During the COVID pandemic, there was a sharp increase in the number of individuals suffering from mental health issues. This mental health crisis among young people prompted The Movement Factory to develop tailored programmes for emotional development.
Confidence is something that many people struggle with. A lack of self-confidence can happen gradually or suddenly and can affect anyone. This is what teachers at The Movement Factory are working to combat with different programmes and in particular their newest addition, Elevate.
Elevate is a self-development programme that will provide weekly drop-in sessions with highly skilled youth workers, monthly skills workshops, and free counselling for young people. All of this with a strong focus on mental health and how to build up each participants self-confidence, not just in dance but in all areas of their lives.
The Movement Factory Teacher, Elijah Smith talks about how dance has helped build his confidence and how he thinks the new programme, Elevate will do the same for others.
“It was during the lockdown period that I started to compare myself to others and started developing issues with self-confidence,” says Elijah. He al
so notes that what has helped him to overcome these issues are friends that uplift him. This has helped him to regain his confidence and become a more self-assured person.
But this would not be possible without dance. “Dance has drastically changed my life, it’s what helps motivate me and I couldn’t imagine a life without dance,” Elijah said.
The Elevate programme will be a source of reassurance and comfort for dancers who are also struggling in this way. With monthly skills workshops and even free counselling for those who need extra support, Elevate will be here to support dancers and grow their confidence and well-being levels. The programme will provide a sense of community for the youth that will uplift and support each other.
When asked what he hopes students will gain from the Elevate programme he replied, “I hope that students will further confidence in themselves to approach goals in their life without fear and full of enthusiasm.” This is also the aim of not just the Elevate programme but of all programmes the Movement Factory offers.
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