About the project
A dance and digital project for YOUR wellbeing.
Work with a mental health specialist, choreographer, music producer, spoken word artist and film maker to develop short films exploring positive mental wellbeing.
Using the arts and creativity YOU, alongside others, will find out what it takes to put YOUR wellbeing first.
Over the course of the project, you will build the skills to recognise what you need to fulfil your ambitions and work with others to transform your outlook.
Further Information
Expanding on Dannielle West’s journal ‘The Method of You’, this dance and mental health project will take a group of young people aged 15-19 from across Greater Manchester on a creative journey of self-discovery and skills development.
In a society where mental health issues are wreaking havoc on young people’s attainment and career development, ‘the method of you/us will use the arts and mindfulness to demonstrate that there is a way to reconnect meaningfully with oneself and other people in a creative, experimental and rewarding way.
This project has been developed using art to support young people to challenge embedded unhelpful behaviours, share new tools and techniques to deal with day-to-day life, work and relationships and reconnect with other people.
Over the project the young people will work with a mental health specialist, choreographer, music producer, spoken word artist and film maker to create 4 short dance films about positive well-being.
Creative Intensive 1
Dates: Monday 16th – Friday 20th August 2021 (10-4pm)
Location: Shockout, Studio 25, 25 Church Street, Manchester.
Focus: Creative experimentation/ play, making and filming
Working with a Mental Health Specialist (Dannielle), Choreographer (Yasmin), Music Producer (SHAR), Spoken Word Artist (Blue Saint) and Film Maker (Briggsy) YOU will connect with others in the group to create and film our first short dance film.
Creative Intensive 2
Dates: Sat 16th, Sun 24th & Sat 30th October 2021 (10-4pm each day)
Locations: At Shockout, Studio 25, 25 Church Street, Manchester & possibly Bolton University, Queen Specialist Build, Studio Theatre, Farnworth, BL4 7AH
Focus: Creative experimentation/ play, making & Filming
Working with the creative team YOU will connect with others in the group to devise and film a second short dance film.
Creative Intensive 3
Dates: Sat 13th, Sun 14th & Sun 21st November 2021 (10-4pm each day)
Locations: At Shockout, Studio 25, 25 Church Street, Manchester & possibly Bolton University, Queen Specialist Build, Studio Theatre, Farnworth, BL4 7AH
Focus: Creative experimentation/ play, making & Filming
Working with the creative team YOU will connect with others in the group to devise and film a second short dance film.
Creative Intensive 4
Dates: Sun 5th, Sat 11th & Sun 12th December 2021 (10-2pm first weekend & 10-4pm second Sat)
Location: River Mill, Park Road Dukinfield SK16 5LR
Focus: Creative experimentation/ play, making & Filming
Working with the creative team YOU will connect with others in the group to devise and film a second short dance film.
Meet the team
Dannielle West
Dance & Mental Health Practitioner.
A professional dance artist and mental health specialist, Dannielle will use the journal ‘the method of you’ as a guided lesson plan to explore each page’s activity exhibiting different practices. Based heavily on self-reflection of the learner and for them explore a range of methods on how to move on positively from a negative situation.
Yasmin Harcourt
Choreographer
A professional choreographer, Yasmin will guide the young people through variations of movement as well as different genres of dance to ensure students are learning variations of vocabulary and terminology.
SHAR
Music Producer
SHAR is an experienced artist and composer, and her work is of audio/visual format that explores humanity through the digital realm. She is also a specialist in working with young people. SHAR will act as the music producer for the project, developing music content for the 4 films.
Blue Saint
Poet/ Spoken Word Artist
Daniel Sebuyange, known professionally as Blue Saint, is a Congolese and British rapper, singer-songwriter, producer, spoken word poet, actor and designer. Over his music career he has developed an eclectic musical style that draws on a range of influences and genres, often combining and blending elements of hip-hop, RnB and electronic music.
briggsy
Film-maker
Anthony Briggs, professionally known as briggsy, is an experienced arts producer, performer, photographer, filmmaker and graphic designer based in West Yorkshire. Briggsy will act as the filmmaker on the project.
Registration Form
We have a number of spots available and the project is free to attend. To get the most out of the project, we recommend that you attend at least half of the method of you/us sessions (TBC) and both the second creative week and filming weeks (TBC).
For those that will struggle with travel and food, there are small bursaries available (£10pd). Bursaries are limited so register now to avoid disappointment.
If you have any questions please contact either Ant (Project Producer) – briggsyproduces@gmail.com or Dannielle (Lead Artist) – Danniellewest@shockoutacademy.com.
