Who We Are
"The best thing for me is the way Drummed Up has improved the lives of so many people."
Mark Barfoot, Drummed Up teacher
Drummed Up is a West African drumming group based in Newcastle upon Tyne in the north east of England.
The group has been active since 2002 and, over the years, more than 300 people from across the north east have joined in to create exciting and dynamic West African rhythms.
We rehearse on the Sixth Floor of Commercial Union House, 39 Pilgrim Street in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, on Thursday evenings from 6.30pm to 8.30pm (and often until 9.30pm) and we regularly perform in and around Newcastle. We constantly welcome new members from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities and are very much a community drumming group as well as a performance group.
You don't need to be a musician or to already play any kind of instrument to join in with us - and you don't need your own drum either, as we have plenty of spare ones to go around. Beginners are always welcome at our practice sessions.
In addition to performances, the group serves a hugely valuable role in many members' lives. Drummed Up is an opportunity to meet new people, be creative musically, build self-confidence and self-esteem and become a member of a thriving community. We organise residential trips for members once or twice per year and have travelled to Alnmouth, the Lake District, the North Pennines, the Cheviot Hills, Somerset and Glenisla in Scotland. These are opportunities for people to get to know each other better and develop friendships.
Drummed Up are and always have been an open and inclusive group always looking for fresh ways to improve the lives of members and those in the wider community, as well as maintaining good performance standards and carrying a sense of fun and excitement wherever we go! Thanks are due to all those who have contributed their time, skills and resources to the group over the years - teaching the sessions, volunteering for the management committee, organising weekends away, transporting drums and people around, booking gigs, helping with refreshments and administrative duties, and to everyone who is committed to seeing the group continue to succeed in the future. WELL DONE!
