About Us
União da Mocidade (Union of the Youth) is a Brazilian music and dance project for 12-25 year olds, which brings together students from all over London to rehearse and perform. Our focus is on Samba, the traditional carnival music and dance of Rio de Janeiro.
União da Mocidade, otherwise known as UDMSamba delivers monthly workshops free of charge to students who attend the ongoing weekly percussion classes delivered in their schools. We are currently mostly active in the London Boroughs of Westminster and Harrow, but we have links to many boroughs including Hackney, Southwark and Lambeth.
Our dedicated performing group has taken part in carnivals and festivals both inside and outside London. Now in our nineteenth year, performance credits include the British Summertime Festival, Lambeth Country Show, Thames Festival, Fruitstock, Rhythmsticks Festival and Ealing Jazz Festival as well as carnivals in Oxford, Brighton and Luton.
Our Vision
Unite
- Unite young people across London from different cultural and social backgrounds. - Reduce the risk of social exclusion within the youth sector and instil a sense of appreciation for their differences, whatever they are.
Inspire
Inspire young people to build a community together. UDM is the opportunity for them to raise their levels of achievement and self-confidence.
Create
Gain a cultural understanding and appreciation of samba as a carnival art form and its value as a learning medium and push creative boundaries.
Who's Who
UDM Team
There are a group of magical, wonderful, dedicated people who help UDM happen. They are ex-members, members of the samba community, dancers and drummers. These are just a few of them, there are so many more including past and present photographers, musicians and dancers who give their time and skills and support. There are no words to describe our appreciation of them and the list of things they do is long and probably quite weird. But basically, they are an amazing bunch of humans and we love them ♥