SCOIL SAMBA MASAMBA

Masamba Samba School has always been informed by community development principles, which include a commitment to be open to all and to use our platform to promote issues of inclusivity and social justice. Throughout our history, we have had many active members from minority groups and different culture. We believe this has enhanced the experience of being involved in Masamba and led to greater tolerance and understanding amongst group members. 

 

In recent times, Masamba has moved from a policy of ‘inclusion’ (what we traditionally called an ‘open-door policy’) to a more proactive policy of inclusivity, whereby, we actively encourage members of minority groups to participate in our activities. 

 

Our workshop programmes, supported by the Community Services Programme, specifically target communities experiencing disadvantage, and most of our educational activities are delivered in areas of recognised social deprivation, as defined by the Pobal Maps resource. It is well-documented that in addition to financial deficits, many of these communities suffer higher than average instances of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, race, religion, gender, etc. We aspire to always work in a way that promotes equality and tolerance, and actively challenge instances of discrimination wherever we see it.

 

Some of our performances are directly in support of other community organisations working with people living in disadvantaged circumstances. Masamba Samba School has supported numerous anti-racism and LGBT+ initiatives, including Palestinian Solidarity Ireland, Africa Day, Feck Racism, Dublin Pride and the March for Marriage.

 

In all our work – performance, education and pageantry, we seek to highlight the emergence of Afro-Brazilian artforms from amongst the most disadvantaged and marginalised communities in Brazil, and to use this experience to support similar communities here in Ireland.