Learn how to play the mbira with Tawona Sitholé

As part of Refugee Festival Scotland, we are hosting an mbira workshop in the University of Glasgow Peace Garden. No previous knowledge of music required, just turn up and we'll talk you through it. The art of crafting and playing the mbira is inscribed on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The practice was banned for years as part of a cultural repression programme and only survived because of brave souls hiding the instrument and keeping the knowledge alive in secret. Through this workshop, we honour those people and help preserve and pass on the music.

In case of bad weather, the workshop will be moved to an indoor location within walking distance of the original location.

Accessibility info: there is no need to speak good English for this workshop. There is step-free access to the garden, but the bench is in the grass, so there are a few meters of uneven ground to cover. The bench is a flat structure with no back rest. This workshop is suitable for the visually impaired, but hearing is required. Aimed at adults, but children over the age of 12 are also welcome.