Headteacher: June Steele

What has been the best arts company to visit your school in the past year?

It was called Kuzari, and is composed of two Africans, Mohammed Shuaibu and Sam Maitland.

How did you hear about them?

Because of the nearby Buddhist Samye Ling Centre. Our locality is a very international community and a resident introduced them to us and helped with preparations.

What did they do?

We joined forces with two other schools, Hutton and Westerkirk, and Kuzari came in June and put on a multi-instrument performance with percussion, bass, keyboard and electric guitar, and African artwork. They had P1-7 children dancing and playing the instruments as well.

Did you do any preparation?

Yes, the children made masks, using their own faces as the basis for the mask shapes and painting brown paper tape in bright colours. They also baked some African food in school.

How long did they stay?

They spent a morning with us.

How much did they cost?

Pounds 2-300 under a special deal.

Who paid?

The costs were shared by the three participating schools.

What was so good about them?

Kuzari’s show was vivid and vibrant and exciting. All the children enjoyed the singing and dancing enormously and got a huge amount of enjoyment from learning about a totally different culture.

How relevant was it to the curriculum?

Very relevant, because the 5-14 syllabus says children should learn about a non-European country.

Contact: Angela Ball, tel: 01395 278192