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Heartbeat Cyprus, uses drumming as a tool for communication
and community building. With the support of the
ENGAGE project they organised 8 different events
in 2010 island-wide.
I mean for me it started like a hobby.
Serhan Öncal, Co-Organiser
and I was always searching these kind of things.
I was hearing about you, what you’re doing in the south.
I find the moment to meet you and do something together,
learn something from you.
HeleniQ Argyrou, Co-Organiser
Together with my collaborator Serhan Öncal from the north,
collaborating drummer,
we’re organising a project in June, July
October and November of this year,
to represent the idea of bringing together
the heartbeats of all people on the island
through drum circles that will be happening
For me drumming is all about really giving people the chance
to feel inspired.
I remember that moment for me
struck by how much complexity there is,
and how much simplicity there is
in this whole experience.
That’s what sort of made it more interesting for me
to look at the more psychological
aspects of rhythm on consciousness, on the mind
the body, what’s actually happening on a deeper level,
why is it that people have drummed for so many centuries
You’re pushing good chemicals into the brain by drumming
Because you get your body into rhythm.
Drumming, what I experienced, is so effective
It’s not about our personal story,
it’s about our collective story
and this is what we manage to do I think,
we really manage to include as well, a lot of young
street artists in what we’re doing.
People coming along and playing with fire,
playing with poi,
Showing this rhythm in another way,
which is quite mesmerising
I believe that we have a good tool
to help also to ourselves and to
people around us.
To make this peace happen
You know, when I say ‘peace happen’
in Cyprus it’s not actually
in Cyprus.
I’m thinking more worldwide.
People can be in peace and live in peace.
I think that this project has been a really great success
Something we said at the end of the last event
which we had at the Goethe Centre,
amazing they gave us this whole space
for free, supported the project.
And at the end of the event,
it was 100% clear to me
that this was a success.
All these people were there just drumming in this ecstasy.