We were made aware of this new project, which might interest some of you
'Dance Dosti' Dance Project
Metro Blind Sport, in
partnership with inclusive dance company Step Change Studios and British Blind
Sport, will launch a new inclusive dance project, thanks to a grant from the
Vision Foundation of nearly £44,000.
The ‘Dance
Dosti’ project will engage blind and partially sighted young people and adults
from the Asian community to be active through dance.
Martin Symcox, CEO of Metro Blind Sport
said:
People from the Asian community have reported greater inactivity,
isolation and loss of independence as a result of Covid-19. For this reason,
this new project specifically focuses on people from an Asian background.
We are extremely grateful to Vision
Foundation for its support with this project and
delighted to be working alongside specialist dance organisation, Step Change
Studios and British Blind Sport.
Rashmi Becker, Founder of Step Change
Studios said
This grant is important recognition of the need to support
people at greater disadvantage in our communities. Physical activity plays a
critical role in improving health and wellbeing, yet data from Sport England has
found greater reductions in activity levels among people from an Asian background,
and Activity Alliance data has shown that disabled people are twice as likely
as non-disabled people to be inactive.
‘Dance Dosti’ is a creative initiative that will promote physical
activity and use the benefits of dance to bring people together and improve
quality of life. The project combines different elements including home and community-based
dance, engaging local partners and volunteers to support participation, and providing
advice for dance and fitness providers on inclusive practice. We are excited to
be working with Metro Blind Sport on this innovative project that is committed
to tackling health and social inequalities.
Olivia Curno, Chief Executive of the Vision
Foundation, said
The Vision Foundation supports projects that reflect the
real issues impacting blind and partially sighted people. The pandemic has had
a huge impact on the visually impaired community over the past year and we are
committed to projects that address the isolation that people are experiencing.
Gender and ethnic inequality in sport
41% of the London population identifies
as Asian or Black – 38% of which are in poverty (Trust for London)
Sport
England highlights that gender inequality in sport and physical activity is
more pronounced for Asian women and the sector has ‘failed to engaged women of
different ethnic backgrounds’. ‘Dance Dosti’ will
especially target girls and women, providing dance in different styles,
languages, and both standing and seated dance options to cater for diverse
needs.
How can I get involved?
On-demand online classes will be available from June this year. The
community-based programmes will be piloted in five London boroughs from Autumn
2021: Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Newham, and Tower Hamlets.
The project will
monitor the impact of dance on a range of measures including mental and
physical health, confidence, friendships, increasing independence and learning
new skills.
Anyone interested in taking part in ‘Dance Dosti' should email: contact@stepchangestudios.com.
