As mentor to dance artist Lerato Stanley-Dunn, my role was to support her to evaluate Wellbeing Moves, a pilot dance on referral project supporting people in some of the most deprived areas of Bristol as part of Southmead Development Trust’s Social Prescribing programme.

While there are several well-established arts on referral programmes across Bristol which use visual arts to support individual and community wellbeing, the use of dance in this area was relatively new and untested. The aim was therefore to develop and test a Dance on Referral model which – if successful - could be expanded across Bristol.

The evaluation used qualitative evaluation tools - including practitioner reflective diaries, a participant focus group and participant and stakeholder feedback - to explore the impact of the project on participants and identify learning that might inform the future development of such work.

Reflective Practice was embedded in the process of developing, delivering, and evaluating the project. Reflecting on practice and in practice supported the artist’s learning, confidence and growth. It also played a key role in helping the artist to manage overwhelm and support her wellbeing at times when the project became stressful and demanding.

To find out more about Wellbeing Moves’ impact on participants, learning about the process of delivering the project and recommendations for future practice, download the Wellbeing Moves Evaluation here.