Lucy Burgess is a Dance Leader with DanceSyndrome who is from Poulton-le-Fylde. She joined DanceSyndrome in 2014. At that time, Lucy was 21 and attended Preston College studying dance and drama. Lucy heard about DanceSyndrome through the College and came along to try a workshop. She loved the sessions and has since completed the DanceSyndrome, ‘Dance By Example Leadership training’ at a Level 1 to enable her to become a Dance Leader and learning many transferable skills for life and work. Lucy is part of DanceSyndrome’s DS Collective performance company and loves performance work.
Aside from her voluntary Dance Leader role with DanceSyndrome, Lucy was keen to find paid employment. With help from her mum, Lucy signed up for the Down’s Syndrome Society’s Workfit scheme and was excited to start a new job in late 2023. We wanted to share Lucy’s success during Learning Disability Week 2024. The theme for the week is “Do you see me?” and on Wednesday 19th June specifically, this is focused on employment, with a theme of “Will you work with me?”
Lucy was very excited to start her job at H&M in Preston and it was extra special for her because she started on 21st November which is also her 31st birthday! The H&M team were immediately very welcoming and there was cake and decorations to celebrate Lucy’s big day!
When asked what Lucy likes about her new job, she said “There are nice staff there who are really friendly. They are very helpful and supportive of me and are there to talk to and are very nice to me. I went to my first Christmas party, and we went out for a meal. They include me in everything.”
Whilst discussing about the different responsibilities that she has, Lucy said “I have my own key and rota. I help with self-checkouts and tidying up. I would love to get the Employee of the month.”
Lucy is happy to be living an independent life. She talked about how she travels to work independently with a known and trusted taxi driver, she works hours that fit around other aspects of her life and she loves that she gets a staff discount so she can wear lots of nice clothes for work that she chooses herself.
Finding suitable work isn’t always easy for a person with a learning disability and there are often lots of barriers to overcome, but Lucy has had a really positive experience. She said “I did this through Workfit. I had a lady called Molly to support me and she worked with me and my mum. They talked to me about what jobs I would like and then Molly suggested me for this job. I like my job and I want to stay there and keep working there!”
The DanceSyndrome team are all very proud of Lucy and what she has achieved in the 10 years that she has been with us! We think she is doing an amazing job of challenging the way that society sees people with learning disabilities.
To find out more about Workfit, visit the Down’s Syndrome Association website. If you are interested in learning new skills through dance, why not look for a DanceSyndrome session that suits you? Visit the Sessions page on our website.
Monday 17th June sees the start of national Learning Disability Week 2024. This year for national Learning Disability Week, the theme is “Do you see me?”
This is something that DanceSyndrome’s dancers have considered a lot in recent years as work to raise awareness about what people with learning disabilities can achieve when given the right support and opportunities.
DanceSyndrome is an inclusive dance charity supporting people with learning disabilities to access a wide range of opportunities in community dance. A huge part of our mission is to challenge the way that society sees people with learning disabilities and what they are able to achieve. We challenge the barriers that people with a learning disability face by demonstrating and celebrating the amazing work that our Dance Leaders with learning disabilities are doing. This is exactly what the national #LDWeek campaign is about.
This year we have gone behind the scenes of SENse, our latest performance piece, to think about the co-production process and the messages that were built into the performance piece. We will be sharing one video each day showing a clip from the performance piece, with Dance Leaders explanations of the creative thought process behind that piece. If you would like to see SENse, there is a great opportunity to see it on 8th July as part of Kaleidoscope Festival at The Storyhouse in Chester.
We will also be introducing seven new choreographers with learning disabilities who have each created a dance piece which will be featured at our iCreate Choreographic Showcase on 1st July. It’s important that choreographers with learning disabilities have opportunities to create and we thought that Learning Disability Week 2024 was a good time to introduce their work. If you would like to see the pieces performed live, they will be presented for the first time at iCreate: A Choreographic Showcase on Monday 1st July at The Media Factory, in Preston.
You can check out the daily Learning Disability Week 2024 videos from each of these projects on our social media channels: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.
SENse
The theme for #LDWeek24 is “Do you see me?” During the week, we want to amplify the voices of our Dance Leaders with learning disabilities and share the ways that they use dance as a way to challenge perceptions about learning disabilities and the amazing things that they can achieve when they are seen and supported properly.
Follow us all through #LDWeek24 as we share the inspiration for different parts of the “SENse” piece, which addresses issues of visibility in society. We will be releasing new videos throughout the week, so keep checking back for new videos!
In a Big Brother world where it’s easy to feel as though we are constantly being watched.
Are we ever truly seen?
SENse explores humanity’s need to be seen, felt and heard through a number of episodic pieces that have been developed from individual dancers’ own connections to the theme.
The piece doesn’t follow a linear narrative and we invite our audience, to derive their own meaning from the episodes.
iCreate
DanceSyndrome will be celebrating the achievements of our beginner Choreographers who have individually created their own dance pieces at iCreate: A Choreographic Showcase on 1st July.
The evening will comprise of 7 new dance pieces which have been created by members of the DS Collective performance company, who each wanted to gain experience of being a Choreographer.
Everything you will see and hear, from lighting, costumes, set design, music and movements, will be the independent ideas of the choreographer, who is a person with a learning disability. Each day this week we will be introducing a different choreographer and their dance piece through videos on our social media.
Be prepared for the unexpected as we go from Barbie™️ to OuttaSpace and even Micheal Jackson! This event is about celebrating what happens when someone who is new to Choreography is enabled and allowed complete creative freedom!
We’d love it if you would join us for the live event:
iCreate: A Choreographic Showcase
Monday 1st July at 6:30pm
At The Media Factory, UCLan
Tickets are pay as you feel and are available to book online here: iCreate: A Choreographic Showcase
Upcoming Events
We’re looking forward to our Blackpool Takeover on 22nd June as part of Capital of Dance!
Join us as we dance in the streets for the Takeover!
More information about this and our other activities on the day:https://t.co/RpynAI2axA pic.twitter.com/8q1iCgcXGb
— DanceSyndromeUK (@DanceSyndromeUK) June 16, 2024
Leadership in Action!
Weds 26 June
Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester
Dance leaders with learning disabilities: move together, share experiences & shape the future of dance leadershipJoin members of #TeamDS at this inclusive dance event: https://t.co/9Yfkx6Xyyv pic.twitter.com/ZNRCPfTvi1
— DanceSyndromeUK (@DanceSyndromeUK) May 26, 2024
DanceSyndrome is proud to be performing as part of Kaleidoscope Festival – performances, events, workshops & activities programmed specifically for and by the learning disabled community
️ SENse
@StoryhouseLive #Chester
Monday 8th July
1:30pm
️ https://t.co/stPbOvhD1m pic.twitter.com/Uv6HcpELs1— DanceSyndromeUK (@DanceSyndromeUK) June 3, 2024
We hope that you will join us this week at one of our events, or by joining the conversation on social media. We hope to inspire people to see how much people with learning disabilities are able to achieve if they are given the right support. As a small charity, our mission is to provide the support needed so that people with learning disabilities can not just be included in dance sessions, but can take on visible leadership roles. Our work transforms lives for people who might not be able to access those opportunities elsewhere.
If you would like to support DanceSyndrome’s life-changing work with people with learning disabilities during Learning Disability Awareness Week, please visit our Donate page or donate directly using the form below.
DanceSyndrome is excited to announce that Jamie Waterall, England’s Deputy Chief Public Health Nurse, is joining our Board of Trustees.
Professor Jamie Waterall, currently serves as England’s Deputy Chief Public Health Nurse at the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, which forms part of the Department of Health and Social Care. He has been aware of DanceSyndrome’s work for several years, having met the team at an NHS conference and following them on social media and at other events. When the opportunity to join our Board of Trustees became available he was keen to apply, having seen the high impact the charity has through their inclusive dance activities.
Jamie has had a varied career, working across local, regional, national, and global positions within the health and care sector. He has led several high-profile policy areas such as the NHS Health Check, Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Family Nurse Partnership programmes. He has published on a wide range of subjects and continues to hold several honorary appointments, such as his Honorary Professorial positions at the University of Nottingham and the University of Hull. Jamie strongly believes that the 2020’s need to be a decade of global transformation, which sees health and care systems placing a stronger focus on preventing illness, promoting health and wellbeing, protecting the public’s health, and reducing health inequalities.
Jamie said “I am excited to have been appointed as a Trustee at DanceSyndrome. To have found an organisation which aspires to create a world which promotes inclusivity, social connectivity, physical activity, and improved wellbeing is so very special. I am really looking forward to working with the team to ensure that we now grow and develop the impact of the charity, whilst also having lots of fun along the way.”
Julie Nicholson, Managing Director at DanceSyndrome said “We are delighted to welcome Jamie Waterall to our team of Trustees. DanceSyndrome is going through a time of significant growth, and we are keen to have a Board of Trustees that reflects that. We were looking for someone with experience in health and social care who could help to align our work with national health and wellbeing objectives and Jamie is definitely the right person for this role. We’re really excited about what the future holds for us and are so glad Jamie is joining us on this journey!”
Jen Blackwell, DanceSyndrome Founder, Dance Leader & Trustee said “Welcome to our new Trustee, Jamie! I’m so happy to have Jamie on our Board of Trustees. People with learning disabilities need to be treated more equally in society and DanceSyndrome sets an example of how to do that, not just in dance. We think Jamie will do a brilliant job of helping us to share this DanceSyndrome message.”
To find out more about Jamie, visit his profile page on our website.
If you would like to support the life-changing work of DanceSyndrome, you can donate directly using the form below:
The Extended Impact of Our Work
For several years we have known that the impact of our work reaches far beyond the people who directly participate in our sessions by also improving the life of their immediate and extended families, their friends and members of the local community.
A survey was done with the parents and carers of our DS Collective performers and the results were overwhelmingly positive, and we share these below:
As a direct result of the person they care for participating with DanceSyndrome, parents/carers reported:
88% – their own life has been impacted positively
88% – DanceSyndrome provided new opportunities for parents/carers too
88% – DanceSyndrome exceeded their expectations
75% – feeling happier themselves
63% – experienced an improvement in their own mental health
50% – feeling more confident themselves
50% – had an improved relationship with the person they care for
25% – experienced an improvement in their physical health
25% – had improved their own employability skills
25% – had more independence
We’re really proud that our work has this level of extended impact on parents and carers of participants and believe it truly demonstrates the power of dance to transform lives!
If you value the impact of our work too, please consider donating to support our life-changing work and make even more of an impact! You can donate directly using the form below or text DANCE to 70191 to donate £10. Thanks for your support!
Environmental Responsibility
DanceSyndrome is keen to consider the impact that our work has on our environment as part of our ongoing environmental responsibility journey. Over the last year, we have been investing time into learning about our environmental impact and we are keen to share our learning to help people to understand our environmental responsibilities and consider their own impact.
We have considered the following questions and are sharing the answers below:
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Why should DanceSyndrome be concerned about environmental responsibility?
We all live on this planet and we all have a responsibility to look after the environment. Charities and non-profits exist to solve the world’s problems, not to create them, so we must do all that we can to meet the needs of the people that we support now, whilst also ensuring that future generations can live a fulfilled life on this planet too. The climate emergency also presents real risks to the future sustainability of our organisation, as well as the planet.
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What risks are posed to DanceSyndrome’s future because of climate change?
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- UK transport is often impacted by the severe weather events (flooding, heatwaves, strong winds, etc) caused by climate change, including public transport and private travel. This can impact the ability of participants to travel to our activities and our team members’ ability to deliver sessions.
- Climate change also creates increased delivery costs and insurance costs. These costs are rising due to more claims for climate related events, there is an increased need for venue repairs following severe weather and heating and cooling costs are rising in public venues due to the changing climate too.
- Food cost increases due to problems with supply caused by climate change and extreme weather mean than people are spending more money on food, leaving them with less disposable income. This impacts DanceSyndrome in terms of workshop participation fees, performance tickets and donations, all of which comes from disposable income rather than being “essential”.
- There is likely to be even greater competition for donations and funding due to all charities being impacted by climate change. The proportion of philanthropic giving that goes to charities mitigating climate impact is likely to increase from the current 2% (Source: ICAEW Insights), meaning that other charities are likely to see a reduction. This means that alternative business models will be needed that are less reliant on philanthropic giving need to be developed to ensure financial sustainability.
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How do DanceSyndrome’s core values relate to the environment?
We have three core values:
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- Inclusion & equality – social and environmental justice are closely linked to each other and by working towards one, you also support the other. Climate change disproportionately affects the most vulnerable in society so more non-profit support will be needed to support health and wellbeing as a result of the climate emergency.
- Collaboration – we always work in partnerships to create a better world for people with learning disabilities, we can also apply this to environmental responsibility partnerships.
- Artistic excellence – we always use dance as a vehicle for change in all aspects of our work and this can also be applied to changing the way that people think about the climate emergency
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How does this connect to international conversations around climate change?
The United Nations have developed a list of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries in a global partnership. They recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
As a charity primarily focussed on reducing inequalities for people with learning disabilities, DanceSyndrome’s work meets several of these goals and our team are working to advance their understanding of all 17 goals in greater depth, so that our organisation can work towards truly sustainable development.
Our Charities Commission charitable purposes:
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- The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives (UN Goal 3)
- Amateur Sport (UN Goal 3)
- Arts/culture/heritage/science (UN Goal 3, 4, 8,11, 16 and 17)
- Education/training (UN Goal 4)
- Disability (UN Goal 10)
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How can a local charity like DanceSyndrome make a difference to the climate?
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- Attempt to reduce our carbon footprint – communicating with participants and venues about their own environmental responsibilities and changes they can make will be key to this.
- Use art to influence policy makers and share important messages from our artists.
- Create change locally by talking about climate change in the communities that we work in.
- Be a catalyst for conversations around climate change with partners and stakeholders.
- Be “net positive” by giving more to the world than we take. This means working primarily for positive outcomes for people and the planet, instead of being driven by profit margins.
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What can we commit to changing between 2023-26?
Our 2023-24 priorities:
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- To ‘live’ our Sustainability & Ethical Policy & embed its principles across all our work.
- To ‘live’ our Culture Declares Emergency pledges.
- Implement learning from Oxford Brooks Business School Sustainability course.
- Make changes in everyday business operations.
- To talk openly about our environmental responsibilities & journey as an organisation.
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Our 3-Year ambition:
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- To deliver impactful environmental actions.
- To influence & educate our service users, partners, supply chains & wider supporters to think about and to embed their own environmental responsibilities & actions across their activities, life & work.
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What is our key learning in 2023-24?
A key piece of learning this year has been that if we want people in our communities to think about serious issues like climate change then we need to relieve other worries, such as social inequalities, health care issues, social isolation, financial challenges and other significant concerns. If the people we work with don’t have the headspace for thinking about climate change, then none of our communications on the issue will ever be effective. Our impact measurement shows that removing concerns like these and improving health and wellbeing is one of DanceSyndrome’s greatest strengths and we didn’t expect that to be something that also contributed to our environmental responsibility impact.
Other key learning:
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- Environmental responsibility only works through “lived” policies that are put into practice operationally on a day-to-day basis.
- Measuring environmental impact is challenging and there is no “perfect” solution. It’s best to have a broad overview of the organisation’s impact and to focus on making reductions wherever possible, rather than getting too involved with perfecting detailed statistics.
- Online and digital activity has much more negative environmental impact than people realise. For example, in a year, the emails sent and received by an average person is equivalent to an 320km driven in a car.
- Conversation and communication about climate is really key to extending your impact – this can be within your organisation and outside.
- It’s important to take ownership of your impact and be transparent about it. If you make a mistake, admit it and try to improve it. If you do something that really works, tell the world about it so that others can do it too! People appreciate honesty and authenticity.
- The concept of “spheres of influence” is important in climate action. DanceSyndrome is a well connected organisation with lots of valuable partnerships, so by talking to our partners and members about environmental responsibility then we can have a bigger positive impact.
- “Climate equity” is the principle that some people need to have a larger carbon footprint because of circumstances that they can’t control. As an example, people with learning disabilities often need to take a carer or support worker with them to their activities, which creates a bigger carbon footprint. We need to be realistic about this id aiming for “net zero.”
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What actions have we taken in 2023-24?
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- Formation of an Environmental Responsibility Sub-group with 6 team members which meets quarterly.
- Green Skills Sustainability Basics: 6 week long training course completed by 2 members of staff and learning shared with the sub-group members.
- Plungington Community Centre identified as a pilot venue to work with as a partner for developing a model for how to work with community venues on environmental responsibility. Initial meeting completed.
- Completed Beyond Carbon survey to start measuring our environmental impact.
- We have researched many different types of “green accreditation” for businesses.
- Attended the launch of LANDS (Lancashire Arts Network for Developing Sustainability) at the bi-annual Lancashire Arts Exchange. LANDS is positioned as a vital program of climate action, engagement, advocacy, and support for Lancashire artists and arts organisations.
- Researched our bank, IT providers etc to check their policies on environmental responsibility.
- Delivered a workshop about sustainability and environmental responsibility with our Dance Leaders.
- Reviewed the Green Touring Guide and considered how it can be applied to DanceSyndrome’s co-production model.
- Replaced our traditional “Secret Santa” with thoughtful messages, saving the purchase of approximately 30 £5 gifts for our extended team.
- Started communicating our efforts via social media and funder reports.
- Produced a new dance piece called “The Sunken Forest” which addressed issues of rising sea levels caused by climate change. This was performed at our EXPRESS ’24 Showcase.
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Thank you for taking the time to read about our Environmental Responsibility journey. If you have any feedback or ideas about how we can improve our practices, please get in touch by emailing info@dancesyndrome.co.uk
Our work on Environmental Responsibility is funded by Arts Council England as part of our National Portfolio Organisation project.
Members of Lancashire-based charity DanceSyndrome are celebrating after winning an award at the first ever Northern Music Awards at the Albert Hall in Manchester on Tuesday 23rd April.
The Northern Music Awards (NMAs) are the one and only major awards show celebrating the best of music from the North. The event is organised by Britain’s leading music charity, Nordoff and Robbins who reduce social isolation and enhance connection for local people, through music. The NMAs are turning up the volume to showcase some of the biggest stars and rising talent that belong to the North of England including DanceSyndrome. The aim of the event is to be the most influential music awards event that Greater Manchester has ever seen, whilst raising a lot of money for music therapy, so that Northern communities can have access to its transformative power.
The inclusive approach of DanceSyndrome’s “Everybody Dance” project was recognised through the Music and Culture for Wellbeing Award which was awarded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The award aims to elevate high quality, creative health provision in the North, to support people with health, wellbeing and socioeconomic issues. It celebrates innovative, creative, musical organisations that constantly demonstrate depth, originality and passion in their work, making a lasting, positive impact using the power of culture and creativity.
DanceSyndrome Ambassador and Dance Leader David Corr and Dance Artist David Darcy were VIPs at the star-studded event which featured performances from Liam Frey (The Courteeners), Lisa Stansfield, The K’s, English Teacher and Antony Szmierek.
David Corr gave the acceptance speech on the night. He said “Thank you so much for the award it means so much DanceSyndrome to be the winner when there are so many others here with such incredible talent. At DanceSyndrome we are an inclusive dance company that co-produce all of our work. We use dance to show that everyone can follow their dreams, if given the right support. Thank you again, it’s like a dream come true for us. Thank you so much!”
2 weeks ago we were at the @NordoffRobbins #NorthernMusicAwards. #TeamDS were proud to receive the Music & Culture for Wellbeing Award and we wanted to share David’s amazing acceptance speech from the evening.
You can read more about the award here:https://t.co/z0Ragt99AV pic.twitter.com/zGYvKxw4vr
— DanceSyndromeUK (@DanceSyndromeUK) May 8, 2024
DanceSyndrome Founder Jen Blackwell said “Winning awards shows that people with learning disabilities can do amazing things with their lives if given a chance. I do have Down’s syndrome but that doesn’t define me. I believe that everybody can dance and do things they love no matter how other people define us.”
Julie Nicholson, Managing Director at DanceSyndrome said “It was such an amazing experience for our team members to attend the Northern Music Awards and see their work celebrated at such a prestigious event. At DanceSyndrome we firmly believe that people with learning disabilities can achieve anything that they set their mind to if they are supported to follow their dreams.
“Our inclusive dance work gives people opportunities to become visible leaders and have their voices heard on issues that are important to them. Being celebrated in the company of such high-profile artists from the music industry is significant recognition because it shows that our work reaches beyond the traditional concept of what the Dance sector looks like and demonstrates that our work impacts people in a range of different communities. Our activities are all co-produced so this award demonstrates that people with learning disabilities can and do make a significant contribution to society and should be celebrated and given a platform at events like this alongside household names from popular culture. We’re so proud of our team and their incredible achievements!”
Other winners on the night included The Reytons, Spice Girl Melanie C, Tim Burgess (Charlatans) and Lisa Stansfield.
If you would like to support the life-changing work of DanceSyndrome, you can donate directly using the form below:
The DanceSyndrome team are celebrating after winning an award at the Northern Power Women Awards on the first day of Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week!
The inclusive approach of DanceSyndrome was recognised with a nomination in the “Inclusive Innovators” category at the Northern Power Women Awards, an annual awards ceremony that exists to share the stories of amazing role models in and from the North. The awards recognise those who are shifting the dial towards a more gender equal world. Every year, thousands of nominations are made for individuals from across Yorkshire, the North East and the North West. Members of the DanceSyndrome team travelled to Manchester Central Convention Complex on Monday 18th March for the awards ceremony and were thrilled to receive a Commended Award in their category.
Julie Nicholson, Managing Director at DanceSyndrome said “Monday was the first day of the national Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week campaign. This year the campaign is about ending stereotypes about what people with Down’s syndrome can and can’t do. Lots of people will have seen the “Assume I can” video on social media and we proudly support the national campaign every year because we firmly believe that people with learning disabilities can achieve anything that they set their mind to if they are supported to follow their dreams. Our inclusive dance work gives people opportunities to become visible leaders and have their voices heard on issues that are important to them. It’s wonderful to receive recognition like winning a Northern Power Women Award at any time, but it’s extra special to receive it on the first day of a campaign like this. It truly demonstrates that people with learning disabilities can and do make a significant contribution to society and should be celebrated and given a platform at events like this. We’re so proud of our team and their incredible achievements which truly reinforce the “Assume I can” message!”
DanceSyndrome Founder Jen Blackwell said “Being nominated for this award shows that people with learning disabilities can do amazing things with their lives if given a chance. I do have Down’s syndrome but that doesn’t define me. I believe that everybody can dance and do things they love no matter how other people define us.”
During Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week, if you’re inspired by DanceSyndrome’s inclusive approach, please consider supporting our work with a donation. For one week only, any donations made will be doubled by the Big Give! To donate, visit the Big Give Arts For Impact campaign. Every donation will be matched for 7 days from midday 19th March – midday 26th March, ensuring twice the impact.
Exclusive Giovanni Pernice Prize Draw for Donors!
Our wonderful Ambassador, Giovanni Pernice has kindly donated 2 tickets to see his 2024 tour at Symphony Hall, Birmingham on Thursday 4th April (this is a BSL performance) as a prize draw for our donors.
To be in with a chance of winning:
– Visit our campaign page between 12pm on Tuesday 19th March and 12pm on Tuesday 26th March
– make a donation of £10 or more via this link: Big Give Campaign Page
– tick the box agreeing to share your contact details with DanceSyndrome, (so we can contact you if you win the draw)
– Follow us at @DanceSyndromeUK on social media to find out who wins the tickets when we make the draw on Thursday 28th March!
Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week 2024
Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week is a national campaign to help people to understand what life is like for people who have Down’s syndrome and to encourage society to become more inclusive in the way that they treat people with Down’s syndrome.
The theme this year is “End The Stereotypes.” A key part of DanceSyndrome’s mission is to challenge perceptions of people with Down’s syndrome and other learning disabilities through our inclusive dance work. All DanceSyndrome dance activities are co-produced by Dance Leaders with learning disabilities, working with professional Dance Artists, to provide opportunities for them to be more visible in society. Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week is a vital campaign that gives people with Down’s syndrome an opportunity to have their voices heard, so we asked our Dance Leaders what stereotypes they would like to challenge this week.
We have created a series of seven videos that challenge those stereotypes:
We’re all individuals with our own unique personalities!
We have lots of independent living skills and skills for work
We have lots of amazing achievements to be proud of!
People with Down’s syndrome & learning disabilities can have friendships & relationships too & not just with other people with learning disabilities!
We actively contribute to our communities and make a huge difference to our local areas
Everyone in our team understands professionalism and works hard to be professional at all times
Every person has their own identity. Disability can be one part of this but it shouldn’t be the focus if the person doesn’t want it to be.
Support our work during Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week
Throughout the week we will be sharing messages about inclusion and how we put that into practice through many different types of dance activity.
Check us out and follow us on these social media platforms to keep up to date and please share our messages to spread the word about what we do!
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Linked In
YouTube
We’re also sharing a key fundraising campaign this week called Arts For Impact. This is a match-funding campaign by The Big Give. Every donation made between midday Tuesday 19th March – midday Tuesday 26th March will be doubled by The Big Give, ensuring twice the impact for your donation!
Our wonderful Ambassador, Giovanni Pernice has kindly donated 2 tickets to see his 2024 tour at Symphony Hall, Birmingham on Thursday 4th April (this is a BSL performance) as a prize draw for donors to this campaign.
To be in with a chance of winning:
– Visit our campaign page between 12pm on Tuesday 19th March and 12pm on Tuesday 26th March
– make a donation of £10 or more via this link: Big Give Campaign Page
– tick the box agreeing to share your contact details with DanceSyndrome, (so we can contact you if you win the draw)
– Follow us at @DanceSyndromeUK on social media to find out who wins the tickets when we make the draw on Thursday 28th March!
What better time to support this campaign than during Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week? Click on the image below to find out more about the campaign and donate!
A very BIG Thank You & Season’s Greetings from DanceSyndrome
2023 has been another incredible year for DanceSyndrome and as we bring it to a close, we have one final request for our supporters. You may have seen earlier this year that we made a really powerful film about the importance of co-production in our work. This film is an entrant in the Charity Film Awards and needs to pass a public vote to get through to the next round. Please could we ask you to vote for the film on this Charity Film Awards voting page and, if possible, share the pinned posts on our Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn pages? We hope that, with your support, we might be able to announce another award win next year!
One of our biggest pieces of news in 2023 was award related. Our inspirational Founder Jen Blackwell celebrated in June when she was announced as the recipient of a British Empire Medal for Services to Disabled People in the first ever Kings Honours. What a remarkable achievement! Everyone at DanceSyndrome is incredibly proud of Jen and, also, Dance Artist Donna Wheeldon, who also received a prestigious national award in October. Donna was given a Chief Nurses Award from Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care in England at the Department for Health and Social Care in recognition of her dedication to her role as Lead Carer for Jen.
Becky Rich, DanceSyndrome Spokesperson and Ambassador, has also had many successes this year, with a trip to 10 Downing Street being a big highlight for her! Becky was invited to London as a Community Champion chosen by Hyndburn and Haslingden Member of Parliament Sara Britcliffe. Sara has since joined DanceSyndrome as an Ambassador and we have also welcomed Neil Darby (former Mayor of Preston) and professional dancer Giovanni Pernice as Ambassadors in 2023 too. We’re incredibly grateful for their support at a time when growing our profile is so fundamental to our future success.
To help with future growth, we have also seen some changes to our Board of Trustees this year. Malcolm Blackwell has been appointed as Chair of the Board and Louise Howitt takes on the role of Vice Chair. With a passion for inclusion, dance and transforming lives, both Malcolm and Louise bring an array of both strategic and hands-on experience and skills, and an ambition to reach more people with learning disabilities and to drive real impact.
This impact has been clearly seen in 2023, particularly through the start of our three-year funding as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. This is an ambitious project for a small team and we are incredibly proud to have been given this opportunity and to see the progress that each member of our team is making on a daily basis. We have also completed the first year of our National Lottery Community Fund grant, which has been a huge success and has allowed us to reach even more people with our community dance opportunities. We’ve been able to engage with over 3,500 people this year thanks to this project.
We have had some incredible performance opportunities in 2023, including performing at The Lowry Theatre to celebrate 10 years as a charity and a return to the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August! Getting out into communities, meeting the public and getting them dancing is what we love to do most and the outstanding feedback from these performances was a reminder of why the work that we do is so vital.
As we look to next year, partnership working will play a key role in 2024. At the end of this year, we have successfully launched the DanceSyndrome Kitemark as part of our commitment to social replication and we have signed up the first organisation to collaborate with us in this way. We have also been working on some vital projects with different teams within the NHS and are excited to continue these projects into 2024 to ensure that people with learning disabilities are fully supported to live fulfilled lives, contribute to society and be visible leaders, performers, and advocates.
