News
Performance
Critical Dialogues
Dance and health
Dance Art Foundation
Breathing Space dance-in-health programme
Breathing Space | Children's Programme | Endorsements | Film
Performances | Project Partners | Making a donation
Breathing Space is the celebrated dance-in-health initiative that nurtures and supports public health through dance. It comprises a popular programme of dance workshops, residencies and performances for children, young people, adults and elders. Founded in 2001 and expanded in 2006 with the addition of a dedicated Children’s Programme, Breathing Space consistently achieves its objectives to support and inspire health and wellbeing in a diverse range of children and adults at all stages of life. We support those in hospitals, hospices, psychiatric units, schools and community settings across the UK utilising dance as a unique tool for nurturing physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.
Breathing Space was founded by Dance Art Foundation Artistic Director, Joe Moran, who continues to lead the programme with an outstanding team of freelance project artists working nationally. Breathing Space is widely considered to be a leading approach to integrating dance provision in healthcare and has received national recognition from Arts Council England and Foundation for Community Dance. Breathing Space artists are regularly invited to share their expertises at conferences and universities, and to deliver national and regional training initiatives for both artists and healthcare professionals.
Our work
Our workshops and projects offer a ‘breathing space’ for those living with illness, carers and health practitioners. In supportive and playful environments, we use dance, creative movement, artwork and relaxation to assist participants in living with illness. In partnership with health services, our work aims to assist participants to renew the natural ease and rejuvenation that the body’s inner resources can offer.
Over the past four years, Breathing Space has worked with over 9000 participants and extended its reach by providing specialist dance-in-health training for over 150 health professionals, care staff and play workers.
Breathing Space supporters
Breathing Space is only made possible by grants from charities and funding bodies and the generosity of individual supporters.
The Children's Programme was founded in 2006 with a generous three-year award from the True Colours Trust who subsequently awarded the programme a further three-years support, 2010-2012. The programme has also received generous awards from other organisations including BBC Children in Need (2009-2012), 95.8 Capital FM's Help a London Child and, most recently, the Kirby Laing Foundation and Wallace & Gromit's Children's Foundation.
Photograph courtesy of Guy's & St Thomas' Charity
Crossover intergenerational dance company
performing
at
Evelina Children's Hospital to celebrate the
first
year
of
the
Breathing Space Children's Programme