Dover Arts Development and Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company

DAD4Dads

Dover Arts Development (DAD) in partnership with Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company delivered Six Ways to Wellbeing interventions with a focus on Dads/Father figures. The partnership explored innovative ways for young people to discover art, wellbeing and Dads.

"It has been an extremely powerful project and intervention in our lives that has made us all consider family relationships and the six ways to wellbeing” – Arts Practitioner

Dover Arts Development (DAD) in partnership with Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company delivered Six Ways to Wellbeing interventions with a focus on Dads/Father figures. The partnership explored innovative ways for young people to discover art, wellbeing and Dads.

“It was fun to express ourselves and how we felt through poetry but the funnest part was to hear everyone else's poems” – Young person
“I made a digerido and then tried it out and it worked and that is the day I will never forget” - YP
“I feel that I will always have a different outlook on life” - YP

Young people were encouraged to think about how they practice the Six Ways to Wellbeing and express this through poetry, music, drawing and movement workshops. The young people, accompanied by their Dads, visited PARK - a performance by Jasmin Vardimon and were later given the opportunity to learn a dance from the performance. DADforDads culminated in a final event in Dover’s Market Square as part of the annual Christmas lights switch on. The young people had the chance to show off their newly acquired talents through a dance production.

“I got up and did a little dance and I think it helped me think about me and my dad” - YP
“Since becoming a Wellbeing Champion my outlook towards everyday things has changed and I think a lot more about how I can become more positive and incorporate the 6 Ways in my day to day living" – YP/Champion

DADforDads successfully engaged 158 young people through the 11 workshops with wider community engagement, reaching between 500-1000 residents, during the final event. Through the Six Ways to Wellbeing project, DAD has introduced Dover and Shepway to an arts culture that may not have previously existed.

DADforDads raised the awareness of the Six Ways to Wellbeing and encouraged young people to start a journey of change towards habits and way of life. They recruited a number of young people as Wellbeing Champions to further embed the Six Ways to Wellbeing amongst others.

The project demonstrated the possibilities and impact of engaging young people through the arts. Interventions provided opportunities for personal, skills and emotional development. 28 young people were also given the opportunity to work towards an Arts Award.

You can share your stories and connect with other users of ACCT online at #ACCToolkit

The Arts and Cultural Commissioning Toolkit (ACCT) was commissioned by Royal Opera House Bridge, Artswork and Kent County Council with funding from Arts Council England.