Dance Well

2016 to present

Dance Well is Akademi’s participatory and performance programme to improve the health and wellbeing of the general population through the medium of South Asian Dance.

Dance Well began in January 2016 as a three-year project with funding from Big Lottery Fund, initially working with older adults especially those living with dementia or poor lung and cardiac health or generally experiencing loneliness. Since then, Akademi’s learning and participation dance artists have been delivering workshops and intimate performances for all ages; from young children to older adults, in a range of settings from community organisations and care homes to hospital atriums and wards.

Alongside the participatory programme, Akademi runs a hugely successful performance programme across a number of London hospitals, including a long-standing partnership with Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust. Feedback from existing hospital programmes has demonstrated the positive impact these performances have on patients, visitors and staff alike.

Akademi also provides specially developed useful resources to the artists and the participants, such as workshop teaching resources, participants booklets and exercise videos, take-away packs with activity cards and fun props to use.

Currently Dance Well activities are funded by the City Bridge Trust and The Linbury Trust along with some individual settings.