Step Change Studios is an inclusive dance organisation committed to supporting disabled people's wellbeing. We are passionate about the benefits to quality of life that dance can provide, including improved physical and mental health and social inclusion. We want to contribute to removing barriers to participation and inspiring more people by leading by example.
Social outcomes:
• Increasing disabled people's participation in physical activity (dance)
• Improving physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
• Tackling social isolation, improving social cohesion
• Improving communication, creativity, concentration, confidence, resilience and independence
• Supporting people to develop their potential through dance
• Increasing community volunteering
• Improving equality, diversity and inclusion in key sectors through advocacy and stakeholder engagement
• Tackling negative perceptions of disability
• Creating wider informed debate on disability and inclusion
A core focus of our work is with blind and partially sighted people. We collaborate with blind charities and organisations such as Thomas Pocklington Trust, British Blind Sport, VICTA, and with local sight loss charities in different parts of the country such as Metro London and Focus Birmingham. We pioneered the first blind ballroom dance programme in the country and last year participants took part in the UK's first competition to include a category for blind and partially sighted people, in Blackpool. Evidence-based research consistently demonstrates the positive impact of our work on the quality of life of those we support; this includes: supporting independent travel; tackling isolation; improving social cohesion; improving confidence. People have gained confidence to be advocates, and include survivors of domestic abuse, and people facing additional barriers on grounds of gender/race. We deliver training on inclusive practice to stakeholders, which is co-produced with our blind participants. We have received numerous awards for this work.
In the past year we have seen an increasing number of requests from blind and partially sighted people, and sight loss organisations to provide more opportunities. As a small, grassroots organisation we do not have capacity to meet this growing demand. We are requesting capacity building funding to support developing our infrastructure to provide dance development initiatives for and with sight loss stakeholders, with a specific focus on 1) developing a sustainable pathway for blind people to learn, and develop their potential; and 2) imbed inclusive practice within key organisations so that blind people can take exams, compete and be a part of mainstream dance rather than excluded or separated from this space. The funding would support and expansion of resources for teaching, training, advocacy work, and the running and administrative costs associated with this, including access costs for co-production.