Case history: National Association of Scouts

Brief: To provide a half hour inclusive and active opening and closing workshop for up to 2,000 scouts at a time, four times a day over an 8 day period at the World Scout Jamboree in the Global Development Village. Participants will be from all around the world and many will not speak English – the activity needs to be uniting, uplifting and fully inclusive.

In addition, to produce a drum group with 150 Scouts to create a rhythm and beat to entertain Prince William on the opening day of the World Scout Jamboree…

Venue: Hylands Park, Chelmsford

Performance: With about 400 drums and 1,600 boomwhackers, scouts joined an ever evolving drum groove as they arrived at the Global Development Village marquee. Once they were all inside, they were welcomed and then encouraged to join in the universal rhythm clapped by sports fans in stadiums around the globe and shout out where they were from. As this got faster and faster a real energy and buzz were created. We Will Rock You, a universally known anthem, was then beaten out and sung loudly by all the participants before they went off to carry out their workshops.

After a couple of hours they returned for a finale in which pledges were read out by participants in their native language, everyone using their drums and boomwhackers to create a cheer, and the sessions ended with call & response and some grooves to accompany cultural songs sung from the stage.

Feedback: "Just to say a huge thanks for everything you did at the jamboree – it was fantastic as ever!"
Colin Coleman, World Scout Jamboree Management Team