Wednesday, 20 June 2018 / Published in Artist Development, Ludus Dance News, Opportunities

It’s Wonder-Full work!

Proud to work with Fable Arts and Clifton Hospital

Ludus Dance is proud to work with Fable Arts, for the second year, in a therapeutic arts programme for older people staying or living in care homes, health settings and residential schemes. This year’s new project Wonder-Full aims to improve the quality of life of vulnerable older people by embedding a regular weekly programme of creative engagement and participation into the setting’s everyday practice.

Wonder-Full was recently launched at Clifton Hospital in Lytham. Ludus Dance will be helping to explore patients’ thoughts, memories, feelings and emotions connected to nature and being in the outdoors through movement and music.

Music and movement sessions to support mental health and wellbeing

Over eight weeks, Maiya Leeke, an emerging young artist from Freckleton, will work with Ludus Dance using music and gentle movement to bring a sense of achievement and fun to the weekly sessions.

Here Maiya talks more about her experience, new opportunities, and how excited she is to be part of Wonder-Full:

An exciting opportunity for Maiya

‘Last summer, I was part of the Dare To Be Great intergenerational project with Fable Arts, working at Clifton Hospital in Lytham with people living with dementia. I loved seeing the enjoyment these sessions brought to the patients; the smiles they brought to their faces said it all. It is such a rewarding project to be a part of and such an amazing experience that I am looking forward to returning to the hospital again to deliver the movement based sessions alongside community dance artist Anna Daly.

As an emerging artist, I will have the amazing opportunity to work alongside NHS staff at Clifton hospital, professional dance artists and other arts professionals to deliver an programme of stimulating arts activity. This will help to give me new skills to be able to develop this area of my career.

Currently, I am a Youth Dance Ambassador at The Lowry helping to deliver the programme for North West Dance, in particular delivering the prestigious U.Dance NW dance platform and supporting the CAT Scheme for advanced training. Over the years I have been a member of Ludus Dance, Maelstrom, About Turn and Preston Youth Dance Companies and have performed at U.Dance NW with them. I loved working on the U.Dance festival from a different perspective this year and seeing my previous companies return.

Ludus Dance has inspired my love for dance, beginning when I joined the Ludus Youth Dance Company, but this has extended much further. I am now the Community Fundraiser at Ludus Dance which excites me because I will be a part of helping their amazing work reach more people. I love spreading my enthusiasm for all the work they do.

I am really looking forward to working alongside them more and representing them throughout the Wonder-Full project.’

Watch this space…

We’ll be keeping you posted with more news and photos about the project. Wonder-Full is supported by the United Utilities Lancashire Community fund managed by Lancashire Community Foundation and Fylde Council.