With funding of £1500 from the John Laing Foundation and Leicestershire Fund, Wriggle Dance Theatre was able to run a series of workshops across Leicestershire to tie in with a performance held at the Attenborough Arts Centre in October last year.
The workshops targeted families with pre-school children aged two plus, and offered an opportunity for them to play and dance together using a variety of games, movement ideas and props based on the themes of emotions and colours. The project was a highly engaging, fun and accessible introduction to the arts for a number of families – the majority of whom were neither regular theatre goers nor participants in arts projects. The project brought parents/carers and their pre-school children together, providing them with time and opportunity to work and play creatively away from the demands of normal family life. The project also created an opportunity for parents who may have experienced feelings of social isolation to meet other parents with similar aged children, from their local area.
The project also demonstrated to participants the benefits of physical activity. Taking part in a dance and movement workshop increased the energy and fitness levels of all participants, children and adults alike.
Wriggle Dance Theatre offers high quality dance theatre experiences to young children aged two to seven and their families, targeting children and families who do not regularly access mainstream arts provision due to social or economic restraints.
For information about setting up a giving fund with the Community Foundation, please contact Katy Green on 0116 262 4804.
