Your say / UWE Bristol
‘From classrooms to choirs: a memorable Project Zulu trip’
In May, the Project Zulu biennial choir tour returns to the UK. Twenty children aged 11 to 14 will leave South Africa for the first time to tour the South West, performing traditional Zulu song and dance in concert halls, churches, schools, and city centres.
But Project Zulu is more than a choir tour. Run by UWE Bristol, the initiative provides educational development projects promoting lifelong learning opportunities across township schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, through volunteering trips by staff and students.
The latest trip to South Africa in February was an enriching experience, offering opportunities for cultural exchange, academic collaboration and personal growth.
is needed now More than ever
The trip had three key aims: engaging with students and academics in Richards Bay, coordinating plans with school principals in Dundee and Newcastle for the August volunteering period, and catching up with the 2025 Project Zulu choir as they prepare for their highly anticipated tour.
Seven UWE Bristol PGCE Secondary students from disciplines including science, geography, PE, and art and design, spent two weeks at our partner schools in Richards Bay. These aspiring educators put their newly acquired skills, knowledge, and experience into practice in an environment marked by larger class sizes and limited resources and technology.
One student reflected: “It was a fun opportunity that enabled us to experience other cultures and different teaching styles, which we will carry forward in our teaching careers in England. It has developed our adaptability, teaching with limited resources and increased our confidence in our subject knowledge.”
A highlight of the trip was a day of cultural exchange and academic collaboration between UWE Bristol students and academics and the University of Zululand (UNIZULU). This provided an opportunity to discuss Zulu culture, share insights and explore future research ideas. For the UWE Bristol students, it was an eye-opening experience to get a feel for university life in South Africa, tour the UNIZULU campus, and attend a lecture.
The exchange continued as UNIZULU students visited UWE Bristol students at their partner schools to observe their teaching methods and offer feedback. This mutual learning experience fosters a sense of camaraderie and understanding between the two groups. UWE Bristol students also had the unique opportunity to live with Zulu host families, providing another layer of cultural immersion.
Midway through the trip, the Project Zulu team met with school principals in Dundee and Newcastle to plan the August volunteering period. These meetings are essential for planning and maintaining the success of our joint initiatives.
And, for those of you who are eagerly anticipating the choir’s tour, we had the exciting opportunity to catch up with them during rehearsals. They were practising in the summer heat, perfecting their harmonies, rhythm and timing to ensure they are performance-ready for their visit to Bristol and the South West from Saturday May 17 to Sunday June 8.
UWE PGCE student Alice Ditchburn teaching at Khula High School
One choir member shared: “I feel very great, nervous [and] excited at the same time. I’m the first one [in my family] to have a passport, and the first one to go overseas, and I’m the first one getting this opportunity, so it means a lot to me and my family.”
Throughout the three-week tour, the choir will perform concerts, busk in city centres and make media appearances. The tour will culminate in a Project Zulu Gala Concert featuring Britain’s Got Talent Finalist, Innocent Masuku, at the Bristol Beacon on Thursday, June 5.
All profits raised from the choir tour will be sent directly to the schools of the Project Zulu 2025 Choir to improve educational facilities, including harnessing solar energy and installing learning and technology equipment to develop digital classrooms.
Project Zulu choir will return to Bristol this summer after its success in 2023 which raised some vital funds for several educational projects in South Africa
In addition, the choir will visit primary and secondary schools across Bristol, offering cultural exchange opportunities. Generous hosts in Bristol will open their homes to the choir members, providing a reciprocal hosting experience.
For more information visit www.projectzulu.org
This is an opinion piece by Kate Willis, Project Zulu coordinator, about a recent trip to South Africa for Project Zulu.
All photos: Project Zulu/UWE Bristol
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
