Young offenders and dance – local volunteering

Susila Dharma (Britain) received an application from a dance project called ‘The Academy’ which is set up by an organisation called Dance United and runs in Bradford in the North of England.

Bradford is the place where I work and live. I’d heard about the project and became interested in it about a year ago. Their courses are for young offenders and run for twelve weeks, during which time some of their lives are turned around by the experience. I had seen several performances by their students and was inspired to go and talk to them.

At first I thought I would get involved as an ‘expert’. My background and training is in education and young people’s mental health so I thought they might like me to work with their staff team. This was one idea, and there were several more but what seemed vital at the outset was that I became involved with the young people and their teachers.

“Their caring touched my heart!”

I decided to go there on my day off (a Wednesday) and see what happened. The first day felt like I was back at school again. I sat with the staff team as they prepared for their students to come in, listening with interest to the sorts of difficulties they had to face. The students came in in a rush, all ready for their breakfasts, casting a glance at me, but mainly concerned with fuelling up for the day and coming to terms with whatever injuries they had got the previous day. I then joined the dance class. This was a shock! I did a lot of dance when I was young, mainly contemporary and sometimes performing but the years have passed and although I could do the warm up, as soon as we started in on the complicated moves I experienced dislocation of brain and body. That is, one would not keep up with the other and when I got to the floor it was hard to get up again. The young people, all intent on their own efforts, were kind to me, even showing me the steps and saying ‘Come on Pol, you can do it…’ Their caring touched my heart!

So my mission to engage with the cohort and the support and dance team began. We are now coming towards the end of the twelve weeks and it has been a huge learning curve for me. First of all, to watch and listen, keep my mouth shut, stifle my disappointment in myself and my feelings of uselessness and keep on going. I’ve washed up, made drinks, contributed to evaluations, listened to the troubles of support staff and witnessed the transformation of several young people. I’ve had to swallow my pride. Dance is a great leveller. I couldn’t hide behind that huge store of knowledge and expertise I rely on every day because I simply didn’t know.

I am starting to think about what I will do when the next lot of students come through the door in January. But perhaps it may be better to have fewer expectations. One thing which is happening though is a more concerted effort on the part of the organistion to understand what a volunteer programme might look like. I think I can help there.

Polly Skerratt
26/11/2008

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