Green Candle Dance artistic policy

The work of Green Candle Dance Company is based on a belief that everyone has a birthright to communicate, express themselves and enjoy themselves through dance.

The company recognises that many are denied that right and it therefore seeks to be part of a process whereby people in all communities, of all ages and of all physical and mental abilities have the opportunity to both watch and practice dance.

The company's aims are as follows:

• Artistic Excellence
  To present dance theatre performances of the highest artistic standards in both conventional and unconventional performance spaces

• Access
  To bring dance, as performance and as practice to all parts of the community, and especially to those who have traditionally been denied access to it and by so doing to develop new audiences and new practitioners for the art

• Education
  To develop the educational potential in every aspect of the company's working practices, collaborating closely with formal and informal education structures to further knowledge, skills and appreciation of dance and associated arts, and through art to develop and enhance other life skills

• Training
  To disseminate the company's skills and experience of dance in specific community and education areas through training courses, secondments and exchanges

• Lifelong Learning
  To present opportunities for people of all ages and in every phase of their lives to learn through doing, watching and appreciating dance

• Health
  To use dance to enhance people's mental and physical health both within and outside of formal healthcare settings

• Research
  To pursue new initiatives which expand the context, aesthetics and range of dance practice and where relevant to evaluate, document and publish outcomes and results of such initiatives.

• Advocacy
  To act as an effective advocate for the importance of dance and art in the development and maintenance of healthy communities

• Equal Opportunities
  To operate an effective equal opportunities policy in all aspects of its work.

Green Candle Dance Company tries to reach as wide a cross-section of the community as possible, and especially those people who normally have least access to dance. Many performances and workshops are directed towards a particular age or interest group - older people, young people in primary schools, young people in secondary schools, physically and learning disabled people and so on.

Dance, though central, is only a part of Green Candle's performance style - much of the work is narrative, involving aspects of theatre, song, live music and strong visual design alongside exciting dance that often draws on traditions from around the world.

Training is also an important element of Green Candle's work. We provide Inset workshops for teachers, training days and longer courses for people wanting to work with older people in dance and many opportunities for student secondments in dance in education and community contexts and arts management.

Green Candle works extensively in its home borough of Tower Hamlets, its neighbouring boroughs, and across London, touring shows as well as running numerous education projects and residencies.