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203 Educators providing BBC courses delivered Online

Crimson Catz

crimson catz

Luton

Crimson Catz® is run by twin sisters, Anita Amarissa, DipSAL IIHHT Dip.psysextherapy MOC, MSFTR. , and Sunita Johal - FFHT, MICHT, MIFHB, BSYA (Col), Rapid NFR (S), Dip.AH. CH. Anita is a Professional Spiritual Wellness Declutterer, Feng Shui Consultant and a Law of Attraction Master coach for women. She is also a health and fitness instructor, Yoga and Pilates teacher and a qualified Psychosexual Therapist. Sunita is an Eclectic/Spiritual health and wellness therapist/coach for Women. She is a Yoga teacher, a Pilates instructor and a Video/Music Consultant for Business professionals.   They both are authors [https://www.crimsoncatz.com/you-can-buy-our-books-on-amazon] and course creators. [https://www.crimsoncatz.com/courses]  Crimson Catz has been featured in & has written for various local, national and international editorials and has been on the airwaves since the business first started in 2009. The subjects covered were beauty, skin issues, products, self-help, women in midlife (menopause), eclectic pain relief therapy, promoting of various charity work on radio stations including Bang FM London, Heart FM, BBC Three Counties radio, Tropical FM & Inspire FM.  Charity work has played a key role since the start of their business and Crimson Catz are known to educate, evolve and empower the communities they meet and work with.  Crimson Catz are fully qualified & insured in their line of work, they also hold enhanced CRB certificates.   In April 2016, Crimson Catz gained accreditation for working within 'Social Prescription' which proved to be highly successful and in early June 2017, Sunita was honoured with the highest status in her profession. 'The FHT Fellow is a mark of distinction; it shows the highest standards of expertise, achievement and success'. She was also chosen to be a Canvassador for Canva design through supporting the design community, providing solutions, design work and instigating new ideas.   Crimson Catz have been finalists for various awards over the years and believe in providing the best service for their clients.  Read about Anita and Sunita - https://www.crimsoncatz.com/about-anita-and-sunita/ [https://www.crimsoncatz.com/about-anita-and-sunita/]

Declutter Dollies

declutter dollies

London

“Dilly has the ability to glance at any space and within seconds know the changes that need to be made. The speed in which she works, and the passion for her work is unrivalled, she doesn’t just know organisation, she knows the value of space and how to be in control of it and most importantly how to change it.” Dilly Carter is a masterclass in detoxing space. A straight-talking and practical professional organiser who believes that if we all cut the clutter, live better with less and give ourselves more headspace, we will enjoy life more. She is the founder of Declutter Dollies, an organising and home styling service that promises to turn her clients' chaos into calm and help them discover the health benefits of living in an organised home. Dilly is the author of Create Space – a room-by-room guide to organising your home with a fresh and relatable take on the link between mental wellbeing and decluttering - and provides decluttering advice on BBC One’s Sort Your Life Out. As a teenager Dilly worked folding clothes in luxury boutiques and then later as an assistant and personal shopper where she gained an understanding of how to create, organise and sustain stylish yet functional spaces. A lifelong passion for fashion and an uncanny ability to bring order to a chaotic environment has seen her cleanse and curate the wardrobes and homes of high-profile celebrities, busy professionals and stressed-out mums alike. Known as @declutterdollies to her 100k+ Instagram followers around the world, Dilly now extends her helping hand on social media and via virtual cleanses. She helps private clients and followers become more organised in their day to day lives by encouraging them to implement small ‘Dolly Dashes’ to chip away at domestic disarray. Sharing organising hacks and tips, Dilly proves that you can not only make your home beautiful, but truly make it work as a place of sanctuary. Full of practical solutions, advice and techniques, Dilly truly believes in the connection between outer order and inner calm. By clearing out your home, you can also clear your mind, improve your relationships and enhance your wellbeing. Dilly truly learned the value of decluttering when she began helping her mother, who suffers from bipolar disorder, organise her 'living chaos' at home. Her extraordinary personal story, that saw her adopted from Sri Lanka aged three and now caring for her mother who lives with Dilly and her young family, has been an inspiration to many and she has generated a loyal fleet of fans (her dollies!) Dilly doesn’t just make your space tidy. She makes it work.

Golden Circle Tuition

golden circle tuition

London

The Golden Circle is a community of exceptional educators. We understand how important education is in a child’s development and that the right teacher can make all the difference. That’s why we work closely with families to fully understand the needs of each child and tailor our process precisely to reflect individual requirements. We personally match our students with inspiring, qualified teachers who accelerate learning in a supportive one-to-one environment. Since founding The Golden Circle in 2017, it has been a privilege to play a role in the educational journey of so many students. Our students perform excellently in exams, and enjoy more success at leading universities, but it is their personal growth which makes The Golden Circle such a rewarding place to teach. As mentors, as well as educators, we help our students to develop the key qualities of Courage, Critical Thinking, Compassion, Growth Mindset and Self-Reflection. We are inspired by tradition, but not constrained by it. Our co-curricular lessons enable students to discover entrepreneurship, mindfulness, and global citizenship. The Golden Circle’s modern approach to tutoring and home schooling takes a traditional UK education into the 21st century. If this strikes a chord with you, then we are the right team for you. I welcome you to join us and unlock your child’s academic potential. Hannah Titley BA (Hons), MA, MA (Oxon), PGCE COURAGE Courage is having the strength to tackle challenges – in academia and in life. It’s having the confidence to face a subject that feels daunting and ask questions when you don’t understand. Academic courage empowers students to choose difficult problems and risk making mistakes. We work with students on their Maths courage, their Science courage, their Shakespeare courage, their public speaking courage. By cultivating courage in a supportive learning environment, our students feel safe to ask questions and rise to academic challenges. CRITICAL THINKING Critical thinking is a way to analyse complex issues and articulate ideas. It is a lens through which to understand the world, by appreciating different perspectives and value frameworks. Through discussion and debate, we teach students to think critically and confidently articulate their ideas. Our teaching approach seeks to liberate students from unthinking conformity. COMPASSION Compassion is feeling empathy for others and responding with kindness. Too often moral development is valued as ‘lesser’ than academic success. However, the two come hand in hand. Treating yourself with compassion builds self-esteem, motivation, and confidence. Showing empathy towards others is an important communication skill. We welcome students and teachers from diverse backgrounds. In lessons, we model compassion and use positive affirmations to nurture our students’ self-belief. GROWTH MINDSET Growth mindset is the conviction that intelligence is learned. It enables students to reshape the narrative by which to excel in exams and in life. A growth mindset leads to a desire to learn, to embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, and see effort as the path to mastery. Cultivating a growth mindset is at the heart of what we do. SELF-REFLECTION Self-reflection is taking the time to explore your own thoughts, behaviours and emotions. Without it, we miss learning opportunities. In an academic context, it enables students to identify strengths and weaknesses and evaluate their progress towards goals. Teaching the art of self-reflection is integral to our lessons. We provide detailed feedback on assignments and facilitate self-reflection discussions. Our weekly progress reports guide students to where they should devote their attention. Together, self-reflection and teacher feedback, leads to deeper learning. OUR COMMUNITY Our unique community is made up of dedicated parents, students, and over 300 qualified teachers. Our teachers have strong academic backgrounds, UK teaching qualifications, and a minimum of two years of experience teaching in the classroom. Many are also GCSE and A Level examiners. FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR HANNAH TITLEY Hannah founded The Golden Circle in 2017 after qualifying as a teacher through the Teach First programme. Teaching in the classroom showed that school doesn’t work for everyone. For children who are talented in sports, art, or music, or who require extra academic support or challenge, school doesn’t bring out their best. Born in Manchester, Hannah was educated at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls before reading Biological Sciences at New College, Oxford University. She holds a first class Master’s degree from King’s College London and PGCE teaching qualification which is rated ‘Outstanding’. In addition to teaching, Hannah has worked as a Researcher for Oxford University and Reform think tank. She is Director of the Home Schooling Association and continues to teach Science at Key Stage 4 and 5. She speaks regularly at education events and provides written commentary for national media including the BBC, The Times, Telegraph and The Guardian. HEAD OF OPERATIONS LYDIA TITLEY Lydia is originally from Manchester and completed her secondary education at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls. Following this, her interest in French language and culture led her to the University of Bath, where she completed a BSc in International Business Management and French. Lydia took the opportunity to spend a year in Paris where she attended the prestigious business school of ESCP Paris, studying a bilingual Master’s in Management, and worked as a European Account Manager at an international Marketing and Publishing firm. Lydia joined The Golden Circle team in 2018, where she holds the role of Head of Operations. In her spare time, Lydia enjoys yoga and is currently completing a Mindfulness Teacher Training course. She has a keen interest in the arts, theatre and travel. FOUNDER’S PUBLICATIONS POLICY REPORTS How To Run A Country: Working Age Welfare (June 2015) Employment and Support Allowance: The Case For Change (December 2015) Working Welfare: A Radically New Approach to Sickness and Disability Benefits (February 2016)Stepping Up, Breaking Barriers. Transforming Employment Outcomes For Disabled People (July 2016) PODCASTS BBC Woman’s Hour, Electing To Home School (March 2021) The Study Buddy, At Home With Learning: A Look At Alternative Education Provision (April 2021) NEWSPAPER ARTICLES The Telegraph, Meet the families choosing elite home-schooling (September 2018) The Telegraph Luxury, How to raise an alpha kid: the parent’s guide to home schooling (May 2020) Tatler, The gold standard of home schooling (February 2021) OUR LOCATIONS

Irresistible Headdresses

irresistible headdresses

Born in the East End of London Valerie Masters was passionate about singing and entertaining even from the tiny age of 4 years old when people would ask her grandfather to hold her up to the microphone and sing. Her career started when she left school at 16 to join a well known Jazz Group, the Ray Ellington Quartet. She was auditioned by Dick Katz, the great pianist with the Group and who was awarded the title of Jazz Musician of the year in the 1960s and to whom Valerie later married. Valerie travelled with the quartet until she ventured on a solo career internationally . She had her own radio show on Radio Luxembourg, the Valerie Masters Show. She was voted Top Girl of the North East when she had the series "The One o'Clock Show" and the series "Young At Heart" with Jimmy Saville, starred in countless TV Shows and series and Sunday at Winchester with Jess Yates, and appeared at the London Paladium on several occasions. Valerie has appeared on film and TV and you would have seen and heard her in the series Secret Army, Seaside Special, the Singing Detective, the Wombles, the Faith Brown Show, the Stanley Baxter Show, Russ Abbott, Grace Kennedy and many others during the 1960s and 1970s. During her time as a solo artist and entertainer she sang with Quincy Jones in the Tivoli Gardens, Sweden and Denmark and many other famous names including Shirley Bassey, Petula Clark, Cilla Black, Lulu, to name just a few. She Led the BBC team singing to come first in the Nordring Festival in 1983 with their Winning Show. She has also sung titles in many films including The Helion for John Hayman, who went on to work with Cubby Broccoli on the James Bond Films, Hobs Choice, The Wall with Bob Geldorf, Yentl with Barbara Streisand, Dutch girls with Timothy Spall and has also been heard on the TV singing American and British adverts/jingles such as Scottish Cheddar, Knorr Soups, Bangor Jeans, Tetley Teabags and many more, too numerous to mention! Since the passing of her husband Dick Katz Valerie is now married to the Property Owner and Theatrical Agent Tony Nunn the former great violinist. With her knowledge and experience of glamorous show business and changing fashions through the years and her absolute passion for jewellery, this enables and inspires her to come up with the most beautiful elegant designs. Her personality and flair shows through in each and every one of her designs and they are all made by her and her team with the utmost love and care as she throws her heart into them. Make an appointment with Valerie in her Studio and come out feeling happy and content. Her partner and daughter TV and Film Hair and Makeup Stylist Gillian Katz have devised and designed something to suit every wedding hairstyle whether you have an updo, long or short hair style. Valerie, Gillian and their team have a motto "You Are Our Star - Call - and Let us Make You Feel That Way!"

City of Birmingham Choir

city of birmingham choir

Birmingham

It is our Centenary in 2021 and 2022. Since 1921, the City of Birmingham Choir has entertained audiences with a wide and adventurous repertoire. Performing in historic Town Hall and in magnificent Symphony Hall, we have enjoyed a warm musical partnership with the city’s outstanding orchestra, the CBSO. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the choir continued to rehearse and present performances online. We have enjoyed rehearsing and performing together again since the autumn of 2021 as well as giving live concerts in Symphony Hall, Town Hall and Tewkesbury Abbey. Our Centenary concert centrepiece is Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony in November 2022. Read about the choir: History and Concert Archive. Our Conductor and Musical Director is Adrian Lucas. Adrian brings a wealth of experience as one of the country’s leading choral directors and conductors. Composer, teacher, conductor and all-round versatile musician, Colin Baines is our Accompanist. We have sung the major choral works as well as challenging newer compositions and a wide range of smaller scale music. The standard of our performances draws consistent praise. In Symphony Hall… As well as the CBSO, we have worked with the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Swan, BBC Concert Orchestra, Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra and Westminster Chamber Orchestra. We joined the CBSO Chorus and CBSO for the much-praised centenary performances of Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, The Apostles and The Kingdom. We have performed some of the more intimate choral repertoire in ‘out of town’ venues such as Tewkesbury Abbey and Gloucester Cathedral. Easter 2017 saw our second hugely successful and enjoyable overseas tour – singing Handel’s Messiah in the Stephansdom in Vienna – following a tour to Paris in April 2015. A highly acclaimed performance of James MacMillan’s Seven Last Words from the Cross, our stylish annual Handel’s Messiah performances, collaborations with Birmingham Schools Symphony Orchestra (Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast in 2017), Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 with period instruments – these are some highlights. Amongst our 90th birthday celebrations was the ground-breaking Equinox concert bringing together musicians from many cultures. A Christmas Treats CD was recorded in the same year. Exploring both more familiar territory (Handel, Bach, Monteverdi, Brahms, Mozart, Haydn, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Holst, Britten, Finzi), and less well-known, (such as Samuel Wesley, Howells, Rautavaara, Kenneth Leighton and Jonathan Dove), we continue to plan enterprising programmes. June 2015, saw us in jazz mode, performing the popular Zimbe! and a new composition, The Rain Queen, by our own composer, John Barber. Paris Tour 2015 - Notre Dame, Sunday amParis Tour 2015 – Notre Dame, Sunday am We also perform for other organisations, including Raymond Gubbay – Spectacular Classics, Christmas Classics, Beethoven’s 9th, Mozart’s Requiem, Carmina Burana and Karl Jenkins conducting his own music to a packed Symphony Hall. Conductor, Adrian Lucas The Choir is committed to supporting choral music making and has participated in Making Music’s Adopt-a-music-creator scheme as well as running singing competitions and workshops for people of all ages. We are proud to be an independent organisation promoting and financing major choral concerts with professional orchestras and soloists.

Yasmin Zaman - The Portable Guru

yasmin zaman - the portable guru

For 20 years I’ve dedicated my life to inspiring others by teaching the self-awareness and self-care practices of connecting to the body and mind through various styles of yoga, mindfulness meditation, physical activity & trauma sensitive approaches to healing and recovery. My own life, and decades of working with diverse groups of people all over the world, taught me that when we take good care of ourselves, we value and appreciate others, and forge a better connection with the natural world on which we depend. My Bio includes more on my background, training, research papers and publications About four decades ago, yoga originally began as a way to care for my sore bones and tender tissues traumatized by a childhood fall, taught by a specialist teacher, practising what was then known as remedial yoga, today commonly referred to as yoga therapy. I know, without a doubt, that yoga and mindfulness meditation can heal the body, centre and focus the mind and restore sagging spirits. But being human and subject to the pressures of life, I didn’t always listen! Insecurity had me chasing a career: from teaching to working my way to senior roles alongside the great and the good in global Public Relations and communications for various not-for-profits and humanitarian organisations. The stress levels were stratospheric though it provided a dubious kind of glamour! Then one day I was diagnosed with a TIA (a stroke). And I listened. You don’t have to go through the same! Today, my work is varied: working therapeutically with patients referred for psychiatric care in a team of psychiatrists, psychotherapists and others; to teaching mindfulness-based and yoga classes & courses to the public who come in all shapes, colours and sizes. I am also interested in healing traditions from other cultures as a pathway to wholeness, e.g., shamanism. It’s been my privilege to lead programmes in partnership with local government agencies, GPs, academics, schools and corporate organisations to support everyone from children, young adults, working people, stressed, anxious and clinically depressed people, & those suffering with trauma diagnoses to learn ways to restore their wellbeing with skills and knowledge with an evidence base in science, mindfulness and yoga-based traditions. I have enhanced DBS and teach either group or one-to-one sessions online or in person: Weekly group yoga and mindfulness-based meditation classes (online & in person) One-to-one sessions and courses (online & in person) Yoga and mindfulness courses & workshops for all levels (dates to be confirmed) A blog and social media posts to inspire and provide resources to oil the wheels of your week (irregular!) A few retreats a year where you can immerse yourself in learning body wisdom and mind craft among kind, friendly and welcoming groups of like-souled people. In my free time I enjoy travel or watching travel documentaries, learning languages, walks with Mother Nature, the gym (not really but I do resistance exercise), music, art and dancing – Argentine tango and historical dances from the Baroque and Regency periods with the Winchester Baroque Dancers and Duke of Wellington’s Dancers. I am a Jane Austen superfan or Janeite and appear in a BBC documentary commemorating 200 years of her death in 2017! I have twin nephews and a niece, who all started practising yoga while very young. I’m hoping to add a rescue pug to the family very soon.

Duck And dive / The Aqua Clinic

duck and dive / the aqua clinic

Bradford

Duck and Dive was formed over 25 years ago. After teaching scuba diving in Cyprus, Garry returned to the United Kingdom and opened Duck and Dive, originally teaching theory from his grandmother’s cellar in Eccleshill in Bradford. A few months later we had out grown the premises, so bought a static caravan at Moor Valley Park, Hawksworth, over the moors near Baildon. This became his base for academic training for 6 years. Previously using Shipley dive pool for practical teaching, it was limited to 45 minutes a week and it was used for as long as possible before moving to Tong pool, which we used twice a week on Thursday and Saturdays. Unfortunately, Bradford MDC closed the pool, so operations were moved to Bingley Grammar school. The pool was not deep enough for Scuba and was not fit for purpose, it was then, we decided to be in control of his own destiny and build his own pool In Shipley. Ten years ago, the journey of The Aqua clinic begun. Before the pool was built we had a fully functioning and stocked dive shop in the building next door in Shipley. It was here in the late 1990’s he started teaching technical diving and exploring ship wrecks around the UK. This led onto Garry forming a company called Narked at 60, which was his own brand of diving equipment and was one of the first online e-commerce scuba equipment web stores. This evolved into the range being sold in most major dive shops in the UK and in an array of dive stores around the world. This success meant bigger premises were required so we moved to a larger unit off Preston street in Bradford. Work commenced with the famous brand RAB clothing on our under-suit garments, Typhoon international and ISP for our buoyancy products and Bowstone diving on the design and development of utility equipment. Garry then worked with specialist metal work companies their services of laser cutting, tumbling/ deburring, electro polishing and powder coating of the stainless-steel range which helped make a more rounded product. Garry also teamed up with local companies in the Yorkshire region to offer dry suit repairs and produce his own branded Narked at 60 made to measure Dry suits, both in neoprene and membrane materials. Garry worked with Business link and target export support team (TESS) and wrote manuals for their product range and CE marked goods. This enabled him to start travelling to worldwide exhibitions, demonstrating the British made product range and signing up distributors helping him to become one of the biggest British made suppliers. This was run in line with him teaching courses in which students were using his own equipment, this included police forces across the U.K. At its peak he was teaching over 450 students a year at all levels and became some of the youngest TDI /SDI Instructors in Europe. Garry has been a PADI instructor for over 25 years and retains his qualification. Garry has worked with the BBC helping produce documentaries for the television and has written articles for the Telegraph & Argus newspaper and technical dive magazines. Garry in 2008 started work with building his own pools in the current premises and he was keen to teach main stream scuba and offer specialised swimming lessons which is offered today in Duck and Dive.

Sarah Louise Dix Upholstery

sarah louise dix upholstery

Surrey

Sarah Louise Dix Upholstery was formed in 2005 by Sarah Dix. The business comprises of the Couture Label, the Pink Label, SLD Upholstery Services and upholstery courses & workshops. The Couture Label evolved from fusion ideas and specialises in the design and upholstery of quality vintage furniture inspired by the construction and form of clothing. The label’s designs are part artwork part furniture creating highly individual finished pieces. Some designs physically incorporate a vintage garment creating a surreal air while others have structural elements such as corsetry, the Corset Chair, or tailoring. Sarah’s furniture was shown at the London menswear show Stitch in February 2010 on the Blaqua menswear stand and were stocked at their shops in Newburg Street W1 and Kings Road SW3. In November 2013 Sarah bought an antique chaise longue from Katherine Higgins on BBC Put your Money Where your Mouth Is and reupholstered it in red velvet and faux fur with a corset back. Then in February 2014 She sold the Corset Chaise to Jeff Salmon on the Channel 4 TV programme Four Rooms for £1200. 2010 saw the launch of the Pink Label. The Pink Label is the diffusion range and produces the Corset Chair at a more affordable price. The original Corset Chair design has been simplified, the frames are new exact copies of the original Victorian shape and are upholstered using modern materials. Sarah also sold the chairs at Follet in Petworth, Sussex in 2012. The Upholstery Courses were introduced in January 2012 and run for ten weeks. The first teaching venue was at The National Trust property the Barge Building Shed. Dapdune Wharf. Guildford. Sarah had a residency there and courses run throughout the year in stunning surroundings, on the banks of the River Wey. She also launched courses in the studio space at The Art Works in East Horsley. This was a unique space selling contemporary arts and crafts. Other course locations were in Farnham, Grayshott and Cranleigh Arts Centre. Once Sarah was able to take on her own space in Godalming, the courses ran inhouse from then on. The spaces include Studio 22 and Bargate House and the current property in Farncombe. The courses are very popular and often over subscribed. Sarah also runs Beginners Footstool day workshops once a month on a Saturday. The workshops give a great introduction to upholstery and helpful when considering undertaking a ten week course. SLD Upholstery Services offers a full reupholstery service for clients. This service has been running alongside the design side and courses from the beginning. The workroom now has four professional upholsterers working on various pieces of furniture for customers. This can range from a cushion cover to a three piece suit. The company has undertaken work from a variety of people such as titled Ladies, artists to royalty, Pop Stars (a pink latex bed for Nicki Minaj’s world tour 2018), partners in top London banks and Mrs Judge from around the corner. She gets to visit the most amazing houses including one once owned by Chris Evans and Mary Wondrausch's unique home crammed with her pottery. Sarah continues to expand the shop and fabric accounts with fabrics available from fabric houses such as Designers Guild, Romo, Osbourne & Little, Christian Lacroix.

jonsterckx.co.uk

jonsterckx.co.uk

Tabla Percussion World Music Workshops. Samswara Indian Music, Sitar & Tabla, Stroud, Devon & South West UK Jon Sterckx is a tabla player & innovative percussionist with 30 years experience of working with world percussion & World Music. He studied tabla in UK with Harjinder Singh Matharu and in India with Shivanand Bandhari at the Naadashree Arts Institute in Kumta, Karnataka, and with Kailash Nishad in Benares (Varanasi). Jon has performed twice at TED events, and his performance at TEDxWarwick was selected from over 10,000 TED events globally for inclusion in the TED Global Music Project. Jon plays a range of percussion instruments and has worked across a wide range of musical styles, from Indian classical music and other traditional world music to contemporary experimental & ‘fusion’ styles, theatre & dance collaborations, and his solo multi-percussion Live Sampling / Live Looping performances – Drumscapes. Jon is available for percussion performances, Tabla and percussion tuition in Stroud & Gloucestershire, world rhythm workshops across UK and as a session musician anywhere in the world, through remote recording sessions. Jon has delivered Tabla, World Music, Indian Music & World Rhythm workshops to schools, colleges, universities & festivals for over 20 years. Contact for more information & booking details. Jon is a Tutor and Mentor for South West Music School, an Associate of Wiltshire Music Connects and a partner of Swindon Music Service. He also runs weekly tabla classes in Swindon. Jon has performed with various artists and groups including Indo/Arabic instrumental duo Taaliqa, Fusion group Dhani, Balkan Folktronica duo Arhai and Drumscapes – his unique solo multi-percussion live sampling performances which he has performed at WOMAD, London International Arts Festival, Beautiful Days, Pulse festival, Drum Camp, Tribe of Doris, World Music Workshop Festival and at most of the UK’s main world music festivals & Melas. Jon’s Drumscapes work has also been featured twice by music software company Ableton in the Ableton blog. Jon was a selected performer at the National Celebration of British Asian Live Arts in 2008, and his sitar & tabla duo Samswara were voted ‘Best Group in South West & South Wales’ in the MTM South Asian & Ethnic Minorities Awards 2014. Jon has recorded for Grammy winning composer Christopher Tin on his album ‘The Drop That Contained The Sea’, Grammy nominated producer Arun Shenoy on the track ‘Bliss’, BBC Music Folk Award winners Phil Henry & Hannah Martin album ‘Singing The Bones’ and Americana folk artist ‘Mean’ Mary James amongst many others. Jon has been commissioned by the music creation software company Bandlab to produce content for their platform. Jon has produced sample packs in Bollywood Percussion, Tabla and his own ‘Jon Sterckx Signature’ pack. Tuition &Training: Jon’s tabla tuition began in Cardiff with Harjinder Singh Matharu from Birmingham. Harjinder gave Jon a good solid foundation in tabla playing between 1994 – 1998 as well as the encouragement & inspiration to commit himself seriously to the instrument. In 1994 / 1995, Jon returned to India where he learned from Shivanand Bhandari at the Naadashree Arts Institute in Kumta, Karnataka, India. In 1998 & 1999, Jon returned to India and studied with Kailash Nishad in Benares, (Varanasi) in North India, a city renowned for the study of North Indian (Hindustani) music. In 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 & 2005 Jon organised performances & workshops for Kailash in the UK, where he delivered workshops in universities & performed Tabla solos at Arts Centres & venues in the South West UK. During these month long visits to the UK, Kailash stayed with Jon in Devon and continued Jon’s tabla tuition. They also gave performances together, with Taaliqa playing the first set & Kailash performing tabla solo in the second. In 2005 they also performed together in a collaborative finale. Jon’s other musical studies include a BA ( Hons ) Music degree from Dartington College of Arts in 2000, where his main subject was in composing music for live performance.