MG Hop youth project comes to an end for 2018

Photo credit: Beth MacInnes

MG Hop, Green Candle’s Youth Dance Project (formerly BanglaHop!), has been running for over 5 years at Mulberry School for Girls in Tower Hamlets.

Led by dance artist Icy Ice 54 and photographer Beth MacInnes, during the 2017/18 academic year the MG Hop group took part in dance workshops in Hip-Hop and Street dance styles and had the opportunity to develop skills in dance photography and photography editing software Photoshop.  The main aims of the project were to:

  1. Develop individuals dance abilities in new dance styles such as House, pop/ hip-hop and commercial dance.
  2. Increase skills in; memory, musicality, rhythm, footwork, floorwork, space awareness, teamwork and choreography.
  3. Improve students’ health and fitness, through muscular endurance, strength and stamina.
  4. Increase social bonding between peers through shared experiences.
  5. Improve participants’ self-confidence and self-esteem and support positive self-reflection.
  6. Inspire and support pupils considering to take GCSE dance

The culmination of MG Hop’s work during the workshops was shared with their family, peers and school staff at a performance at the exhibition opening on May 15th 2018, with the photographs taken by, and of, the students exhibited in a space at Oxford House for all to see. The exhibition images went on to be displayed again at Mulberry School for Girls during the autumn term 2018.

The participants enjoyed the opportunity to work together, make friends with other students, create their own choreography, perform in front of other people and learn new skills in dance, photography and editing. They also expressed a great feeling of pride at seeing their images displayed in the exhibition.

The students involved told us:

“The dancing choreography was really fun and we got to meet up with new people.”

“I enjoyed learning new routines as well as dancing with new people & teachers who do not usually teach me.”

“I mostly enjoyed learning new choreography and taking photos, I also loved making new friends.”

“I enjoyed how we had a chance to make our own choreography, share ideas and work with new people.”

“It was really amazing to be able to take photographs and learn different techniques.”

“I felt so proud of myself because I could see my hard work.”

“It’s good to get mixed up with other people in the year group because then I can have a chance to make new friends.”

The dual element of dance and photography with performance and sharing opportunities positively engaged the students and provided them with a new creative focus to their learning.

We are delighted that we have secured funding in order for MG Hop to continue for the 2018/19 academic year and we look forward to working with the students at Mulberry School for Girls again.

MG Hop was a partnership project with Mulberry School for Girls and was funded by Tower Hamlets Council