Imagination Dance CIC provide inclusive dance and movement sessions for people who struggle to access other physical activity options, for example, those from low socio-economic groups, people with disabilities and older people.

Typically, Imagination Dance operate in community settings such as village halls and care homes, although the company had to find new ways of working when the pandemic began. Through the Tackling Inequalities Fund, Imagination Dance have been able to offer online dance and movement sessions.

The reach of this programme has been immense, with participants joining all the way from Northern Ireland for the once-weekly sessions. The success of this programme has been a tremendous, not only with engaging participants who were suffering the impacts of lockdown restrictions, but with developing relationships and links with supportive organisations.

Imagination Dance plan to continue with a blended timetable, balancing face-to-face and online sessions and hope to increase their number of participants to pre-lockdown levels by Christmas 2021. Imagination Dance also recognise the aging population in the area in which they work in and aim to the 'go-to' organisation for seated dance and movement sessions in care homes, as well as develop another SEND branch to the organisation.

Feedback from participants include:

"M feels she has had an improvement in her confidence and dance technique skills"

"This is a friendly and safe environment for everybody."

"The psychological and social elements are of real benefit to me."