Jubacana

www.jubacana.com

The Bid / The Project:

In August 2013, Juba do Leão secured funding from Arts Council England (Grants For The Arts) to develop a youth percussion and dance group that could be linked to JDL but also become its own independent youth-led group.

A primary motive for setting up this youth branch (which became ‘Jubacana’) was to offer extended experiences and opportunities for both adults in the organisation and young people (aged 13-18) training as performers and workshop leaders, guiding young people in their journey to become young artists and workshop facilitators themselves.

Following weekly workshop training for the adults and young people, Juba do Leão and Jubacana have performed collaboratively at a number of high-profile events in the Northwest including Manchester Day 2014 and RHS Tatton Flower Show as part of a special commission (‘The Great Garden Carnival’) with Cabasa Carnival Arts.

Background and Motivation:

In Brazil, the ‘Maracatu’ tradition survives by being passed down from generation to generation, with younger members of the community being entrusted with the knowledge of the elders. Within this brand new project, Juba do Leão has nurtured this same relationship between its current adult members and a new youth branch to allow the sustainable spread of lesser-known international music and dance forms in the Northwest of England and beyond.

Juba do Leão’s Director Holly Prest began her journey in music with a chance encounter of a percussion band at school at the tender age of 12. By 16, she was delivering her own workshops under the wing of her mentors. Ever since, she has dedicated her life to the study, sharing, and development of percussion music in the UK and abroad, and is driven to offer those same opportunities to inspired young people and adults. With several talented trainees at her side (including Farheen, the project’s 17-year-old Youth Director), Holly has developed the musical and leadership skills of both Juba do Leão and the new youth performance group Jubacana.

Soon, Jubacana will announce its new home in Manchester, as well as a host of gigs and events in 2015.

Visit www.jubacana.com to find out more…