Open Arms | Inter-generational Arts
About the project
Open Arms is an inter-generational arts project to bring people together and strengthen and enrich communities through joyful movement, music and dance. It is centred around older people in care homes or other supported settings and primary and nursery school aged children in 4 locations in Devon: Torquay, Newton Abbot, Exeter and Barnstaple.
The project has been developed in partnership with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and is supported by funding from National Lottery Awards for All.
The project will provide opportunities to take part in joyful movement, music-making and engaging dance to learn new dance and performance skills, improve quality of life and build strong relationships and will also create opportunities for connection and positive experiences across the age span.
Aims
To improve quality of life by;
• enabling creative expression
• encouraging positive outlook by lifting mood
• reducing isolation
To build strong relationships by;
• Bringing people of different ages together
• Sparking creativity and sharing ideas
• Supporting new community connections
Activities
• Dance and music sessions in primary school/early years and elderly care settings
• Shared opportunities for people of different ages to come together to dance and play music
• Celebrations/gatherings
• Opportunities for volunteering
Current Activity
Jan – March 2020
In the spring term 2020 we will be working with 8 Primary / Nursery Schools and Care Settings in Torquay, Newton Abbot, Braunton and Exeter, delivering creative and joyful dance and music activity with professional and experienced practitioners.
If you are interested in volunteering to support the practitioners on this project, please contact Kate via projectmanager@danceindevon.org.uk
Tesco Bags of Help Campaign
We are pleased to be featured as one of Tesco’s Bags of Help charities in the Barnstaple Tesco stores between Jan – March 2020.
The funding raised from this scheme would support a new strand of our Open Arms Dance project in Barnstaple, working with care homes and older people to prevent loneliness and strengthen and enrich communities through joyful music and movement.
If you are shopping in the Barnstaple area – please do use your blue token to vote for our project! Thank you.
