Educational Projects
at schools

In addition to teaching introductory hands-on workshops in schools, the teachers at the Mugen Taiko Dojo have extensive experience teaching longer courses at a higher level, for those groups who are keen to take taiko a step further and form their own group, and for educational projects leading to a student performance.

New Taiko Groups

We teach and assist in the setting-up of new taiko groups, through teaching master-classes to music teachers, and teaching the students directly at schools.

We can also accommodate groups at the Dojo itself, such as the Komodo Drummers from Falkirk, who have developed into a regularly rehearsing and performing group.

Performances by students

We have taught a wide range of workshops for educational projects leading to a student performance, working closely with local authorities, schools and arts organisations.

Highlights include:

Breeze Festival – Leeds (2004 and 2005)

This project involved working with secondary school students over the course of one week, leading to a performance at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Within the show, each school presented a performance, taught by a huge array of talented artistes from around the country: dance, circus skills, drumming and dancing. The concert culminated with a thunderous taiko performance by the West Leeds High School. The project was such a success it was repeated again in 2005.

“Taiko to Achieve” - Stoke-on-Trent (2004)

A hugely ambitious project working with eight different schools, in the Stoke area over the course of 3 months, culminating in a final performance at the Victoria Halls in Stoke-on-Trent.
Each of the eight groups of youngsters aged 6 – 15, learned a different piece, with each piece following a theme, for example, one school performed “Ninja Daiko” accompanied by Ninja style movements and another school interspersed Japanese children’s games with the taiko drumming.

Garforth College Cultural Evening, Leeds (2003)

Week-long workshops with 7 – 12 year olds culminated in a multi-cultural evening, with performances by an African drum and dance group, Indian musicians and Mugenkyo – with all the students the three groups had taught.

“Amaterasu” – Traquair Fair, Borders and the Maltings Theatre, Berwick-upon-Tweed (2001)

This project was a play based on the ancient Japanese folktale of the sun goddess Amaterasu, performed with a combination of students and professional actors, first at the Traquair Fair and then at the Maltings Theatre. Within the play the students performed taiko pieces and also played Japanese percussion for sound effects. In the weeks leading up to the performance, we taught the Galashiels youth theatre group a taiko drumming piece, a fan dance, and Japanese calligraphy for their banners. We had the great pleasure of working alongside U-Stage theatre group from Japan, who also taught the students many skills and acted in the final play.

“Woods Between the Worlds” – Wiltshire (2000)

Taiko Drumming Project – Sadler’s Wells, London (1997)

Three schools from around the country were involved in this project organised by the Sadler’s Wells education department. Over the course of several weeks, we guided the students in the making of drums from barrels and rubber canvas, provided ideas for costumes and taught a taiko drumming piece which was then performed at the Lillian Baylis Theatre in a student concert, alongside Japanese percussionist Joji Hirota.