brasil, the institute’s methods and associated philosophy for knowledge transfer now is available in Sweden. Through the creative and joyfilled activity body percussion with the generating of claps, stomps, clicks and sounding in motion, a deepend feeling of presence, connection and belonging emerges among the participants.

The activities is performed in an inclusive and allowing environment where neither language, age, gender or disability matters. The goal is to together create music and rhythms that the body itself is able to make it – without “wrongs” or “rights”. Children and youth groups, adults, elderly and even babies and toddlers may via wordless communication take part in and explore music through improvisation – and achieve an elevated connection to themselves and one another. Education staff is given opportunity to learn this methodology through a practical course for use in different school forms.
Skills development via body percussion workshops have been carried out in among others Motala, Lidingö and Örebro and have proven to be very successful.