Samba in the City

Our upcoming Child in the City World Conference will hear some wonderful examples of diverse projects that are benefiting youngsters – and none more so than the sound of the Samba beat…

As the founding member of the MaSamba Samba School in Dublin, Ireland, Simeon Smith heads a movement that teaches young people more than just about making music, but personal skills that can benefit them for life.

Simeon, who has been playing percussion for almost 30 years, will be speaking on the second day of the conference about the history of MaSamba, and in particular the work it does in a heavily disadvantaged of the Irish capital, a city which was the setting for our 2022 conference.

And as Simeon says in a special video made for this year, it’s the legacy of the great connections they made last year that he hopes will be further strengthened when we come together in Brussels from 20-22 November.

As a result of building up a long term relationship with this particular school, MaSamba has become a part of the school community itself, while also operating as a performance group further afield, providing not only education but also performing at events and even providing corporate services.

But it’s their school-based work that will impress our Child in the City World Conference visitors, who will hear how local working partnerships have been developed and strengthened, and all as a result of giving youngsters the opportunities to perform in public, combining fun with a chance to show off some new skills while developing a very personal sense of civic responsibility.

‘Teaching more than just music – but personal skills for life’

“We participated in the Dublin event and met a lot of interesting people and made some very, very good friends, so we are hoping we can continue the dialogue when we visit Brussels in November,” says Simeon. “My talk will be looking at the links that we have managed to make between state agencies such as local authorities and in particular Dublin City Council and community organisations on the ground

“We have been lucky enough to be in that space between where we can bring these different actors together to work on causes and on issues of shared interests, and so we look forward to seeing you all in Brussels.

Click here for more information on MaSamba.