Global Patchwork

About Us

Global Patchwork is a voluntary, not-for-profit, community organisation which focuses on creative and cultural education and survival. We are a group of professional, involving dancers, visual artists and musicians with training and background in various areas of work related to Permaculture, Grassroots, Alternative Technologies/Sustainability and Alternative Complimentary Therapies.

The organisation works with different community groups, dealing with various issues which with the help of Grassroots, Alternative Technologies, Complimentary Therapies and Creativity, especially within the Creative Arts, can help to improve these issues and prevent further ones from arising. Through these ways of working, Global Patchwork aims to relieve pressure and struggle from areas of poverty.

Within our network we have three continental locations that we have connections with and are working from; these are the UK and Europe, Senegal (Africa), and Brazil. Our drumming workshop leaders are drum masters from the Griot family in Senegal who use the intricate African language of Wolof to transform into drum rhythms while providing participants the chances to learn the language and create their own music. Our dance workshop leaders use West African and European dance styles and techniques. Global Patchwork provides creative arts workshops for schools, colleges and community settings. These can be one-off workshops, long-term or ongoing projects. Our philosophy towards the creative arts is that creativity is another form of intelligence, a universal way of communicating and knowing, a way of tuning in to an unlimited source of knowledge. This creative process is profoundly transformative and ultimately healing, therefore people deserve the opportunity to be able to engage in such a process.

Global Patchwork's artists provide live performances and gigs, working at various events such as festivals and fundraising events, and we use CD sales and exhibitions to help financially support some of our projects in the UK and Senegal. We have a sound engineer and camera crew who do live recording of the music and dance work. Global Patchwork performances involve live music and dancers, at times mixed with poetry and spoken word, with an eclectic fusion of different cultural styles and influences ranging from contemporary, African, European, Brazilian and Indian.

We aim to have a task force that is able to travel and visit any area or country where our projects are required and our performances can happen, making cultural exchanges possible. Global Patchwork has a prototype farm in Senegal (Africa) where we have our Grassroots program already in place with on-going, short and long term projects.

We hope to educate people about different cultures and global issues, as well as providing opportunities for people to become empowered, while accepting and embracing diversity and difference.

Our future projection involves purchasing a building to have a percussion and dance school of excellence, for seminars, performances and workshops. As well as developing and improving the farm in Senegal and making cultural exchange possible.

The organisation provides opportunities, through their projects, of which present and future generations can gain awareness about oneself, their surroundings and cultural heritage, and the world in which they live in. The main way this is achieved is by engaging people in creative arts activities. Through mixing various contemporary dance styles, music and drumming, art, physical theatre and drama, creative workshops and performances we provide people with the opportunities to be involved in a process of experimentation and exploration to gain knowledge of ones own, as well as others, culture and heritage, through arts which incorporates history and cultural expression.

Another way Global Patchwork works to fulfil our aims is through other areas of Permaculture, Grassroots and Alternative Technologies and Therapies - ways which are proven to be a success in helping towards saving and sustaining life. These ways of working and living are economical, sustainable, scientific in nature, educational and empowering. Therefore, our methods provide a richer, more holistic and complete process and product.

These areas enable us to use and pass on ancient knowledge and traditions which we believe are inherently valuable and important to 'keep alive'. Our organisation provides a service by which people can sell traditional crafts through fair trade.

At the heart of Global Patchwork's attitude is that we all have a social and environmental responsibility. Therefore, the project works towards preventing poverty, identity issues, low self-esteem, inequality, isolation, disempowerment, and works towards empowering individuals. Our aim is to facilitate constructive, beneficial change, and sustainable improvement within life, working towards a brighter future.