Our Impact and Practice

Magpie Dance regularly evaluates the impact of our work to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our dancers and their care networks. Dancers, facilitators, parents, carers and staff members provide us with valuable insights into our methods, projects and achievements.

“… Magpie Dance was her sanctuary… where she felt safe, among friends who cared about her and supported her, with teachers and support staff she knew she could trust and rely upon. As well as the dance classes she loves, it allowed her to escape from all her worries.” – Parent

We provide high quality contemporary dance experiences, supporting people with learning disabilities to develop dance skills, build their artistic voice and meaningfully engage in mainstream public, arts and professional communities through a lifelong engagement with dance.  Please click here to read our quality framework which underpins our programme of work.

Magpie Dance’s key outcomes are:

• Improving COMMUNICATION skills – reported by 95% of the community class
• Improving HEALTH & WELLBEING – reported by 86% of the Youth Group
• Fostering POSITIVE SOCIAL INTERACTIONS – reported by 92% of the Adult Group
• Improving CONFIDENCE – reported by 92% of the Adult Group
• Empowerment and achievement through GAINING SKILLS – reported by 95% of the Youth Group*

*Reported in August 2015.

According to our participants, the long-term activities give them a sense of belonging, stability, happiness, and safety.

Please see the video below for an inside look into one of our proud initiatives — the peer mentoring programme:

Inspirational words from one of our many dedicated Magpie Dance dancers, Jamie: