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✨ Our finalist announcements continue... ✨

It’s time to reveal the finalists for our third award category… the Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award at the MBCC Awards 2026! 🌟

These exceptional organisations are setting the standard for inclusive leadership, championing equality and creating workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Their dedication to making a meaningful impact is truly inspiring.

🎉 Congratulations to all of our finalists! We look forward to celebrating your incredible achievements at the MBCC Awards 2026.

👀 Keep following as we unveil the remaining finalist categories over the coming days!

#MBCCAwards2026 #DiversityAndInclusion #InclusionMatters #BusinessExcellence #Awards2026 CelebratingSuccess

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And that's us signed off for summer, @giraffe_dance_uk will see you in September ✨️

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What a year 🦒💛

As Move In Your Own Way comes to an end, I feel incredibly grateful to have been Creative Lead on this @aceagrams funded @giraffe_dance_uk project ✨️

Watching young people grow in confidence, express themselves through movement and discover the joy of dance has been the most rewarding experience. These are the moments that remind me why I love what I do 😌

A huge thank you to Alison Penn for trusting me with this role and for your constant support throughout this journey. It has been a privilege to work alongside you 👐🏼

Thank you to every school, teacher and young person who made this project so special. Here's to many more opportunities to create spaces where everyone can move in their own way 💛

#InclusiveDance #DanceArtist #CreativeLead #ArtsCouncilEngland

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11.03.2026

A few pictures from my solo ‘A Different Kind of Bloom’ commissioned by @slapdash_theatre @wolverhamptonartscentre mentored by @giraffe_dance_uk

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FREE COMMUNITY DANCE!

We are delighted to share that, thanks to support from National Lottery and Sport England, our Keep Moving program will be continuing for another full year of activity! This means more sessions, more exciting Guest Artists and some exciting performance projects!

Keep Moving is a monthly open to all dance opportunity that brings people together in a safe and inclusive space. Each session includes a workshop with Linden Directors and a Guest Artist in a different style, providing a fun and supportive environment to try something new and be creative!

We have 3 exciting sessions coming up:

Sunday 14 June
Saturday 25 July
Saturday 15 August

Everyone is welcome, places are FREE but must be booked by message/email. Get in touch NOW to sign up!

Huge shout out to the brilliant Natalie Haslam for your work on supporting the program and making this possible!

(Crocheted vegetables are included 😉)

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My first experience leading a short film as Producer taught me more than I could have imagined.

From the earliest conversations with @kaasam_aziz and @tomhobdenstudio to the final shoot days, this project demanded resilience, adaptability, and a lot of faith in the process and the vision.

Behind every frame is a small but mighty team of people who cared deeply about what we were creating. People who showed up early, stayed late, solved problems, supported one another, and helped turn an ambitious idea into something real.

There are over 150 people credited in this film and each person played their own part in creating this. We truly could not done it without you!

There was drama, there were setbacks, there was plenty of uncertainty. But there was also laughter, creativity, determination, and a shared belief that the story was worth telling.

We told a story that resonates closely with me and majority of the crew,cast and participants in some way.
Without the early community artists that engaged me in the arts I would not have found my career, love and passion for accessible arts work!

We aim to showcase the radical work being done across the country, and celebrate 10 years of @mbnewadventures Overture programme who have now supported over 140 community dance artists and counting!

There is a commitment these artists have for their calling and their community! I am so proud we have captured that in a small way 🎬

I’m so proud of this film, this team, and everything I’ve learned along the way.
First producing credit, First 1st AD credit and a whole lot of new skills learnt. A milestone I’ll never forget.

Quiet Revolutions Premiers today at Sadlers Wells Dance Digital Festival and will be available for everyone to view in July!

Special shout out to the core team @tomhobdenstudio @kerrybiggin @kaasam_aziz @lucyvicfox @jack_edwards.dop Thank you 👏

Finally a thank you to the communities, every individual that took part and were so willing to support our project! Thank you @giraffe_dance_uk @jaynadanceacademy @dmu_dance @farnhammaltings and so many more, we cannot wait to share this with you✨

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A look back at our Spring Summit 2026!🤩
There was a lot of dancing, there was a lot of joy and there was a lot of collaboration🪩💪

Every summit we are reminded about this incredible network of dance professionals and the community around us, and we are so grateful🧡💙

📸: @romywhai

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Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day ♿🤍

My SCI and conus nerve damage changed my life completely. It has been painful, hard, exhausting and unfair at times. But it also introduced me to wheelchair dance, community, creativity and a version of myself I am proud of.

I will never “recover” but I am learning to adapt, grow and live fully anyway.

Today is for disabled joy, honesty and everyone navigating life with SCI ✨

#SCI #WheelchairDance #DisabledDancer #DisabilityAwareness

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🎨 FREE Arts Workshops for Home Educated Families in Solihull 🎬💃🎧

Solihull CEP is proud to offer a series of fully funded creative workshops for home educated children and young people across June!

📍 Sessions are taking place at:
• The Core, Solihull
• Elmwood Family Hub
• Hatchford Brook Family Hub
• Chelmsley Wood Library
• Solihull Lodge Community Association

✨ All sessions are FREE
✨ Suitable for a range of ages and abilities
✨ Funded by The Arts Society Solihull

👉 Visit www.solihullcep.co.uk/homeeducation to find out more and book.

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Happy International dance day everyone! Let’s dance to celebrate!

Footage from last year’s Ballet for All conference!

#internationaldanceday #danceforall

[Description: A group of people dancing and moving together in a dark-walled studio - some are wheelchair users, some are standing dancers. They’re really going for it and enjoying the dance!]

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Alison has been part of my journey for longer than I can remember ❤️

She taught me ballet when I was younger, guided me through pointe, and was one of the people who pushed me to go to dance college and university. She saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself 😌

During lockdown, we created work together and she encouraged me to choreograph and teach. That belief stayed with me ✨️

After my accident, she was there. Visiting me in hospital when I could not move, already planning what we would create next. People thought we were crazy. Maybe we are, but we made it happen 🤣

She trusted me as Creative Lead for Move In Your Own Way, and that experience has shaped me in ways I cannot fully explain. Now, being a director of giraffe feels very full circle 🦒

More than anything, Alison is a friend. I am so grateful to continue learning from her, working alongside her, and growing together 🥰

#Gratitude #DanceJourney #CreativeCommunity

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Congratulations Giraffe Dance @giraffe_dance_uk for being nominated in the Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award category at The MBCC Multicultural Business & Community Champion Awards 2026✨ @mbccawards_ @mbcc.awards

www.mbccawards.com

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