Young Roots is a group of about 20 young people, with members currently from different countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the UK. Meetings have been held regularly for 2 years mainly in Oxford and the on-going focus of the group has been traditional African music and how it has and continues to influence modern urban sounds listened to by UK youth. But we are also interested in all aspects of African heritage and all feel it is essential to promote the richness, vibrancy and pertinence that African culture and people have to offer. The group is mainly youth focused but acts as a meeting place for all interested in African heritage.

Young Roots introduction video	Music recording video	Voices - Pitt Rivers horror film

The strong participatory ethos of the project and the creative process of music and video has provided a vehicle for group-building, confidence building and creating and owning a lively group identity. We now feel like a family with strong connections. The "African community" in Oxford is diverse and growing rapidly, this group is helping serves an important purpose by providing a meeting place for young Africans.

PROUD OF AFRICA! ENJOYMENT, TOGETHERNESS, A FAMILY (SAFE), FRIENDSHIP, NEW SKILLS, BE CREATIVE, FILM-MAKING, MOBILE RECORDING, STUDIO OUTINGS, GIGS AND EVENTS - ALL FREE

Below is a summary of key events and training that have come from over 2 years of regular meetings from a group of 20 regular members aged 13 to 21

- A workshop to learn traditional Acapella harmonies originating with the pygmy tribes of Cameroon (with a world class musician from Zap Mama now living in Oxford)

- Educational workshops in schools

- Moses Bikishoni, player of Mbira (thumb piano) from Zimbabwe, who lives in Oxford, has shared his skills and provided musical direction and support to the group on a weekly basis.

- An invitation to document the Africa Festival in Shoreditch, London in 2006, where Young oots membes made a video and went backstage and interviewed many of the artisits.

- A workshop to learn the Zulu Warrior tradition of song and dance from Southern Africa

- Celebrate Africa! A fundraising event on World Aids Day while promoting a positive Africa through live performances by Young Roots, poets, dancers, theatre, and film screenings. £1000 was raised for local charities in Kenya and Tanzania and the event was attended by over 200 local people of which half were of African heritage.

- Young Roots members filmed several African bands participating in the Big Village world music series in Oxford.

- Music workshops with in percussion, dance, voice, kora and mbira - A workshop at the Pitt Rivers Museum on Indonesian percussion

- Visits and filming at the Oxford Pitt Rivers Museum, to investiage the rich African collections (art, sacred objects, body-art, musical instruments...) and learn about the workings of the museum. One of the outcomes of this was the production of a short Horror Film based in the Pitt Rivers Museum!

- Recording a Young Roots album of original hip-hop and R&B songs, released in December 2006. - Live music performances at the Oxford Museum of Modern Art and  The Cellar nightclub - The Young Roots group have learnt skills in multi-media, video production and music recording.

- A double interactive DVD aimed as a peer educational tool was authored by Young Roots

- Video Exchange with an independent youth group in Nairobi, Kenya who taught themselves the tools of participatory video with help from the Insight Handbook, further collaboration is hoped for .... see the film - Maono Cultural Group - Our Story Told by Us

- A music and film screening was held on the opening night of the new Pitt rivers building! A series of Zulu dance performances were also held by the dinosaurs in the Natural History museum with over 1500 people pressent.

- There are plans for more work together .............

Many thanks to Anita, Moses, Ziyenge, Jane, Filly, Sinini, Bheki, Andy, Heritage Lottery Fund, Pitt Rivers Museum, Insight, Africol and many  more...

Learn together, be inspired by Africa, and show others how important and relevant African culture and heritage is in the UK today.