We have several groups across Warwickshire that meet on a regular basis. These are based in Harbury, Kenilworth and Leamington. Our groups are for all ages: juniors (primary school age), youths (secondary school age) and adults, and they meet once a week during term time.
Our steel pan evening groups will be taking place on Wednesday afternoons from September 2021 – July 2022 at Harbury CofE Primary School, Harbury, CV33 9HR. These groups will be led by Diana Hancox.
Groups will be held at the following times:
Juniors (8-11) from 5:30-6:15pm
Youths (11-18) from 6:15-7:00pm
Adults (of all ages) from 7:00-8:00pm
Autumn Term Dates:
Sep 15
Sep 22
Sep 29
Oct 06
Oct 13
Nov 03
Nov 10
Nov 17
Nov 24
Dec 01
Dec 08
Please note that there are 11 weeks allocated this term instead of 10 to allow for weather and other issues that might affect teaching in the spring and summer terms.
Please be advised, our youth group is by invitation only and requires some steel pan experience. If you are interested in joining, please talk to your steel pan tutor about availability.
Adults from 7pm-8pm
Our steel pan evening groups will be taking place on Tuesday evenings from September 2021 – July 2022 at Clinton Primary School, Caesar Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1DL. These groups will be led by Lisa Russell.
Groups will be held at the following times:
Youths from 5:15–6pm
Please be advised, our youth group is by invitation only and requires some steel pan experience. If you are interested in joining, please talk to your steel pan tutor about availability.
Advanced from 6:00-7pm
Our advanced groups require a minimum of three years of experience with steel pans. If you’re interested in joining, please speak to your tutor. They will be able to let you know if it’s right for you.
Our steel pan evening groups will be taking place on Thursday afternoons from September 2021 – July 2022 at St Margaret’s Centre, 103 Whitnash Rd, Whitnash, Leamington Spa, CV31 2HB. These groups will be led by Bev Wickham.
Groups will be held at the following times:
Youths (8-18) from 4:30-5:15pm
Adults (of all ages) from 5:20-6:20pm
We welcome all adults at these classes, even those at beginner level.
Academy Stars 6:30-7:30pm
Academy Stars is by invitation only. If you are interested in joining this group, please talk to your steel pan tutor about whether or not it’s right for you.
Graded Lessons from 7:30-8pm
Autumn Term Dates:
Sep 16
Sep 23
Sep 30
Oct 07
Oct 14
Nov 04
Nov 11
Nov 18
Nov 25
Dec 02
Dec 09
Please note that there are 11 weeks allocated this term instead of 10 to allow for weather and other issues that might affect teaching in the spring and summer terms.
If you would like to join any of our groups, please let us know.
Following two highly successful Pan-Round-Neck Band workshops in January and April 2008, we launched our own Pan-Round-Neck Band in September 2009. We couldn’t have done this without the help and support of the Nostalgia Steel Band in London, a generous Awards for All National Lottery grant and fantastic arrangements and direction from Phase One’s Stephon Phillip. The band has now been running for over 10 years and in that time, they have performed at numerous events, including Notting Hill Carnival, and enjoyed 3 tours – 1 in Italy and and 2 in Belgium
The Steel pan Academy Pan Round Neck Band is currently on hold and we will be notifying all current members to join, as well as inviting new members to join when circumstances allow us to host this group again. At present we have several other projects going ahead at this time. When they return, they will continue to be directed by Stephon Phillip, Director and Manager of Phase One and will be supported by the Steel Pan Academy staff.
A unified grading system for steel pans has now been created and our wonderful students were among the first in the country to sit these exams. Five years ago, six of our students sat the Grade 1 exam for soprano pans and received wonderful results (3 Merits, 3 Distinctions). Over the years, several of our students have had the pleasure of taking part in these exams and we’re so proud of them and how well all of their hard work has paid off.
We are currently offering Grade 1 and Grade 2 on the soprano, double tenors, single tenor and alto pans. Places are limited, as we only have a certain number of soprano and tenor pans available. Being able to offer this opportunity is a great joy for us. If you’re already an avid steel pan player, you can still take Grade 1 or 2 exams. We’ll be able to let you know which would be best for you as the exams are most likely a bit different to what you’re used to.
Steel pan exams have been developed by PRSSV, the leading examination board dedicated to supporting and promoting World Music and Dance. Established in 1987, PRSSV are now providing steel pan players with the opportunity to gain well-deserved qualifications just as they would with other musical instruments and we couldn’t be happier.
These examination grades have been developed by Dr Jill Scarfe, David Griffiths (a steel pan teacher and arranger in the UK), Terry Noel (of the Steel Pan Advisory Service) in consultation with Robert Thompson (a steel pan composer and arranger in Trinidad) and validated by the Open College Network (OCN) Credit4Learning. OCN Credit4Learning is licensed by the British Government to validate and moderate examination courses. These grades equate to the National Framework of Qualifications (UK), where Grade 3 is equal to Level One, Grade 5 to Level Two (GCSE level) and Grade 8 is the equivalent of Level Three (A Level).
If you’d like us to perform at your upcoming event – please get in touch. Our prices are available on request. Call us on 07765 811042 or email our director, Diana, dianahancox@hotmail.com, for more information.
Keep up with the latest news from the Steel Pan Academy here.
We’re looking for new sponsors! There’s nothing we love more than helping the community but we couldn’t do it without your support. If you and your business are in a position to help underprivileged children and give them a chance to express themselves through playing steel pans, we’d love for you to get involved. There are still opportunities for sponsorship that involve advertising, such as having your logo or business name included on our equipment. You can also simply donate money to enable us to purchase new pans and equipment.
Please contact us for more information on how you can become a sponsor of the Steel Pan Academy.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Warwick District Council, Arts Council England and the National Lottery for their fantastic support over the years.
Steel pans are perfect when it comes to stepping back from the challenges of everyday life. Playing steel pans can help to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, whilst lowering blood pressure and a person’s heart rate. It’s also a powerful form of self-expression, which allows an individual to unwind in a new way.
For many, playing steel pans can also be seen as a form of self-soothing in tough situations and provides a healthy distraction from otherwise stressful situations. The sense of achievement that is often gained from playing steel pans shouldn’t be overlooked. Learning how to play a new instrument can be frustrating, but there’s no better feeling than when you’ve mastered a piece of music.
As well as having an overwhelmingly positive effect on your physical and mental health, when you play the steel pans with us, you also get the pleasure of joining our pan family. There’s something incredibly special about belonging to a group and forming friendships with people from all backgrounds. Don’t just take it from us, though, below you’ll find some testimonials from some of the lovely individuals who have played with us.
I owe a lot to Diana and the Steel Pan Academy; as someone who has really struggled with my mental health from a young age, the confidence and sense of family that came from playing steel pans in the safe and warm environment that the Academy provides has been invaluable and I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. At some of my lowest points, my pan family has really been there for me and steel pans have been a much needed escape. I also hope that I’ve made Diana proud with how much I’ve come along; she’s become a real friend and second mum since she first met me aged 9 and helped me to grow throughout my teen years and early adulthood, all through our mutual love of steel pans!
The opportunities have been incredible; I’ve been able to travel, take part in record-breaking events, achieve grades and be one of the first nationally to do so, teach steel pans to a variety of ages and abilities, perform at weddings, perform at so many different events, make friends and meet a whole pan family…the list goes on! The Steel Pan Academy also provided the stepping stones needed for me to develop as a musician and I now play at a professional level alongside some incredibly talented steel pan players in Phase One, which has always been a dream!
The thing that makes the Steel Pan Academy so special is the people; I’ve never come across a place where people from all different backgrounds and situations can all come together and just click so well. Playing steel pans with them has done nothing but wonders for my confidence, self-esteem, teamwork and communication skills. I know I’m not the only one to feel this way, and I’ve seen it among so many youngsters who have come through the Academy.
Steel Pan Academy has been such an important part of mine and my children’s lives. I first came across it at a community event I had gone to with my daughters. I had left an abusive relationship and needed to make links and try new things. My daughters are mixed race and I wanted to explore their culture with them. What I found was such a support both to them and to me. I joined an adult group and the support I received from being in a group really helped me heal and has continued to support my mental health and have a positive impact on my children. The events we have attended and the friendships have continued and I cannot thank Diana and her team enough for the laughs, learning and support over the years. At the time of joining I didn’t have much money and Diana was always trying to find ways to make the group accessible and affordable to me, which was so important at the time. What is lovely about the academy is the mixing of ages and the welcome everyone receives. I have missed pans so much through the pandemic and cannot wait to come back together to laugh, chat and obviously make beautiful music!
I loved playing music in a group because it was so much fun and there were always friends around to give me help and support when I needed it. It gave me the opportunity to try out different roles and parts to suit me and helped improve my teamwork skills, which will help me in all areas of life.
I loved being part of a group and playing music together. It was really fun getting to learn all different types of music including traditional steel pan songs. You are able to find your own place in the group on different pans and it’s really amazing when they all come together. Definitely something you want to be a part of.
I really enjoyed learning how to play the steel pans as a group. It gave me the confidence to perform for others as I wasn’t having to do it alone. We worked hard together when learning new songs to perfect our sound as a group. It was a great feeling when all the different parts came together as one. It’s something I would highly recommend for others to try!
I really enjoyed learning how to play the steel pans as part of a group! Learning in a group was so fun as you all worked together to learn new songs and make them sound amazing by all coming together on the different pans. In a group, you have the opportunity to all work together and support each other in order to develop skills and become the best we could be!
Call us today to book your Steel pan lessons:
+447765811042
Steel Pan Academy was created with the intention of increasing access to quality steel pan teaching resources. We’re committed to ensuring that those in the Warwickshire area are able to take part in our schools, groups and workshops.