Social Transformation And Multicultural Perspectives  (STAMP)

STAMP is a social cohesion initiative, which brings multicultural people together in a way that transcends culture and encourages unity.

STAMP was founded by Linda Vargas and is the outcome of ten years of research.

STAMP aims to help people from diverse backgrounds to find connection.

---

Workshops for professional development and training

Focus workshops

Wellness

• Racism or xenophobia
• Social justice
• Cultural Diversity
• Gender equity
• Social justice
• Parenting
• Media

Customised workshops

Workshops can be customised for the following clients

• Corporate staff
• Team building
• Teachers and educators
• Students
• Private consultations

 

STAMP  to inspire social transformation through multicultural creativity and perspective

In addition, STAMP dance aims to

1. Support the professional development of teachers in order to teach dance, in multicultural education.
2. Promote social cohesion in multicultural communities through economic and creative collaboration between STAMP dance, professional theatre, corporate funding, multicultural schools and multicultural dancers and musicians.
3. Promote collaboration between multicultural education and professional theatre .
4. Promote collaboration between multicultural musicians and dancers to compose and perform inter-cultural music for dance.
5. Encourage education teachers to use dance to achieve social cohesion and educational aims.
6. Provide regular opportunities for diverse cultures to, dance together and foster friendships.
7. Establish a sustainable social cohesion project for multicultural communities which can be replicated nationally and internationally.
8. Promote dance as a tool for social cohesion and transformation in the multicultural workplace.  

Educational aims and objectives

STAMP dance in education inclusive- it is not an either/or but rather a both/and approach to dance in education.

STAMP dance is holistic - children learn while moving. they learn through dance not necessarily to dance.

STAMP dance methodology combines multiple learning styles which facilitate children with diverse learning abilities to learn. Newneural pathways are developed in the brain, which in turn assist mathematical, linguistic and kinaesthetic learning. 

STAMPdance address some of the health and educational challenges by developing brains and bodies in one activity.Sedentary lifestyles often result in a variety of health and learning issues and research continues to show that many school children are not given sufficient opportunity for holistic learning. Alarming numbers of children now spend most of their day behind a desk and between 5 and 8 hours a day in front of some sort of screen: phone, computer, TV. Many of these children are not fully developing the core functions of the brain which are necessary to basic survival, good health and cognition. These 5 core functions are:

1. Recall: what you knew and have forgotten.Memory: recent learning.
2. Creativity: the ability to use what you know to do something in a new way.
3. Imagination: the ability to visualise something not yet experienced.
4. Kinaesthetic learning: the ability to learn by doing and repetition, not reading
5. Problem solving: the ability to receive, relate and reconstruct.

STAMPdance offers professional development for generalist education teachers(GET). This helps teacherswith little or no formal training in dance, to be able to teach dance in the multicultural classroom.

STAMPdance offers professional development for  dance specialists which provides them with an understanding of the educational objectives of dance in the multicultural classroom and how to combine these with the objectives of dance.

Both education and dance specialist learn how toteach dance in the multicultural classroom by learning to transcend their own cultural and gender barriers.

STAMPdance aligns with the educational aims and objectives of the of the SA Education CAPS doc. Intercultural rhythmic clapping, stamping and movement sequences are used to develop:

Concentration,

Listening and Memorisation

Auditory and Visual perception,

Discrimination, Memory,

Gross motor and Fine motor skills,

Co-ordination, body image and awareness,

Balance, Rhythm, Laterality,

Dominance, crossing the ‘middle-line’,

Communication,

Self control, Self discipline,

Form perception, Spatial orientation,

Relationships in a group,

Creativity,

Improvisation,

Interpretation

STAMP dance is values driven,  it promotes respect, tolerance, inclusion, perseverance, creativity, fun, reflection.

In addition STAMP dance aligns with common human values reflected in:

The Caps Doc 2012:

Heal the divisions of the past;

Improve the quality of life of all citizens;

Free the potential of each person.

STAMP dance values the individual and collective well being

….……….

National Curriculum Statement (NAC) : Grades R-12:

Equipping learners, irrespective of their socio-economic background, race, gender, physical

ability, with knowledge, skills and values necessary for self fulfillment, and meaningful

participation in society as citizens in a free country.

STAMP dance values inclusion and freedom of choice

….……………

The Principles of the NCS :

Social transformation: educational imbalances redressed; Active and critical learning; Human rights; Sensitivity to diversity, poverty, inequality, race, gender, language, age, disability etc

STAMP dance values respect and tolerance in diversity

….…………………

Ubuntu: Traditional African value

(as explained by Archbishop Desmond Tutu)

Ubuntu has two parts, the first is that a person is friendly, hospitable, generous, gentle, caring and compassionate. In other words someone who uses their strengths on behalf of others and does not take advantage of anyone. This person treats others as he would like to be treated. And because of this they express the second half of the concept which concerns openness, large-heartedness. They share their worth.

STAMP dance values compassion and service to others