Towards the end of last year we awarded funding to Spectrum Community Arts Ltd. They provide top quality performing arts workshops for people with disabilities and additional needs across Central Beds and Milton Keynes. They run evening clubs/groups as well as providing bespoke workshops for other schools and organisations. They keep their group numbers low and energy high in their accessible sessions.
Our funding went towards covering the costs of running an 11-week creative choreography project for 12 adults with disabilities and additional needs as part of Spectrum’s weekly dance club.
During this Adult Movers class, dancers learned different techniques for moving and expressing themselves through movement. The feedback reported that each week the dancers started with a set warmup which helped to warm, stretch and mobilise the participants ready for the class. Each class consisted of a creative activity and a dance routine. They also finished with a set cool down that brought the energy down and rested the body. Each week the dancers explored new creative activities, which aimed to get participants moving in different ways and push them out of their comfort zone, experiencing new ways of working, both in a group and individually. These explorations developed into a dance routine that they were able to share at The Milton Keynes Shopping Centre.
Creative activities included:
- Partner work creating a short movement sequence together – working on team work and communication
- Mirroring each other’s movements – working on concentration and leadership and developing a greater sense of empathy and understanding of other members of the group
- Isolations (exploring how different body parts can be used to move through space) As an example, we chose our elbow as the leader of movement and explored where it could take us in the room, travelling it up high, down low, and around. Working on having fun, creativity, self-awareness/sense of self and creativity.
- Freestyle circle – working on confidence, self-expression and performance techniques.
The performers LOVED showing their routines – developing their self-esteem, confidence and leaving them feeling fantastic!