People Dancing is working with Artis Community Cymuned and a consortium of Welsh partners to deliver 11 Million Reasons to Dance: Cymru; a dance participation programme that positively profiles D/deaf, sight impaired, neurodiverse and disabled people who dance.

This project is a development of the 11 Million Reasons to Dance photography exhibition and strategic touring programme. The exhibition consists of 20 high quality images, photographed by Sean Goldthorpe, which toured extensively over the last 4 years in England, Asia and Europe. In 2016-2018, a strategic tour funded by Arts Council England took place alongside a participation and engagement programme featuring live performance work to six locations in England with areas of low engagement in the arts. 100,000 people participated in the programme with over 90% having their perception of disability, or dance and disabled people changed in a positive way.

11 Million Reasons to Dance: Cymru, funded by the Arts Council of Wales took successful elements of that existing touring programme, yet brought unique, culturally and socially relevant aspects through a fresh programme of activity for Wales. Alongside a consortium of Welsh partners and a Strategy Group, People Dancing identified a programme of activity including professional development and mentoring for dance artists. The focus was around access and inclusion, participation projects for disabled people, the creation of a Welsh exhibition, and a national networking event for organisations to work more inclusively in dance. A series of professional photos were produced with community groups from four community arts organisations across Wales. The next step is a tour of the existing exhibition and a strategic legacy plan that will connect and support positive change for D/deaf, sight impaired, neurodiverse and disabled people and artists who dance in Wales.

For more information on 11 Million Reasons to Dance please click here.

Photo Credit: The Wizard of Oz: Photographer Sean Goldthorpe, Dancer Laura Jones, commissioned by People Dancing