Every student
gets a drum.
African drumming incursions that put a djembe in every student's hands. From kindy and early learning through to primary and secondary, our African drummers lead hands-on rhythm workshops tailored to your students.
Why schools book African Beat
Music that every student can join.
Not every incursion gets every student involved — too many ask students to sit and watch. African Beat is different. Students don't just watch — they play. In minutes, the whole class is drumming together.
Check school availabilityEvery student plays
A djembe is placed right in front of every student — they're not an audience, they're the band.
Playing together in minutes
Call-and-response rhythm the whole class picks up fast, guided by our African lead drummer.
Curriculum-aligned & cultural
Authentic African tradition woven into your music, diversity and cultural learning units.
What's included
Everything arrives with us.
Djembe drum incursions for primary and secondary students
Kindy and early-learning rhythm sessions
Curriculum-aligned workshops led by African drummers
Drums provided for every participant on the day
Single sessions, full-day programs and residencies
How a session runs
From drums down to a room playing together.
We arrive with the drums
Drums are provided for every participant on the day. You supply the space — a hall, classroom or oval.
A drum in every hand
A djembe is set down in front of each student. No experience needed, from kindy right through to secondary.
Call and response
Our African lead drummer teaches rhythm the way it has always been taught — by listening and repeating.
The room plays together
Within minutes, the whole class is drumming in unison: active listening, timing and the joy of playing together.
A shared performance
Students finish having played as an ensemble — an uplifting, memorable cultural rhythm celebration.
In action
School-hall drumming workshops
A djembe drum is placed right in front of every student. Guided by our African lead drummer in traditional attire, whole classes learn call-and-response rhythm, active listening, and the communal joy of playing together in unison.
Book a school incursion
Session formats
From a single session to a term-long residency.
Every booking is tailored to your school, year levels and venue. Tell us your dates and group size and we'll design a program — no obligation.
Single incursion session
One hands-on session, from 45 minutes. Perfect for a single class or year group.
Half-day program
Multiple sessions rotating across a morning so several classes each get a turn.
Full-day program
A full day of rotating class sessions — a whole-school cultural incursion in one day.
Term residency
A multi-session program that builds toward a student performance over a term.
Whole-school incursions
School Oval & Outdoor Gatherings
From individual class circles to large outdoor gatherings across the school oval, we scale the performance and drum provision for whole-school community days.
Interactive assemblies
Auditorium & Assembly Incursions
High-energy school assembly performances where every seated row is engaged, clapping, drumming, and sharing an uplifting cultural rhythm celebration.
Cultural celebrations
Multicultural Week & Harmony Day
Celebrate diversity and cultural understanding with authentic African master drummers. Our performers wear vibrant traditional clothing and share authentic cultural stories, drum origins, and rhythmic traditions that align seamlessly with Australian school diversity and cultural learning units.
Programs
For every age
Kindy & early learning
Gentle, playful rhythm sessions for little hands — short, engaging and full of movement.
Primary school
Full-class drumming incursions where every student plays, listens and performs together.
Secondary school
Deeper rhythm work for older students, exploring ensemble playing and African tradition.
Residencies
Multi-session programs that build toward a student performance over a term.
In schools
Real incursions, real classrooms.
Schools by level
Primary school.
Performances suit large groups (we usually recommend up to 250 students per show) and every student gets a turn on the drums.
Schools by level
High school.
Workshops
Drumming & dance workshops.
A hands-on, more in-depth experience than a performance. Drumming workshops are led by a Master Drummer from Africa, with a drum for every student for the whole workshop (max 80 students). Dance workshops cover Traditional African, Afro-Contemporary or Gumboot.
1 workshop · up to 60 minutes
Up to 40 students
$750 + GST within 30 min of the CBD · $800 + GST 30–60 min
1 workshop · up to 90 minutes
Up to 40 students
$950 + GST within 30 min · $1000 + GST 30–60 min
Live drumming for dance
Add to any dance workshop
+$400 + GST per workshop
Over 40 students (60-minute workshop): add $50 + GST per student. Multi-workshop and performance-plus-workshop prices are in the full price list.
Interactive workshops
Hands-on rhythm.
From schools
What teachers say.
“Our students absolutely loved it! The show was authentic, highly entertaining, highly engaging, and highly educational. All students were captivated the entire show! They all had a drum each and relished playing along with the Salaka guests. Our teachers really enjoyed it too! A terrific time was had by all!”
“Year 7 always enjoy their topic on world music... A popular study is the music of Africa, because of its rhythmic vitality and tuneful and memorable songs. To gain hands-on experience Salaka Drumming (Tuza from Ghana) visited St Catherine's. The girls sang, danced and played a djembe drum. Staff were involved as well, much to the glee and delight of the girls. A wonderfully entertaining experience for all.”
African Beat was formerly known as Salaka.
Testimonials
From primary schools.
No experience needed
Drums provided for every participant
Enquire with no obligation
Tailored to your year levels and venue
FAQ
Good to know.
Which cities does African Beat cover?+
African Beat has drummers and drums available in most Australian capital cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra. We are based in Sydney and travel widely. If your location isn't listed, get in touch — we may still be able to help.
Do participants need any drumming experience?+
None at all. Our workshops are designed for complete beginners through to experienced players. We bring the drums, lead the rhythm, and guide everyone to play together within minutes.
Do you provide the drums?+
Yes. We supply djembe drums for every participant at schools, corporate workshops, universities and events. You don't need to provide anything except the space.
How long is a typical workshop or performance?+
Sessions are tailored to your needs. School incursions can run from a single 45-minute session to a full day or multi-session residency. Corporate and event sessions typically run 30–90 minutes. Tell us your timing and we'll design around it.
What group sizes can you accommodate?+
From small leadership teams and individual classrooms to large school assemblies and conference crowds. We scale the number of drummers and drums to suit your group.
How do I get a quote?+
Submit an enquiry through our Enquiry page with your event details — date, location, group size and the type of booking. Vicki will get back to you with availability and a quote.
How far in advance should I book?+
As early as you can, especially for school terms and the corporate events season. That said, we'll always do our best to accommodate shorter-notice requests where drummers are available.
Are your drummers African?+
African Beat is rooted in African drumming tradition. Our performers and facilitators bring authentic African rhythm to every booking, presented for Australian audiences.
Book a school incursion.
Tell us your school, year levels and preferred dates — we'll design a program and send a quote.
Talk to Vicki
Prefer to speak directly? Vicki handles every enquiry personally.
✦ Drums provided for every participant.
✦ No experience needed.
✦ Australia-wide availability.