As Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Global Grooves, Leon leads a passionate team focused on empowering communities, celebrating cultural diversity, and using the arts as a driving force for social and community development.

Holly is an accomplished percussionist, cultural leader, and advocate for equity in the arts. As Artistic Director and co-founder of Global Grooves, Holly channels her passion for rhythm, community, and cultural exchange into creating transformative opportunities for creativity and connection.

Eraldo Marques is an arts leader, cultural innovator, and activist with over 20 years of experience in delivering arts for social change. As Executive Director and co-founder of Global Grooves, Eraldo brings his expertise in community-driven arts practice to foster cross-cultural understanding.

Amelia is an arts leader with expertise in cultural innovation, sustainability, and community empowerment. As General Manager of The Vale, home of Global Grooves, she ensures that the organisation’s operations align with creative excellence, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability.

Freya’s work has taken her across the globe, enriching her artistic practice and expanding her vision for inclusive, community-focused arts. Fast becoming one of Manchester’s most dynamic and influential young arts leaders, she represents the future of the sector.

Jane initially became involved with Global Grooves as a volunteer with one of our community projects in Oldham in the early 2000s. Jane saw an opportunity to transfer her previous professional skills in Higher Education to an exciting new environment and continue with her commitment to social action.

Ciara is a talented arts producer whose leadership is integral to the success of Global Grooves' community-focused initiatives.

As Marketing and Communications Manager at Global Grooves, Rhea brings her passion for the arts, community, and Carnival to connect audiences with the organisation's mission and vibrant cultural programming.

As Arts Administrator, she ensures the smooth coordination of the organisation’s ambitious programmes, connecting all elements of its work and enabling the team to deliver transformative cultural projects in unison.

Johnny joins Global Grooves to spearhead the development of a diverse live music and events programme at The Vale and in unconventional spaces and places on UK high streets.

With a foundation in electronic engineering and a passion for music, Jon seamlessly blends technical mastery with artistic authenticity, ensuring our projects remain both cutting-edge and true to their cultural roots.

Lizzie is a local visual artist, who's worked with Global Grooves for the last few years. Lizzie was a lead visual artist in the 'Creating Carnival Illuminated' project for Mossley Light festival and has been growing as an artist ever since.

Scott Darraugh has been the Chair of Global Grooves since 2017, bringing his extensive experience in social enterprise and community leadership to support the organisation’s mission to unite and empower individuals and communities through opportunities to experience and create inspirational art.

Simran Patel became a non-executive board member at Global Grooves in 2024, taking on the role of Board Champion for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity.

Charlie Morrison is a non-executive director on the Global Grooves board, bringing a wealth of expertise in arts management, strategic leadership, and organisational development.

Freya’s work has taken her across the globe, enriching her artistic practice and expanding her vision for inclusive, community-focused arts. Fast becoming one of Manchester’s most dynamic and influential young arts leaders, she represents the future of the sector.

Eraldo Marques is an arts leader, cultural innovator, and activist with over 20 years of experience in delivering arts for social change. As Executive Director and co-founder of Global Grooves, Eraldo brings his expertise in community-driven arts practice to foster cross-cultural understanding.

Holly is an accomplished percussionist, cultural leader, and advocate for equity in the arts. As Artistic Director and co-founder of Global Grooves, Holly channels her passion for rhythm, community, and cultural exchange into creating transformative opportunities for creativity and connection.

As Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Global Grooves, Leon leads a passionate team focused on empowering communities, celebrating cultural diversity, and using the arts as a driving force for social and community development.

"I am a multi instrumentalist and producer with diverse influences and styles eg. Jazz, Afro swing, hip hop, world music.
Percussion inspired me as a young person and helped me to be in touch with my heritage, where I spent lots of time learning and shadowing my mentors and other musicians. This brought around opportunities for me to write my own percussion arrangements and teach them in different groups, and develop as a teacher/leader."

Jack is a Manchester based trumpeter and arranger. He has led on the creation of melody for our large scale performances across the UK, weaving together his many musical influences and skills to produce new work. He has facilitated the coming together of numerous local brass players and ensembles through our ongoing programmes. Jack plays predominantly with jazz and blues artists, with a busy touring schedule both across UK and Europe.

Lizzie is a local visual artist, who's worked with Global Grooves for the last few years. Lizzie was a lead visual artist in the 'Creating Carnival Illuminated' project for Mossley Light festival and has been growing as an artist ever since.

Jordan got involved with Global Grooves in 2014 as a part of our Future Leaders programme after playing in a community drumming band in Edinburgh since the age of 12. Since then he's continued his studies into world music, specialising in Brazilian carnival percussion which has taken him to Brazil on multiple occasions.

Adriana is an exceptional performer and choreographer with over 20 years’ experience in choreography, dance performance, training and teaching worldwide.

Guga is a percussionist, singer, dancer, music teacher, luthier, plastic artist, and contra master of Capoeira Angola. He is a complete artist, with a deep commitment to honouring and valuing our cultural roots.

Mikiba has played percussion with professional award winning Baterias in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for over 10 years. He has performed with premiership Samba Schools including Escola de Samba Camisa Verde e Branco, Escola de Samba Aguia de Ouro, Escola de Samba Tucuruvi and five-time champions, Mocedade Alegre.

Christian has played a key role in the development of many Global Grooves projects. As a specialist in Cuban percussion and folkloric traditions, he has worked with the company for many years providing training, advice, musical direction and the delivery of workshops and courses.

Founder/director of One Voice Music and lead masterclass facilitator for Global Grooves, Raz is an all-round percussionist specialising in the traditional drumming of Afrocuban and Afro-Brazilian music.

Mel has worked with Global Grooves since 2013 and has designed and made headdresses for the principal dancers at many festivals and events since then.

Dan is Mossley-based musician and artist. He works behind the scenes and as a performer/artist with Carnival arts organisations Global Grooves and Cabasa Carnival Arts.

Danny Henry, the legend himself! Danny is one of Manchester's most established Carnival dancers, having spent years developing the work of Manchester School of Samba. He is a highly experienced professional dancer working in schools, colleges and community centres leading dance projects, workshops, and classes. Danny is a hugely popular workshop artist with an impressive skill in getting anyone up to dance, especially when they're least expecting to!

Rowan has been working with Global Grooves since 2016. After completing her studies in Textiles at Manchester School of Art, she became a young apprentice on Global Grooves’ Future Leaders course as a visual artist.

Seby Ntege is a singer-songwriter from the Busoga region of eastern Uganda, renowned for producing some of the best multi-instrumentalists in the country and himself is a master of several folk instruments from his country including akogo thumb piano (a.k.a. kalimba), endongo lyre, adungu harp, percussion and endingidi, a one stringed fiddle.

Lauren specialises in costumes and puppets with a focus on community engagement. She grew up attending festivals such as Streets Ahead where she developed a love for outdoor arts and street theatre.

Helen joined the team in 2016 as part of Creating Carnival. She is the musical director of the project that uses Brazilian and Cuban rhythms to tell the story of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Bridget joined the Global Grooves team in 2016 as part of Creating Carnival. Having performed with Global Grooves previously, she was then offered the opportunity to choreograph the dance for The Tempest. Using traditional dance from Brazil, Cuba, and the Caribbean Islands, the story was retold in Carnival form.

Mitch is a drummer, percussionist and educator. He joined the Global Grooves team in 2017 as an associate artist for The Desi Carnival.

Gordon has been working with us for many years as a visual artist, workshop facilitator and sculptor. He brings a wealth of experience, particularly in our local community as a part time and voluntary Director of Mossley Community Arts LTD for 25 years.

Kooj Chuhan is a digital artist, filmmaker and creative producer. He artistically interweaves racial justice with climate resistance using a range of approaches including interactive media, theatrical VJ work and augmented reality combined with a critical cultural democracy practice.

Mariana Pinho is a Brazilian artist, based in London since 2004. Through the years she has been a living ambassador of Brazilian culture through her work on dance, costume, international production, and cultural tourism as the Artistic Director of Gandaia Arts and its awarded resident group Maracatudo Mafua.

Nadia has been working with Global Grooves since 2018 and is an experienced and enthusiastic dancer with a passion for all things Cuban, in particular Rumba and folkloric Afro-Cuban dances.

Since the early nineties, Iain Mellor has nurtured and furthered the musical skills of hundreds of musicians in the North West through Cabasa Carnival Arts and community outreach workshops. In 2001, Iain co-founded Bangdrum, a leading school workshops provider which aided the successful development of Global Grooves.

Dance instructor on the Edun Ara – bloco de carnaval project and other OVM and Global Grooves workshops, Marcia Magliari is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She teaches Samba, Afro-Brazilian, Frevo, Forro, Lambada, Gafieira (samba ballroom), Salsa, Merengue and a Stretch class.

At the close of 2021, we said a sad goodbye to our dear friend and teacher, Ian. We raise a glass, a drum stick and a shaky thing supported by his musical ‘threads to the top of our heads’ and say thank you, we love you. 

JP Courtney is a professional percussionist, performer, tutor and event
organiser from Ireland. He specialises in folk and carnival music from Cuba and Brazil and is considered the best
talent in his field in the UK whilst al being a reference for rhythmical information on the
modern street carnival of Rio de Janeiro.

Gabriel Lopes is a professional musician since the beginning of the 2000s. He has been teaching for over 10 years with international renoiwed 'Monobloco' preparing students for the parades in Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and São Paulo.

Mauro Jorge do Nascimento, better known as Mestre Maurão, was born in the Cruzada São Sebastião, south of Rio de Janeiro.
After many years playing on Tijuca and others samba schools, in 1999 he became bateria director of Unidos da Tijuca at the invitation of Mestre Celinho, where he remained until 2001. From that moment Maurão accumulated experience working as a director in different schools, learning from the masters of the time.

Sarah is a visual artist and printmaker. Through collage and screen print she investigates the legacy of Modernist architecture and post-war social housing, viewed through the lens of documentary photography and the public history archive, while questioning the experience of women within the urban built environment and the complex relationship between female bodies, architecture, and space.

Emily is Artistic Director of Cabasa. She is responsible for the overall visual aesthetic of the project, managing our team of professional visual artists and makers.

Kate has been working as a producer and performer for Global Grooves since discovering the power of Carnival. Now pursuing her love for visual arts and making, she is a freelance artists and producer for our lead partner Cabasa and will be responsible for much of the creative makes in our studios.

Dan is Mossley-based musician and artist. He works behind the scenes and as a performer/artist with Carnival arts organisations Global Grooves and Cabasa Carnival Arts.