WHO WE ARE
Mbilla Arts is a Community Interest Company located in Walthamstow, East London, dedicated to celebrating and sharing West African culture through African drumming workshops, African dance workshops and performances for cultural events including Black History Month. We specialise in djembe drumming and traditional dance, offering immersive workshops and performances that connect people of all ages to the rich heritage of West Africa.
Our journey began in 2006 with a passion for African performing arts and a desire to build community through cultural expression. At Mbilla Arts, we strive to create an inclusive environment where participants can explore their creativity, learn new skills, experience the joy of rhythm and movement and improve their physical and mental health and wellbeing (read our interview here with London Arts & Health about our woodland wellbeing drumming sessions). We cater to schools, community groups, festivals, and corporate settings, ensuring that everyone can experience the magic of African arts.
Our mission is to use rhythm and movement to share stories, connect communities and celebrate the rich cultural traditions of West Africa.
Based in Waltham Forest, our programme offers creative and employment opportunities for people of all ages and abilities, in partnership with a team of experienced and talented artists and organisations including Waltham Forest Council, A New Direction, Organiclea, Havering Changing, Creative Barking & Dagenham, Waltham Forest Music Service, as well as nurseries, schools, and colleges.
Find out more about our team below.
*Mbilla is a Wolof word from Gambia meaning antelope – nimble and quick with its acrobatic moves, embodying the spirit of the dancer.
Meet the team
Meet the wonderful people behind the day-to-day running of Mbilla Arts. Our team works together to develop and deliver performances, workshops, events and creative projects, as well as building partnerships and supporting the organisation behind the scenes.
Together, we are committed to making African arts and culture accessible, engaging and inspiring for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Seneke Sillah
Founding Director and Lead
Musician
Chantelle Michaux
Director
Selina Jeremiah
Director
Kumbeh Sillah
PR & Media Officer
Biographies
Seneke Sillah- Founding Director and Lead Musician
Seneke is a skilled and experienced performer and educator, specialising in West African djembe and sabar drumming.
Music Education and Training
He was born in The Gambia in West Africa and from an early age he demonstrated a talent for playing mbalax, the traditional music of the Wolof people of The Gambia and Senegal, which is played on sabar drums. In his teens he began playing sabar at social occasions and religious ceremonies with various cultural troupes. Later, he was mentored in the art of playing djembe by master drummers including the late Thomas Camara from Guinea.
Career overview
In his early 20’s he joined groups providing entertainment in the Gambian tourist industry. After moving to the UK in 2004, he began teaching and performing in London. In 2006 he co-founded Mbilla Arts CIC and is the company’s lead musician.
Education Experience
Seneke has 20 years’ experience as a sessional artist leading African drumming workshops in corporate, education and community settings.
Recent education projects include A New Direction’s Primary Arts Touring Programme 2024-26 teaching and performing in mainstream and SEND Primary settings across London and Waltham Forest Music Service’s London Music Fund Project – Pulse and Pattern.
Health and Wellbeing
Seneke has worked on many health and wellbeing initiatives including a 6 month project for Incloodu at Springfield Psychiatric Hospital in Tooting in 2018 delivering weekly drumming workshops for deaf patients; Woodland Wellbeing Drum Circles in partnership with Organiclea from 2019 – 2023 (read his interview here with London Arts & Health) and Drum Circle Connects sessions for the African and Caribbean Community Health Network in 2024.
Performance Experience
Seneke performs regularly at corporate, education, community and social events as a soloist and with bands including Brighton-based Bakk Lamp Fall and London-based Koroleko and Jali Bakary Konteh. Seneke has performed at WOMAD, Barbican Walthamstow Garden Party, the Southbank Centre Africa Utopia Festival, Tropical Pressure Festival in the UK and at festivals and events in India, Germany, Poland, Holland, Switzerland and Spain.
Chantelle Michaux- Director
Chantelle is an experienced and energetic community arts educator with a passion for dance and music which she has studied in London, West Africa and Australia. She uses these music and dance influences in school and community settings to devise projects to support people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities to learn about West African culture and improve their physical and mental health and wellbeing. Chantelle was General Manager of Badejo Arts - an Arts Council England NPO which established itself at the cutting edge of contemporary African dance, blending traditional Nigerian dance with British contemporary dance. She is an experienced arts project manager and fundraiser. She is Director of Mbilla Arts CIC which she established in 2006 with Gambian musician Seneke Sillah. Chantelle was also the Creative Careers Schools & Business Partnerships Manager for Waltham Forest Council, Chair of the Waltham Forest Cultural Education Partnership and volunteered as a Community Health Champion for Leyton Orient Trust.
Selina Jeremiah- Director
Selina is a director of Mbilla Arts and has over 20 years' experience working as a drama educator, youth arts leader and mentor in East London. She has worked with people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities and is an inspiration to all who have the opportunity to work with her. She is currently running drama and youth programmes at CCA Camden and The Mill Walthamstow and also delivers PSHE and one-to-one mentoring at Waltham Forest College.
You can watch Selina talking about her training with Half Moon Young People's Theatre hereand the skills it has equipped her with for her education work.
Kumbeh Sillah- PR & Media Officer
Kumbeh works part-time for Mbilla Arts. She is currently studying Poliltics and International Relations at University of Warwick. Kumbeh has been performing commercial street dance and African dance since the age of 6 with groups such as Soul2Dance, Leaders Community, LAE Tottenham Dance Society, Warwick Uni Afro Dance Society and Mbilla Arts. Recent performances and workshops include Warwick Uni Afrofest XX11: The Glory, Warwick Uni Afrodance Society Amapiano Workshop, Boroughs United at Hackney Empire and The BLK Experience Part II at Bernie Grant Arts Centre. Kumbeh holds level 1 and 2 dance leadership qualifications and has an enhanced DBS check.
Our partners and funders
