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Thank you to everyone who donated to support Freefall Dance Company, doubling their donations via the Big Give Christmas Challenge. The campaign has now finished. If you'd still like to donate towards our work, please donate direct via our giving page.
Freefall Dance Company: 21 years of inclusive dance
Support Freefall this week through the Big Give Christmas Challenge - your gift is doubled until 12 noon 6 December
People with a learning disability are some of the most isolated in society. Almost one in three 18- to 35-year-olds with a learning disability spend less than an hour a day outside their homes (Mencap survey, 2015).
Freefall Dance Company was founded in 2002 with the aim of using dance and all its physical, social and mental health benefits to address some of the issues faced by people with learning disabilities. Birmingham Royal Ballet champions the company’s achievements, while encouraging positive attitudes towards those with learning disabilities.
Freefall provides opportunities for talented dancers with learning disabilities to share their creativity with society and raise the aspirations of their peers. The dancers take part in weekly, two-hour dance classes and give annual performances at Birmingham Hippodrome as well as creating internationally acclaimed dance films. The company also leads workshops that equip trainee PE teachers to support people with high support needs.
In 2023, and in the years to follow, we want to do even more. This Christmas we hope to raise £100,000 to celebrate the first 21 years of this vital programme.
Freefall’s impressive range of unique dance styles, acting techniques and evident focussed energy, is unparalleled in any other group I know of. What is special about Freefall, is the strong support and sense of ambition that the dancers have for one another.Freefall performance audience member
What your gift will achieve
For one week only, every donation made to our Big Give Christmas Challenge via The Big Give website, will be doubled until we reach our target of £100,000. We are very grateful to Charles Glanville, Hortons' Estate and Hatchbury, as well as The Big Give Champions The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust for providing match-funding support.
- Give to help Freefall work with five new SEN schools, to present more in-school workshops, informal performances (to parents and peers), and more teacher training sessions.
- Give to provide more opportunities for participants to see performances by BRB at Birmingham Hippodrome.
- Give to help the creation of an academic paper exploring the impact of the programme, with the aim of publication (Educational Review – academic journal).
- Give to help Freefall commission an independent review of its teacher-training element, delivered in partnership with local universities.
- Give to create the production of a landmark 21st anniversary performance, to celebrate the achievements of participants past and present.
Need any support making your donation?
Please contact Ella Cockerton on 07736 926155 or email ellacockerton@brb.org.uk
The work of Lee, his team and the Freefall dancers is inspirational. Freefall provides a community in a setting which otherwise wouldn’t be available to those in the group. The performances were of high quality and the atmosphere in the room was brimming with enjoyment, understanding and welcomeUniversity of Birmingham workshops 2019, participant
