Blog: New Year, Big Aspirations

As Shaper/Caper look to this brand-new year and what 2021 can bring with a bit of work on our part, we are reminded and humbled of the social change and impact we achieved during 2019/20.

Our Annual Report shows remarkable reach figures across our activities, even when our touring and creative learning engagement got cut short due to…well, you know!

We toured Paper Moon, The Unwanted, Cinderella, Silver City-Silver Lining, and Within This Dust to Scotland and England. We performed to…drum roll please…4,850 people! 

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We delivered 7 main creative learning projects including Well Good with NHS Tayside to 78 primary schools, and Dance for Parkinson’s Dundee Hub. We danced face-to-face with 7,073 people and with 6,500 others online. That is a whopping 18,423 of you!!!

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On experiencing the first lockdown, one of our immediate aims last year was to protect and support the vulnerable participants we have connected with through our health programmes. This focus has been strengthened throughout the months of lockdown as we received comments and affirmations that reminded us of the value and importance in the work we do. 

“I wanted to thank you, and all the team for the superb effort you have put in throughout this difficult year. It’s always good to have some structure to one’s day/week and you have certainly provided that.”

“I thoroughly enjoy [the Dance for Parkinson’s class] and realised during it that I had become even more stiff! Am alarmed at how much less agile I have become since lockdown, so it’s a good job we have you to keep us moving! We appreciate the chance of a more in-depth conversation with the others who join in the social cafe. We appreciate all that you, Shaper Caper in general do for our health and wellbeing.”

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With projects like our Dance for Parkinson’s online classes, or our new programme Respire, designed for carers, to our relaxed A Day to Play sessions for children and families with ASN/ASD, we are constantly striving to support our local community through dance and the arts. We are grateful to be able to offer our growing community of dancers, participants and carers a place to be creative, feel supported and listened to and we, in turn, grow with your participation, your stories, and your generosity. 

None of this would be possible without the amazing help of all our funders and partners. A huge thank you from us at Shaper/Caper, but also from everyone we have been able to reach last year and to everyone we hope to dance with this year… Thank You! 

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NHS Tayside, The McManus Galleries, The Rank Foundation Royal Victoria Hospital in Dundee,  Aberdeen City Council Creative Learning,  YDance (Project Y), City Moves, Showcase the Street, Spirit of Scone,   Parkinson’s UK: Dundee & Angus and Fife groups, Rossie, Young People’s Trust

 

PS: We can’t wait to share what we have for you this year!

By Sarah Greene & Yolanda Aguilar 

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