Akademi has been investigating dance and health approaches through its education and community department.
Dance as Exercise
In particular, dance and movement can be important in creating opportunities for people to work on their health and well-being. Dance can connect into the healthy living message of a good balanced diet and taking regular exercise.
Partnerships with Camden’s Active Health Team and Healthier Communities Team have helped Akademi understand the ways it can continue to work with London’s communities on enjoyable ways to keep active. Age Concern, Age Well and the Asian Health Agency have also welcomed Akademi’s dancers into their centres for workshops.
Akademi also works with teenagers in helping them to overcome issues of body image and tackling obesity and by offering dance and exercise as an alternative to sedentary activity.
Dance as Creative Release
Akademi has also worked on projects where people facing mental health issues have been given a creative, supportive and safe space and time in which to beat issues of depression, isolation and a new way of expressing the self and finding release from a difficult mental state.
For example, Akademi has worked with MIND - Time to Change by offering Bollywood dancing for a Croydon women’s group. Akademi has worked with young people within Pupil Referral Units and London’s Summer Universities creating innovative programmes dealing with anger management and behavioural issues through performance and media projects.
Dance for Life
Akademi has delivered programmes that sensitively address issues arising from young people’s lifestyle pressures and choices. These have focused on body image, drugs awareness education and HIV issue based work. We have also run participatory projects in hospital wards, for example, at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital working with Antenatal and Orthopaedic patients and staff.
Akademi is a Change for Life partner.
Akademi’s React is an on-going project working in London schools and venues developing young people’s skills and confidence to make positive choices in their lives regarding health, education, career andrelationships.
