Dance Base - Dance Base outreach project
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As Scotland’s National Centre for Dance, Dance Base offers a vibrant and uplifting focal point for dance and dance-related activity. Through its influence it reaches out to inspire wellbeing and creativity, and cultivates a future for dance in local, national and international communities.
Background
Dance Base has a long and productive history of developing dance in the community. It is committed to giving people of all ages and abilities a positive and creative experience of dance and, through their involvement in dance activity, of increasing their physical, social, mental and emotional well-being. Its Outreach Programme aims to target people who cannot easily access dance because of social, economic or geographical restrictions.
Current Projects
- Careers Scotland, school non attenders programme (SNAP)
- Stroke rehabilitation group
- Outlook project
- Dunedin and Canmore Housing Association, tenants group
- Oaklands school, pupils and teachers
- Sighthill day centre
- The Royal High School, working together team
- Edinburgh Self Harm Project
- Janis Claxton Dance Company, Zoo Project with nursery groups
- St Nicholas and Kingsinch schools
- Kaimes School
- St Marys RC Primary School, Leith
The Dance Base Outreach Programme makes people feel happier, fitter and healthier. It increases confidence, improves communication and encourages people to work together. Working in partnership with teachers, carers and service providers, our team of dancers will inspire and motivate even the most reluctant of movers!
The programme is managed by Janet Dick, Outreach Co-ordinator and delivered by resident Youth Dance Worker, Allan Irvine, along with 5 or 6 other specialist Dance Teachers who also teach on its year–round community dance programme.
Dance Base’s vast experience in teaching dance in community settings over the last twelve years has shown that dance enhances physical and emotional well-being as well as raising levels of self -confidence and motivation. The artfull Exemplar Project, therefore, fits extremely well into its overall programme of Outreach work and Dance Base welcomes the opportunity to work with groups of children and adults where there is a particular emphasis on improving mental health and well-being.
There is certainly both a need and a demand for work in this area and Dance Base is keen to build upon skills and contacts that have already been made. In order to achieve this it is planning the following:
- to establish a team of outreach teachers, ideally with transferable skills, for fully inclusive work in all our targeted settings
- to work collaboratively and in partnership with neighbourhood-wide groups, with statutory, voluntary sector and private agencies
- to provide a training programme which will enhance and develop the skills of the outreach team
- to promote the benefits of dance to service providers through an active programme of participation, discussion and professional development
Dance Base has received extremely positive and encouraging feedback from the many groups and individuals with whom it has already worked. Dance Base considers its Outreach Programme as a vital component in its organisational structure.
The Exemplar Project has also widened the opportunities available to Dance Base to work with youth groups supporting young people in a variety of challenging circumstances: homeless, at risk and excluded young people who had very little opportunity to take part in dance. Through working with those communities and youth agencies, this aspect of Dance Base’s work supports these young people towards positive life choices.