Claire Simsek Reflects on Dance Included

Claire Simsek facilitated group discussions at the end of each Dance Included session that Jumped Up Theatre ran from November 2023 to January 2024.

I had a ‘meeting of minds’ and a great chat over coffee with (Jumped Up Participation Producer) Emily Steele-Dias to kick start the creation of these sessions. I gained insight into the brief and needs of the audience as well as the positive impact we’d be seeking to achieve for these participants. It was an exciting opportunity to work with an artist and create group coaching discussions to tie in with the theme of the sessions!

I wanted to deliver something I knew had delivered a positive impact from my coaching and mentoring experience. Happy and focused business and community leaders work from a core set of values and beliefs they have identified. They also seek to continually improve through learning and grow through networks - they have strong community connections. It was my aim to support participants to find the same way forward for their own personal growth.

The three sessions started with ‘Understanding your values’ - this session provided the framework for participants to understand themselves more deeply and identify the primary values which shape their mindsets and decision-making, followed by the second session - ‘Growing your network’ to create a stronger sense of community - we identified the backgrounds and experiences in the room and supported connections between participants, and lastly ‘learning to grow’, we discussed the way their own personal learning takes place or what may be an obstacle to this happening and ways forward to enable growth and continuous learning.

These sessions provided an opportunity to crucially, take time out for themselves and for people to connect with their inner voice, conscience and soul. On reflection, it has been one of the most rewarding experiences to be part of and I’ve taken much away from these and look forward to Dance Included continuing from February onwards at The Key Theatre.

Written by Claire Simsek