Mary Phillips High School Students
Focus On Self Identity During
Artists in the Schools Residency

 

 
Through a United Arts grant, “The Magic of African Rhythm” began a three-week residency on October 19 at the Wake County’s alternative school Mary Phillips High School as part of the Artists in the Schools program. The Magic of African Rhythm’s Adinkra Mask Design residency guides high school students in addressing true identity and “I am” concepts through self-reflection in the arts.
 
The program consists of African mask making, traditional African dance and song, and historic African drumming. Students explore the traditional African culture and reasons for “masking” by studying the large collection of Adinkra symbols and their meanings. Next, students choose specific symbols from the Adinkra collection that best represent who they strive to be as an individual. The residency will leave each student with an Adinkra mask symbolic of character traits each student will embody throughout school and beyond.
 
The Magic of African Rhythm has extensive experience working with at-risk students and has presented numerous effective staff development workshops, as well. The group is composed of the Shabu family: Maisha, also known as Mama, who lived within her music in Africa for 20 years, performing with Miriam Makeba and others; Baba, who worked as an artist and textile designer all over Africa for 20 years; daughter Mabinti, who was born into the arts culture of West Africa and is known for her vivacious dancing and teaching skills; and Teli, a young drummer and dancer skilled at instructing and bringing young people into the rhythm and magic. They are included in artists’ directories for both The North Carolina Arts Council and United Arts.
 

 
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