Akademi, a London based charity, has been taking South Asian dance into schools for over 40 years, pioneering the use of South Asian dance in these spaces. Reach Out and Reveal (ROaR), a project working specifically with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) schools, has been delivered since 2018 to support the physical, emotional and communication needs of children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Condition and SEND.
In 2022 Akademi were awarded 3 years of funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation to continue this work and, importantly, to carry out a research project alongside the delivery. We, Ashley and Claire, were invited to join the project as researchers with a background in dance for health projects, working alongside the incredible dance artists already embedded in some of these schools.
Taking research into existing settings is a delicate task, particularly with vulnerable populations such as autistic children, who can find change and new people challenging. We therefore wanted our research design to impact the children as little as possible. To avoid the introduction of too many new and additional people into their spaces, we worked closely with the dance artists and schools for data collection. A co-designed research project was thus integral to our ideas from the outset and over the course of the past 3 years, has been fundamental to the shape, delivery and outcomes of the research. We believe this collaborative approach is a powerful and important aspect of research design in these spaces.
Recent dance for health literature has called for new approaches and collaborative designs that invite all stakeholders to engage with the research ensuring that the work remains both meaningful and relevant to all those involved. Embedded within our project were regular meetings with Akademi, parents, school staff, and the dance artists allowing for an iterative and flexible approach to the research across the 3 years, allowing all stakeholders to have a voice in the project design and outcomes. The role of the dance artist in this context is significant as they hold the embodied knowledge and experience of working closely with the children and can therefore provide useful insight into progressions and changes that would be difficult to capture otherwise.
At the beginning of the project, as we designed and trialled an effective methodology, we worked closely with one specific school, and therefore a collaborative relationship was built with the lead dance artist working in that school, Georgia Cornwell. Her previous knowledge working with these children was integral to the design of the project, and later, her insight and iterative approach to working with the children provided rich information on their progress and how the dance classes and research could be designed to support them and their individual needs.
Here, Georgia shares her thoughts and experiences surrounding the research:
In 2022, I was given the opportunity to join Akademi’s Reach Out and Reveal project as an Artist-in-Training, working across a range of SEND schools. Having already taught children, as well as SEND teenagers and adults, I was eager to expand my knowledge and deepen my practical experience in this field.
During my training year, I gained most of my experience at Manor Primary School, which was participating in a ‘three-year investigative study into the impact of dance influenced by South Asian styles for autistic young children in SEND schools’. Having previously worked with SEND teenagers and adults and seeing how dance and music can benefit individuals, I was particularly interested to see how the study would be approached and what its findings might reveal for younger children.
At the end of my training year, I took over the role of Lead Artist at Manor School. This involved leading and delivering the dance sessions, as well as collecting and recording data to support the ongoing research over the remaining two years.
Initially, I was concerned that the children might become unsettled by the change in lead artist. Change can often be challenging for children with autism, and although I had built positive relationships with the students during my training year, a change in their main teacher could have become distressing for some individuals. As a result, the first term was designated as a settling-in period to allow everyone time to adapt to the change, with data collection beginning after this adjustment phase.
Over this period, I was able to further develop my relationships with each child and begin to understand their individual personalities, as well as what they needed from me, not only to encourage engagement in dance but also to help the students feel comfortable and secure within the dance space. As the weeks progressed, I realised how complex this process was, and how no two sessions were the same for each individual.
I observed how factors such as changes to daily routines, environmental distractions, general wellbeing, adjustments to medication, or the presence of different staff members, etc, could significantly influence a child’s engagement from week to week. There were moments when progress made in one week seemed to disappear by the next. This really challenged my understanding of how progress is conventionally defined and measured in education and society in general. I came to recognise that each child’s journey is personal to them and non-linear, and that this needed to be acknowledged and respected when collecting any data.
As researchers, these observations relating to their progress and the fluctuations week on week that were dependent on a number of variables, were reflected in the more quantitative data we were receiving via the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) from parents and teachers. Although randomised control trials are often seen as the gold standard to analyse the impact of an intervention, it was important to us that the research told the whole story and specifically in this instance that there is no “one size fits all” dance class or shape of intervention for this group of children. Grouping their data masked the fluctuations and did not paint a representative picture of their progress as highlighted by Georgia, nor did it provide meaningful information for artists working in these settings, allowing them to design dance classes that were suitable for each individual. Although challenging for Georgia, her ability to provide this additional context greatly enhanced the research;
Balancing the role of lead dance artist whilst gathering observation notes was frequently a challenge. There was often little to no time to write up notes in between sessions, particularly with the number of children involved. I found video recording really beneficial as it allowed me to look back and make notes, often capturing extra details I had not picked up on in class, especially in bigger group settings. However, video recording did come with its own challenges, as some students got distracted by the presence of a camera, meaning we had to find creative ways to position the camera, and for some, it was best not to have the camera in the room at all. On the other hand, some students thrived with the camera’s presence, performing directly for the camera or engaging with their own reflections.
Over the course of the study, ideas evolved to adapt to the children’s needs. We developed key movements designed to aid in daily tasks, widen movement vocabulary, and encourage independence. I had observed that some of these movements were quite challenging for some children, so I wanted to work on them further, most notably fully extending the arms above the head and twisting the torso. In response, I chose to focus on developing these movements further. For some individuals, spending a large portion of the session practising these actions was sufficient, while for others they served as a warm-up before progressing into set Bollywood choreographies or more creative dance work, as they were able to challenge themselves further. It was especially rewarding to witness most children’s improvement, carrying out the set movements and seeing some not only improve with the quality of movements, but also in movement repetition, memory, and independence.
These observations from Georgia, specifically the inclusion of movements that aided daily tasks, meant that we were able to design resources for teachers and parents that sat alongside the research. These were informed by the dance artists’ work and supported by our research findings, meaning we were able to disseminate and apply the findings of the research project in a meaningful way. Copies of these resources are free to download and available at Special Educational Needs | Digital resources - Akademi
As researchers and dance artists we strongly advocate for co-created, person-centred projects, where all stakeholders are able to feed into the research design and in so doing create meaningful work, publications and resources that can feed back into these communities.
Akademi - South Asian Dance in the UK
Report: Reach Out and Reveal
Authors:
Georgia Cornwell - Freelance Dancer, Teacher, Choreographer and Inclusive Dance Artist
Claire Farmer - Freelance Dance educator and researcher
Ashley Brain - Freelance Dance educator and researcher
Image 1: Research and dance artist team meeting at Akademi offices. Credit: Antareepa Thakur
Image 2: Georgia Cornwell facilitating dance classes. Credit: Justin Jones