Princess Anne Politely Declines Offer to Learn Rap from MBE-Honoured Educator
In a light-hearted moment at St James's Palace, Princess Anne graciously turned down an invitation to learn the art of rap from a teacher recently honoured for his innovative work in mental health and education. Bhishma Asare, founder of the pioneering initiative Rap Therapy, received his MBE from the Princess Royal during a ceremony on Thursday, where he shared insights into his programme before making the playful suggestion.
Creative Expression to Prevent Social Tragedies
Mr Asare, a 34-year-old English teacher at the Royal Russell School in Croydon and a long-time rapper, established Rap Therapy in 2018 with a clear mission: to use lyrical expression as a tool to help young people navigate their emotions and "prevent social tragedies." The programme encourages participants to write about specific emotions explicitly, enabling them to decipher and process complex feelings in a constructive manner.
During his conversation with Princess Anne, Mr Asare explained the therapeutic process before extending his offer. "I was explaining the process and saying that we get children to write about a specific emotion, to explicitly mention that emotion so they can decipher those feelings," he recounted. "Then I said to her 'maybe I could teach you to rap?' She said she used to sing and that is about it." The Princess Royal gently declined, adding that "her time is up" for such pursuits.
Breaking Stigmas and Building Communities
Rap Therapy operates with clear guidelines: no swearing, no cussing, and no degrading of anyone's race, religion, or gender. "You can always say something in a different way," Mr Asare emphasised. "It gets children to think about their word choices." The programme has demonstrated remarkable results, with children experiencing high levels of anxiety emerging from their shells and youngsters channelling anger productively through lyrical expression.
The initiative was born against a backdrop of vulnerable young people facing limited options in communities where many youth clubs have closed. "The overall mission is to help prevent social tragedies – things like ending up in mental health institutes, in prisons, not having the right outlets for expressions or even ending up dead sometimes, or in gangs," Mr Asare explained.
Recognition and Future Impact
Receiving the MBE for services to education and mental health awareness represents significant recognition for Mr Asare's work. "I feel like this MBE is for me but I also feel that it is for the community that I serve," he reflected. The honour opens doors to important discussions in spaces that might otherwise be inaccessible, particularly in deprived communities.
Beyond the workshops, which improve communication, teamwork, and listening skills applicable both in and out of classrooms, Rap Therapy includes a mentoring scheme. This allows students to discuss sensitive situations with mentors who share similar backgrounds, creating safe spaces for expression where they might not feel comfortable speaking with teachers or parents.
While acknowledging that some changes might be short-term, Mr Asare and his team are committed to creating longer-lasting impacts. Their vision continues to grow, reaching as many young people as possible through the powerful, popular medium of rap music, transforming rhythm and poetry into tools for mental wellbeing and creative expression.
