Steel Drum Workshops
All ages learn to play steel pan in Northolt
We run regular community sessions as a FAMILY (Friendly, Accessible, Multicultural, Inclusive, Local, Young at Heart).
The sessions will include a steelband performance and a workshop where you get to play on your own steel pan. You will learn a piece of music at each session.
The steel pan is a perfect instrument, as the basic skills are easy to learn and playing the instrument does not require any previous musical experience. It is possible for a group with any level of musical experience to accomplish a simple melody within a short period of time.
People of all ages and abilities are welcomed (we recommend children from age 5 plus).
School-O-Rama Festival
MONDAY 17TH JULY 2023
Canon’s House Open Space
Off Madeira Road (closest postcode CR4 4HD)
10AM - 3/4PM
Every summer, many dedicated school bands come together from all over the country to perform and be inspired by watching other groups and getting valuable feedback from industry experts and professional steel pan artists. So far over 30 schools have participated and over 500 pupils attend each year. It is an annual event during the school summer term.
All UK schools are welcomed to attend the event at anytime during the day free of charge.
This event began in 2014 and was named Classorama. It has since developed into a festival that includes performances and workshops and renamed School-O-Rama since 2020.
School-O-Rama Champions
School-O-Rama helps schools to keep connection with our roots, culture, origin and to preserve it. It gives us opportunities to engage in socialisation, entertainment and the establishment of social networks, which can contribute to the enhancement of community cohesion and the building of social capital within the pan community.
Our festival is an upbeat event with lots of live entertainment that relieves us from the monotony of life; something needed more than ever in recent times. On the day of School-O-Rama, the aura changes, positivity all around.
Secondary School
Kingsdale Foundation School
Mr. Kishan Shorter is the pan tutor at Kingsdale Foundation School and also performed as a pupil at School-O-Rama 2014-2017. Our charity is very proud of his accomplishments tutoring Kingsdale Foundation School and maintaining their championship since 2017.
We visit day centres and residential care homes, community groups and charities to bring music to those who can’t easily get out to enjoy live music. These ‘outreach’ performances are popular with all ages – especially as we can play familiar tunes from any era and music genre.
We tour the UK providing public street performances and perform with local musicians to bring joy to communities. Street performances are many of our volunteers' favourite activities. For musicians it’s a great opportunity for crowd interaction, to be an entertainer and identify great songs to sing alongs to uplift people's mood. It is also a pleasure when we visit places in the UK that are unfamiliar with the sound of a steel pan and enjoy our music.
We have visited more than 20 city town centres in places like Chichester, Oxford, Eastbourne, Bournmouth, Cambridge, Winchester, Canterbury and much more.
Our UK tours take place during the summer and in December for the Christmas season performing 'carols on steel,' which is loved by the general public.
Live steel pan music is a great way to add atmosphere so please get in touch to talk about your celebration or community event.
Pan Clash
Soloist Competition
November 2023 (more info coming soon)
This is our national soloist competition since 2007. The best of the best pannists enjoy competing in front of a friendly and appreciative audience. It’s our annual event in November to celebrate Black History Month.
Pan Clash was supported by the British MOBO Awards 2013 – 2017. Winners recieved tickets to the MOBO Awards and the opportunity to perform for many celebrities in the VIP lounge.
The purpose of Pan Clash's is to teach children and young people the power of music to compel attention and to stir emotions that lends to the solo performer an especially fascinating aura. This is the domain of the virtuoso, that musical performing phenomenon of prodigious technical mastery, invention and charisma.
In 2018 and 2019 we formed a collaboration with the British Association of Steelbands to include their ensembles competition Pan Explosion. When we join forces our event is called Pan Clash Explosion!
Winners of Pan Clash receive up to £500 cash prize and many participants become future professional musicians. Most recently Pan Clash champion 2018 Ebow Mensah (young man in the image) has gone on to perform on BBC Radio 1Xtra, Brainchild Festival and the Royal Albert Hall.
Pan Clash Champion over 16's
Marlon Hibbert
