‘To feel joy in the body is to declare, even in the face of adversity: I am here, I am whole, I belong.’

About our programme

At a time of rapid growth in dance practices firmly rooted within and across the field of dance in health, it is a pivotal time to come together to reflect and consider how we shape the ways in which we approach it, and what it means for the communities we work with.

Our Dance, Health & Wellbeing Network brings together people working at the intersection of dance for health and wellbeing and creative health, where we will create space for continued learning, connection and advocacy, led by the needs and challenges of practitioners working across the sector.

The network is connected by a shared belief in the power of dance as art and people-centred practice demonstrated by engagement of people as dancers in joyful, artistic activity. Alongside this, we champion practitioner wellbeing, recognising and engaging with shared experiences and challenges.

Yaël Owen, Head of Health & Wellbeing, Deputy CEO

yael@communitydance.org.uk

Network overview

Through inspirational speakers and presenters, the network will offer information, support and resources to dance artists, practitioners, teachers, performers and researchers, working in and across dance health & wellbeing contexts. We will also share news about national/international projects, in-person/online courses and professional development opportunities. We will profile the significance and impacts of dance in health & wellbeing and in the field of Creative Health.

The Dance, Health & Wellbeing Network will

• Establish the Dance, Health & Wellbeing Network as a space that leads and shares innovative approaches, good practice and facilitates discourse and debate in the field and will function across the field of dance in health contexts, creative health and supports the health and wellbeing of the dance teaching artist
• Host two online meetings per year offering connection, dialogue, exchange and support between people, across the field, and where appropriate, to offer in-person professional development workshops, focused on dance in health & wellbeing as part of People Dancing’s annual Summer Workshops programme
• Collect and curate a broad range of content for People Dancing’s dance, health & wellbeing newsletter with a focus on disseminating cutting edge practices, sharing resources, information, training and, where possible, to include the ‘voice’ of people from across the network
• Continue sector advocacy, by engaging with knowledge sharing, cutting-edge innovations, and high-quality practice across alongside practitioners working in dance and health, and, where possible to expand links in both national and international contexts.

Latest edition of Animated magazine: special focus on dance, health & wellbeing

At a time of rapid growth in community and participatory dance practice firmly rooted within the field of Creative Health these articles capture the rich thinking, reflections, and practice of community artists, academics, policy creators and researchers shaping the ways in which we approach this work and what it means for the communities we work with.

Yaël Owen, Deputy CEO and Head of Health & Wellbeing at People Dancing introduces this collection of inspiring, and current writing across dance, health, and wellbeing.

You can access the Dance, Health & Wellbeing special focus free of charge online. Access to the full magazine is available to members of People Dancing.

Access the special focus here