The shared belief underpinning Life Circles is that dance can make a massive impact on physical and mental wellbeing, no matter what age you are. Through sessional activity, training and mentoring, Life Circles project enabled over 200 individuals in care settings in the South West to discover their creativity via physical participation in dance. The resulting film documents the journey of three community dance artists engaging with the frail elderly throughout the course of the project, illustrating the benefits of working through dance, and giving a beauty and integrity to people at the end of life that is truly inspiring. You can watch the film online here.

Tying in with the launch of the film, Core Dance is continuing the legacy of Life Circles by offering three two-day training courses in Dorset, Devon and Somerset between March and May 2014. This creative dance training programme is for teachers, carers and artists, in partnership with Take Art and Somerset Skills & Learning. Life Circles training is not about teaching dance, but an exploration of how movement and dance can effectively engage with the individual as a whole person and improve their quality of life. For full details and traing dates click here.

Vicky Jenson, a Care Assistant from West Abbey in Yeovil who took part in a training session, said: “This work is very important for the health and wellbeing
of people... It is an essential activity to help maintain a person’s autonomy.”

Please visit www.takeart.org/lifecircles to find out more about the project, watch the films online and keep up with news from the project.