Ballet company to explore how dance can aid wellbeing

A ballet company is to hold a conference exploring how therapeutic dance can help young people's wellbeing amid a "significant" increase in mental health problems.

Scottish Ballet's Moving Minds conference, which is being organised in partnership with the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), will bring together healthcare professionals, arts and health specialists and education professionals.

Latest figures published in December showed that 11,816 youngsters were waiting for an appointment with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Scotland at the end of September, and that 1,978 had been waiting for more than a year.

Scottish Ballet launches an expanded programme of ballet classes, community engagement programmes and health resources to bring the benefits and joy of dance to everyone, this new year.

Experts have said that exploring non-medical interventions which can be prescribed more quickly, such as dance programmes, should be considered as part of the overall management of mental health problems in young people.

Dr David Caesar, an emergency physician and a senior strategic adviser to the Scottish Government, said: "The benefits of social prescribing have been well established.

"With the significant increase in mental health problems among young people, a holistic approach to the management of the mental health of young people is required which includes medical and non-medical interventions.

"Arts on prescription including dance programmes have been shown to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people."

People attending the conference at Scottish Ballet's home at Tramway in Glasgow in May will have the opportunity to listen to presentations, discuss, and network with other practitioners and take part in movement-based workshops.

Scottish Ballet is known for its work off stage as well as its performances, and has partnered with several groups to deliver its projects including Dance for Parkinson's, Time to Dance for people with dementia and their carers and Elevate for multiple sclerosis.

Catherine Cassidy, director of engagement at Scottish Ballet, said: "Scottish Ballet is committed to developing strategies and resources to support the mental health of young people through our ground-breaking Safe To Be Me programme.

"The Moving Minds conference gives us the opportunity to learn directly from experienced practitioners and young people about the mental health challenges they face and how dance can help them."

Jill Sonke, research director at the Centre for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, will be among those taking part in the conference.

She said: "The World Health Organisation's first ever report looking at the evidence for arts and health in 2019 highlights the growing recognition of the importance of the arts to health and wellbeing.

"I am delighted to be speaking at the Moving Minds conference. Scottish Ballet is driving a leading edge in making the arts an integral part of the promotion of physical, social, and mental wellbeing for people of all ages, including young people."

The Moving Minds Conference is being held in person in Glasgow from May 4-5 2022, and online on Friday May 6 2022, with information available at https://www.scottishballet.co.uk/moving-minds.