Workshops

Stilts Workshop and Performance

Facilitated by Kyle Walcott

21st July – 27th October 2007

Professional stilts walker Kyle Walcott delivered 10 workshops with 20 CSEP students, looking at the history of Jonkonnu, a carnival-like celebration which traces its history back to West Africa.

The festival, which started in the 16 th century, was a chance for enslaved Africans to celebrate Christmas during their 3 days off. They would wear masks and practice their rituals, traditions and folklore, at the same time mimicking how their masters would behave at their balls. Today, Jonkonnu is still part of carnival in the Caribbean and in Britain.

During the workshops the students learned about the history of Jonkonnu before starting to lean how to walk on training stilts. As their confidence grew the stilts were adapted to performing stilts and they learned how to strap the stilts securely and wear protective padding. The students also helped to design their own costumes and performed at Heritage Day during Black History Month

Keywords

• Black Heroes
• Black Inventors

Suggestions

• To teach all this in mainstream schools
• An Annual Heritage Day

Comments

• Discuss the black presence in London since the 1940’s
• Bigger & larger venue next time

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