At DanceEast, we believe everybody should have the opportunity to experience movement, creativity, and connection. Our Let’s Dance! Holiday Club is a perfect example of that in action for children and young people, and we are so lucky we get to oversee such an amazing programme!
Held three times a year; during Winter, Spring, and Summer, DanceEast’s Let’s Dance! Holiday Club provides a welcoming space for children aged 4-11 to engage in creative activities, meet new friends, and have fun during the school holidays. The programme primarily supports young people who receive income-related free school meals or those identified as “being in need of the provision” (such as those on Universal Credit). This is part of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF), which aims to offer enriching activities and a nutritious meal to families during the school holidays.
Each Let’s Dance! Holiday Club runs between two to four days, and no two days are the same! Children participate in dance sessions led by experienced dance artists, with the support of teaching assistants and one-to-one staff where needed. Beyond this, the children also enjoy arts and crafts, as well as a range of workshops, ranging from Zumba and Soca to nutrition talks, all designed to be engaging, accessible, and fun. The children and young people also get the opportunity to share their work on the very last day – this is always our favourite part.
One participant shared their experience: “I haven’t done any dance classes before, just dances with my friends and messing around, so I was scared I wouldn’t know what to do, but everyone was good at explaining and the classes were really really fun! I liked doing the different things and learning…the food was yummy, and I really liked doing the crafts too. It was good to do lots of different things. The performance was fun, and showing what we had learned made me feel happy and proud because I didn’t think I could do that. I wish we could have come for more days…”
Recently, we’ve introduced a limited number of paid-for places to make the programme accessible to more families. These spaces are available to those who do not qualify for free school meals, helping to ensure more children can benefit from the activities on offer. It’s part of our ongoing aim to open up opportunities to all children and young people across our community.
We’re always exploring ways to make the Let’s Dance! Holiday Club more inclusive and accessible. This includes collaborating with local organisations like Leading Lives and Indigo Opportunities, which support children with additional needs whether that be in the studio, during mealtimes, or with personal care. By adapting the sessions and space to be more comfortable and supportive, we aim to ensure every young person feels welcome.
In addition to these efforts, we also offer a range of access provisions to ensure every young person feels supported throughout their time at Let’s Dance! Holiday Club. This includes a touch tour drop-in, available in the week leading up to the sessions, where young people and their guardians can visit DanceEast, explore the space, and ask any questions. We also provide a visual story of the Let’s Dance! Holiday Club, featuring photos of the building and our friendly staff, to help families feel familiar with the environment before attending. To further support our participants, we offer a quiet space with fidget toys, blankets, and bean bags for children to take a break whenever they need it. These initiatives are just a few ways we strive to make the Let’s Dance! Holiday Club an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.
We are continuing to listen, learn, and improve the experience for everyone involved.
One parent shared their thoughts on the support their child received: “We’ve been told so many times from other SEN clubs that they couldn’t accommodate X… having holiday club at DanceEast has been such a blessing and it’s incredible that you provide such an inclusive environment that we feel safe to leave our girls in and know they are supported. The support has genuinely been amazing… every single staff member we encountered was so nice and helpful, as always. The fact that the children included X and they made friends made us so happy. We are so proud of the girls, and I honestly wish there were more provisions like yours!”
DanceEast’s Let’s Dance! Holiday Club is all about trying something new in a relaxed and supportive setting – whether that’s dancing, creating something artistic, or simply enjoying time with others and making friends.
Having seen the impact it has on young people firsthand, we can say it’s genuinely a joy to be part of such an inspiring programme. For us, it’s about ensuring every child feels welcome, included, and encouraged to participate. We will continue to evolve the club to meet the changing needs of the young people in our community.
How to get involved: https://www.danceeast.co.uk/workshops/lets-dance-holiday-club-3/
Daisy Wyatt (Programme Manager) & Hayley Lemon (Programme Coordinator)
