Falling on your Feet

Supported by a 3 year investment (2017-20) from Dunhill Medical Trust and The Henry Smith Charity, we will develop 18 Falling On Your Feet groups in communities across the North East. So far, we have worked in West Denton, Wallsend, North Shields, South Shields, Sunderland, Walker, Darlington, Stockton, Pelaw, Newton Aycliffe and Bishop Auckland.

We were thrilled to receive further funding from Arts Council England’s ‘Celebrating Age’, which will allow us to develop an additional 7 groups across 2018-2021.

What our participants say

“I’m breathing better. My balance and walking are better. I’m even standing better”

“It brought out of us what we didn’t know we had in us!”

“I have not been well. I’ve suffered from extreme anxiety and depression… I was told to come along to Falling On Your Feet…It has been amazing - so warm. Above everything else, I feel safe.”

What’s on in 2020?

Find your nearest group by emailing [email protected] or visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HelixArts/ and look up our events.

If you would like to join a group, you can call us on 0191 241 4931. Alternatively, email [email protected]

What to wear?

Comfortable clothing and flat shoes.

Make Dance Happen

Are you passionate about dance? Do you want to support older dancers? Are you ready for a new challenge, and to take leading role? As part of Arts Council England’s ‘Celebrating Age’ funding, Make Dance Happen is a programme for older participants, artists, and community volunteers of all abilities and experience to learn to run a dance ensemble within their own community.

Make Dance Happen is a ‘learning by doing’ programme with community volunteers and artists. It provides participants with the skills and knowledge to co-produce neighbourhood arts events on their doorstep.

Led by our experienced team - who have lived and breathed creative production over many years - Make Dance Happen enables neighbourhood groups to co-produce and co-curate high quality dance ensembles.Make Dance Happen is a flexible programme, which covers:

• Arts project design and development
• Securing investment
• Artist recruitment
• Budgeting and financial control
• Event planning and management
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Legacy planning

Make Dance Happen includes a budget for participants to co-produce and co-curate their very first dance event with their group. Helix Arts will offer support and encouragement to get it off the ground.

“The magic started straight away because Helix Arts made everyone believe that they would be able to produce an arts event where they live…It would never have entered my head that I would be able to make such a difference in my community.”