What an incredible opportunity to have not only the chance to raise awareness for a much needed cause, but a chance to work alongside one of our biggest dance inspirations Lukas McFarlane.
discuss the I.AM journey with Cornish roots? this is si easy to edit
“I was totally blown away by the performance and the important message it delivers. I couldn't stop thinking about it for days. It was powerful, focused, intense and beautiful. I would highly recomend this to mental health professionals, teachers, youth workers and the young people they work with.”- Rebecca Breslaw
Through the medium of dance, our aim is to raise awareness of Mental Health in young people by bringing
the subject to a safe, open and non-judgemental place, where our young people can express themselves,
create, discuss, observe, inspire and be inspired by others.
The project started with an audition for a Dance Company; ‘CORNISH ROOTS’ to find open minded ambassadors from Cornwall, aged eleven to thirty, who are passionate about
making a change in their community. The chosen Company of dancers,
together with industry celebrity, Lukas McFarlane and myself; Fiona
Richardson artistic director and founder of The Big Dance Company director,
spent an intensive week on training both physically and mentally. The
showcase which bursts with thought provoking dance pieces was created in
this short period of time, tackling issues and delicate subject matters such as
stress, anxiety, depression, psychosis, self harm and eating disorders. The
impactive, hard hitting show follows a group of young people in their daily lives at school, highlighting the social problems they encounter, the struggles they are dealing with and how these issues affect their everyday lives. We leave the audience with a very clear message - that kindness and compassion can change a person’s day and to not judge a book by its cover.
There are numerous problems today affecting young people suffering with a range of mental health issues including self loathing, depression, family breakdown, self identity problems, to name a few. We believe that the subject needs to be talked about more, to give this next generation an opportunity to see that they are not alone and to encourage them to seek help and to receive support and compassion from
others.
The first showcase took place at The Acorn Theatre Penzance on 15th April 2018 which had an overwhelming response (see our facebook page I.Am Cornish Roots Dance production to read some reviews).
Lukas and I are extremely passionate about the effects of mental health in young people, both having worked in the industry for many years, mentoring vulnerable young adults, we have dealt with first hand, some of the effects mental health can cause. ‘Cornish Roots’ is passionate about building awareness of the triggers young people may be susceptible to. This project aims to instil confidence in young people facilitating them with the power to talk
openly about what is sometimes considered to be a taboo subject.
After such an overwhelming response from our last show, we are now re-
running the show and inviting you to come along with a guest (if from a
school, with two students of your choice). You may then review the show
and hear about how you can book Cornish Roots to come to your school /
college / organisation / company. All you need to do is email me; fionadancer@gmail.com