Magpie Dance 25

EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Annual Review

April 2024 -

March 2025

Magpie Dance is the UK’s leading dance charity for

people with learning disabilities. We believe that a

learning disability should not be a barrier to

personal and artistic success.

Executive Director’s introduction

We are delighted to present to you a

review of all our fantastic

achievements across the past

financial year – and highlight that 2025

sees Magpie Dance turn 40! We have

lots of exciting fundraising activities

planned across the calendar year, and

I look forward to featuring these in our

next review – please do get in touch if

you can support us as we aim to raise

£40,000 in our 40th anniversary year.

The financial year 2024 – 2025 marks our

second year as a National Portfolio

Organisation (NPO) with Arts Council England;

we continue to deliver 17 sessions per week

(termly) for all ages and abilities, providing

progression routes and more intensive technique

classes for those that wish to develop their skills

further. As well as this, we deliver outreach to

SEN schools (with Marlborough Special

Educational School in Sidcup being weekly),

partner and collaborate with renowned artists,

and perform on professional stages as well as

realising the importance of local community

dance.

Highlights over the past year have included a

whole company festival attended by the Deputy

Mayor of Bromley (July ’24) and several ad-hoc

performances for all participants; from our

young dancers performing on the main stage at

London’s prestigious dance venue, The Place,

and at the Museum of London, to our adult

dancers performing at Royal Ballet and Opera

and Harrow Arts Centre. Other opportunities

have included theatre trips (such as to Sadler’s

Wells) and the opportunity to participate in

dance workshops and enjoy working with

visiting artists - such as inclusive dance

companies Corali, Stopgap and Candoco (in

venues such as Siobhan Davies Studios),

working collaboratively in professional

environments. We continue to hold Easter and

Summer schools as well as Days of Dance; our

Days of Dance are for everyone of all ages and

abilities (a full day at the weekend of different

dance workshops) and are an opportunity for

our participants to dance with their friends,

siblings and family members – something which

was requested by our dancers. They are always

well attended and fun for everyone, and are an

opportunity for people with and without

disabilities to dance together.

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Annual Review April 2024 - March 2025

Part of our artistic programme includes the

creation of dance films of our work, made by

us, which are shown all around the world; our

most successful film so far - ‘Kingdom’ - has

been shown internationally in countries such as

Spain (PlatArtistic Springdance Film Festival),

Mexico (FAUNA Film Festival), Costa Rica,

Ukraine (Max Sir International Film Festival),

and at The International Ecoperformance Film

Festival in Argentina, Australia, Brazil,

Romania, USA and online. This is as well as

it being shown around the UK including at U.

Dance National Festival in Liverpool, and at

Greenwich Film Festival. It’s fantastic that we are

able to spread our work overseas and continue

to break boundaries and challenge perceptions

of what can be achieved from dancers of all

ages, who happen to have a learning disability.

This past year has also seen us be the proud

winners of two prestigious awards; ‘People

in Governance’ at The Charity Governance

Awards (May ’24) which pays accolade to our

wonderful board of trustees and all their hard

work, and the Once Dance UK ‘Green Dance

Award’ (March ’25). Not only does this mark

the end of last year’s Artistic Theme ‘Our Land’,

but it also marks our commitment to our

environmental policy and all the hard work we

do, and continue to do, as we endeavour to

reduce our carbon footprint across our working

methods and programmes of activity.

Lastly, I must take this opportunity to thank the

whole Magpie Dance team, from our dancers

and their families and friends, to our funders,

board of trustees and staff (office, delivery team

and volunteers) for their unwavering dedication

and commitment to Magpie Dance. Our charity

is made up of the people who attend, work and

support it and none of this would be possible

without them. Here’s to an exciting year ahead

and of course, celebrating 40 wonderful years

of Magpie Dance.

Laura Graham

Executive Director

Contents

Executive Director’s introduction ...........................2

A summary of our impact .....................................4

Magpie Dance sessions .........................................5

Dancers’ Committee .............................................9

Magpie Dance in schools .................................... 10

Performance, events, workshops and training ..... 11

Peer mentors .....................................................22

Ambassadors .....................................................23

Work placements and interns .............................24

Awards ...............................................................26

Funders and volunteers ......................................28

Goodbye and welcome .......................................29

Fundraising events .............................................20


3

A summary of our impact

At its heart, Magpie Dance supports people with learning disabilities to gain skills and to take part in the

life of the community through dance.

We asked participants and their parents/carers how coming to Magpie Dance makes them feel and

their main reasons for attending our sessions. The results were:

Developed new skills ...................................................................................... 100%

Improved communicating with other people .............................................. 83%

Physical health / fitness has improved ........................................................ 91%

Improvement in mental health / overall wellbeing .................................... 96%

More confident ............................................................................................... 96%

“When I was a child people with learning disabilities were tolerated but not really included in

ordinary living - they were sadly often viewed as not really proper people. I was just bowled over

by the beautiful care and encouragement given by all the dedicated leaders. You have given my

grandson such pleasure and I am so grateful to every single one of you for what you give to us. Thank you”

Grandmother of participant

“Such an important part of my daughter's life. Has given her purpose, friendships, responsibility and a

huge opportunity to express herself in dance. Our family can't imagine life without the Magpie family.”

Magpie Dance parent

4


Magpie Dance sessions

We run programmes for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities, in both

community and healthcare settings. Classes are led by professional facilitators and musicians.

Our classes are fantastic, fun and made to suit all abilities. Please read below a summary of

our sessions during this financial year.

Magpie Minis (MM) for 3-7 year olds

Themes: taking part, skill development, peer to peer

learning.

Classes take place in Catford during the week and in

Beckenham at the weekend, 30 weeks per year x two

weekly session for up to 10 participants per class.

Our ground-breaking methods have been developed to

include even younger participants. These classes meet

the demand we were experiencing for younger children

to take part in our regular sessions. Children enrolled

take part in these creative sessions with a parent or

carer, making it a chance for the family to dance

together.

Magpie Sensory (MS) for 3 to 15 year olds

Classes take place in Catford once a week for up to

10 participants. New to this financial year, this session

was introduced after our work with SEN schools and the

need for a session for children with more challenging

needs. Sessions are multi-sensory with the use of props

to encourage participation and engagement.

Magpie Juniors (MJ) for 8 – 15 year olds,

Magpie Youth (MY) & Magpie Youth

Technique (MYT) for 16 – 25 year olds

Themes: taking part, choreography, skill development,

performances, leadership, peer to peer learning.

Classes take place in Bromley, Beckenham and Catford,

30 weeks per year x six weekly sessions for up to 20

participants per class, plus seven full days of holiday

workshops and rehearsals for performances.

Magpie Junior and Youth sessions continue to deliver

ground-breaking inclusive dance tailored to meet

individual needs. After the Wednesday Youth session

and prior to the Saturday Youth session, an hour dance

technique (MYT) session takes place. These classes

have been created to meet a growing demand from

our participants for more formal contemporary dance

technique training. Dancers from across the classes have

the opportunity to perform and be nominated for Jack

Petchey Achievement awards.

“Magpie Dance is invaluable to my son. It gives his life

structure, discipline, a means of self-expression for

confidence and wonderful friendships - all things that

can be sadly lacking in a lot of young people’s lives

today. Magpie has been critical in helping him to

become the thoughtful young man and valued member

of society that he is.”

Magpie Dance parent

“My daughter is actually dancing with her wheelchair

as an extension to her body rather than just dancing in

a stationary wheelchair and moving her arms. She is

developing her social communication at Magpie Dance

and talking to her peers... she is able to self propel her

wheelchair and have the fitness to be more mobile

independently. Magpie Dance is also helping with her

anxiety and depression. My daughter looks forward to

Saturday mornings rather than staying in bed.”

Magpie Dance parent

Magpie Minis Leads: Katharine le Roux &

Georgia Poole / Nikki Webb (maternity cover)

Magpie Minis Assistant: Adele Best

Magpie Sensory Lead: Katharine le Roux

Magpie Sensory Assistant: Nikki Webb

Magpie Juniors Leads: Katharine le Roux &

Georgia Poole / Nikki Webb (maternity cover)

Magpie Juniors Assistants: Adele Best, Laura

Parkinson, Nikki Webb & Oliver Wright

Magpie Youth Leads: Annie Waller & Heather Blee

Magpie Youth Assistants: Hazel McCarthy &

Annie Walsh

Magpie Musicians: Hans Ferrao, Julian Garman &

Simon Whiting


5

Magpie Adult Community (MC) for 18

years and older

Themes: taking part in regular physical activity,

participating, building confidence and

self-esteem.

Classes take place in Bromley and Orpington, 30

weeks per year x two weekly sessions for up to 30

participants (including support workers) per class.

Magpie Dance aims to reach those most in need,

providing them with a continuous healthy activity

to improve their training and skills. It also shows

the participants’ ongoing commitment to these

programmes of activity. The Orpington sessions

are a hybrid of in person and on zoom.

“I think Magpie Dance is a wonderful place and

my daughter would be rather unhappy if she did

not have this opportunity in her life. It is especially

important because it allows older people to

attend; as you get older there is less opportunity

for people with various Learning Disabilities/

Special Needs.”

Magpie Dance Parent

“My daughter is not a natural athlete and avoids

most forms of exercise, which is why attending

Magpie Dance is so important for her physical

health. The simple movements and repetitive

sequences delivered so calmly and expertly are

perfect for her.”

Magpie Dance Parent

Magpie Adult Choreographers (MAC) for

26 years and older

Themes: choreographic techniques, skill

development, performances, leadership, peer to

peer learning.

The MAC sessions focus on selected

choreographers, choreographic techniques and

creative skills, with dancers taking ownership of

their work. There are currently two MAC sessions

running each week (30 weeks per year).

“I always like it when we make work, Magpie staff

let me be who I am. With other companies, I don’t

get to do that.”

MAC Dancer

“My daughter has not been at school since

September and is waiting for a new school

placement - Magpie Dance has offered her

continued routine and a way of still socialisingshe

absolutely looks forward to it each week”

Magpie Dance Parent

Magpie Adult Community Lead Facilitators: Annie Waller & Katharine le Roux

Magpie Adult Community Assistant Facilitators: Adele Best, Nikki Webb (zoom) & Georgia

Poole / Nikki Webb (maternity cover)

Magpie Adult Choreographers Leads: Adele Best & Ella Fleetwood

Magpie Adult Choreographers Assistants: Katharine le Roux & Robert Noble

Magpie Musicians: Hans Ferrao & Simon Whiting

6


Dancer Development Course (DDC) for 18

years and older

Themes: intensive training, dance research and

analysis, choreography, performance,

production, leadership, enrichment experiences to

aid artistic development and skills development.

Study sessions for up to 10 dancers, who attend

either Magpie Youth Technique or Magpie Adult

Choreographers, and wish to engage in more

intensive dance training. The course runs for one

academic year commencing each September

and provides access to up to 14 hours of weekly

dance tuition as well as opportunities to perform,

choreograph, and attend enrichment experiences.

In addition, students complete tasks in and out of

session time which comprise research, analysis of

dance pieces and are supported to create their

own work, considering all aspects of production.

Outside of session time, students undertake home

study to further their knowledge and

understanding of the dance world and are

supported to attend enrichment trips.

Dancer Development Course (DDC) Lead: Amy Lovelock

Dancer Development Course (DDC) Assistant: Ella Fleetwood


7

Magpie Adult Technique (MAT): Ballet for

18 years and older

MAT sessions are drop-in classes for adults aged

18+, with and without learning disabilities, who

wish to commit to exploring dance further by

learning specific dance styles and techniques.

The ballet session has proved popular and uses

progressive exercises that build physical, technical

skills and inspire musicality. The sessions give a

solid grounding in basic ballet technique.

“My brother has been a member of Magpie

Dance for years. It has helped him to thrive as an

artistic, fit and confident individual. Magpie has

been a huge part of my brother’s life, and I hope

that it can continue to bring joy to many more

individuals and their families.”

Magpie Dance family member

“Magpie has helped give me the confidence to

volunteer at the Community Cafe in Bromley every

Tuesday. It has also given me confidence to take

part in international swimming competitions in

Rome and Athens and to attend computer training

organised by the Special Olympics.”

Magpie Dance Participant

Magpie Adult Technique (MAT):

Contemporary and Body Conditioning for

18 years and older

These MAT sessions provide participants an

opportunity to increase flexibility, strength,

stamina and overall fitness (body conditioning)

and learn new dance skills, techniques and

disciplines (contemporary). Both sessions develop

creativity, and encourage participants to keep

active and have fun.

Magpie Adult Technique (MAT): Ballet Lead: Georgia Poole/ Katharine le Roux (maternity cover)

Magpie Adult Technique (MAT): Ballet Assistant: Katharine le Roux / Nikki Webb (maternity cover)

Magpie Adult Technique (MAT): Contemporary & Body Conditioning Lead: Amy Lovelock

Magpie Adult Technique (MAT): Contemporary & Body Conditioning Assistant: Ella Fleetwood

Magpie Musicians: Peter Coulcher & Simon Whiting

8


Dancers’ Committee

The Dancers’ Committee is comprised of current

participants and is aligned with our formal Board

of Trustees. Previously named the Shadow Board,

it was changed in this financial year to Dancers’

Committee following a review facilitated by

Charlotte Jones, the Director of ITC (Independent

Theatre Council). It was decided to rename and

restructure the Shadow Board in favour of a

new and improved Dancers’ Committee, with

main changes being the method of selection for

membership (which will be more frequent), the

age range of the Committee members (which has

lowered), the Chair (being a participant and not a

Magpie member of staff) and the involvement and

interaction of the Board.

Dancers’ Committee members receive Easy Read

board papers and feedback directly on our

activities and future plans. This is ensuring that

people with learning disabilities have oversight

and input at the highest levels of decision making

at Magpie Dance, and we are able to design and

deliver our work with the needs and interests of

our community at its heart.

Not only do participants contribute to matters

that impact them first hand, but the collaboration

between Board and Dancers’ Committee also

deeply connects Trustees to our dancers, creating

a deeper level of understanding and engagement

from everyone involved.

“Our staff and trustees are always led by the

question “what will be the best thing for our

participants?” The Dancers’ Committee allows us

to get the answer directly from participants and

receive new ideas which we would never have

thought of ourselves”

Chris Wicks, Magpie Dance Co-Chair


9

Magpie Dance work in schools

In Spring term (April ’24), due to a generous

donation from Purley Youth Project, we were able

to deliver free weekly sessions to five local SEN

schools. Teams of Magpie Dance staff, musicians

and Ambassadors ran 50+ sessions a week for 10

weeks and worked with over 1000 students with a

range of complex learning disabilities.

Parents and carers of students were invited to join

sessions via zoom for a virtual sharing in the last

week of the project and we received positive

feedback from all the parents who joined the

sharings.

Students from the schools were also invited to be

involved in the creation of a film entitled ‘1000

voices’ which has created a legacy of the outreach

project (and was premiered at our full company

show in July 2024).

“Magpie Dance have been absolutely amazing.

The staff have been so friendly and really want

to use the knowledge that our teams have of

the pupils to ensure that they are pitching at the

correct levels.

Having the ambassadors come and support the

sessions. Our pupils instantly gravitated towards

them and have built beautiful connections. Seeing

these relationships has made a few of the staff cry

it was so wonderful.

Having live music is so beneficial. I really think that

this enhances our pupil (and staff engagement).”

Laura Stevens, Phase Leader - Riverside School

10


Performances, events, workshops and training

Garden Party at Buckingham Palace

Schools Workshops (Feb-May ‘24)

Our facilitators were kept busy after a very

generous donation meant that Magpie could fund

weekly workshops for numerous schools across

our local boroughs. We reached over 1000

children with the work completed in this 10-week

period.

‘Don’t Panic! We can Save the Planet!’ At

the Churchill Theatre (6th April ’24)

Our Junior Dancers and their families had a

wonderful time at the Churchill Theatre watching

this performance which linked closely to our

theme; proving to be a fun and educational trip for

our younger dancers.

Easter School for Juniors, Youth & Adults,

Youth and Juniors, Orion Eden Park,

Beckenham (9th - 11th April ’24)

We were delighted to welcome visiting artists

Akram Khan Dance Company who provided

workshops across all 3 age groups.

Platartistic Film festival in Spain

(12th April ’24)

Celebrating the success of ‘Borrowed Land’ we

showcased our film in the Platartistic Film Festival

in Spain.

Astley Day Centre, Bromley

(10th May ‘24)

Our DDC dancers performed ‘Nature in Motion’

at this adult day care centre for adults with

learning disabilities.

Garden Party at Buckingham Palace –

celebration of Creative Industries

(15th May ’24)

Our directors alongside other members of the

Magpie team spent a wonderful day at Buckingham

Palace at a garden party for the creative

industries. A wonderful time was had, and we

were honoured to be invited.


11

Costume Workshop

Costume Workshop, Orion Eden Park,

Beckenham (18th May ’24)

Our Junior dancers enjoyed getting creative and

meeting the challenge of our £0 budget for our

costumes for this year’s show, by designing and

creating their own, recycling materials and being

sustainable. They designed their own posters for

saving the bees, which are being created to form

their t-shirts.

‘Kingdom’ at the IV International Eco

performance Film Festival in Brisbane,

Austrailia; Pinamar, Argentina;

Providence, USA; Sao Paolo, Brazil;

Bucharest National Dance centre,

Romania

(31st May ’24 – 14th July ‘24)

We are delighted that our film ’Kingdom’ was

selected for the International Eco Performance Film

Festival.

Greener & Cleaner workshop, The

Glades, Bromley (13th June ‘24)

Our adult dancers visited our local sustainability

centre for an afternoon of exploring and learning

more about sustainability and fashion, and the

impact it has on the planet. They also visited Ada

and Albert in Bromley to learn about donating and

buying clothes second-hand.


(21st June ‘24)

Our DDC dancers visited Astley Day Centre

again, this time for a performance of ‘The Debate’,

their new piece for our show, outlining the debate

around climate change.

12


Willow Brook Primary School

Bromley Children Family Forum (BCFF)

family funday, Beckenham

(21st June ‘24)

One Magpie team member and one Ambassador

manned a stall at this event to share information

and advertise our sessions and our whole

company show – a good chance to meet new

people.

Willow Brook Primary School, London

(27th June ’24)

Our DDC dancers went to Willow Brook Primary

School where they led a series of dance

workshops, followed by a performance of ‘The

Debate’.

‘Kingdom’ at the U.Dance National

Festival Weekend, Liverpool

(14th- 20th July ’24)

Magpie was delighted that ’Kingdom’ was shown

online by One Dance UK and at the U.Dance

National Festival Weekend.

Performance at Langley Park Centre for

Performing Arts, Beckenham

(28th July ’24)

Here we showcased ‘Borrowed Land’; our annual

whole company performance. From our youngest

minis to our adult dancers, this festival and

performance from everyone at Magpie Dance

was a culmination of our annual artistic theme;

looking at climate change and how to make

sustainable decisions for a better future for

everyone. It included an interactive exhibition,

workshops led by Magpie dancers and a whole

company performance.

Summer School for Juniors, Youth &

Adults, Youth and Juniors, Orion Eden

Park, Beckenham (9th - 11th April ’24)

Our Junior, Youth and Adult dancers enjoyed a

week packed intensive, exploring our new annual

theme ‘Our People’, looking at the history of

people with disabilities and at heroes.


13

Magpie Sensory

‘Max Sir International Film Festival’,

Teatro Dionisio Echeverría, Costa Rica and

Lviv Art Palace

Ukraine (13th Sept ’24)

We were delighted that ‘Kingdom’ was selected to

be shown at this international film festival.

Bromley Mencap Performance for

Bromley Inclusivity Festival

(15th Sept ’24)

Our DDC dancers performed ‘The Debate’ at this

event, bringing our work to new people.

‘The Power of Dance’ at Greenwich Film

Festival, London (21st Sept ’24)

Our award-winning new documentary was

selected and shown at this local film festival.

Launch of new Magpie session - Magpie

Sensory (26th Sept ’24)

Following the outreach work in local schools, this

session was introduced after we saw a demand

for a more sensory based dance session. Magpie

Sensory is a fun-filled, multi-sensory dance class

suitable for young people with learning disabilities

aged 3-15 years.

‘Jack Absolute Flies Again’, Bromley Little

Theatre (10th October ’24)

Magpie dancers and their families enjoyed a night

out at Bromley Little Theatre, where they hosted

a charity evening to watch a premiere of Jack

Absolute Flies Again. It was a great evening and a

huge thank you to The Bromley Little Theatre as all

ticket revenue came to Magpie Dance.

14


Disability Arts Festival, Harrow Arts Centre

‘Young Associates – Four’ at Sadlers

Wells, London (15th Oct ’24)

Our DDC dancers enjoyed a trip to this prestigious

venue to see ‘Young Associates - Four’ as part of

their course.

RJ4ALL Workshop, Rotherhithe

(31st Oct ’24)

Magpie delivered a sensory workshop and a

creative themed workshop for participants in

Rotherhithe.

SEND celebration, The Warren, Hayes

(1st Nov ’24)

DDC delivered a workshop and performance as

part of a SEND celebration event, alongside some

of our Youth Ambassadors who ran a Magpie

Dance stand sharing information.

Global Youth Awards, Museum of London

(2nd Nov ’24)

Some of our Wednesday Youth Technique Dancers

performed ‘See Me’ as part of the Global Youth

Awards at the Museum of London; it was

wonderful to perform in such a prestigious venue.

‘Family Sundays’, Royal Ballet and

Opera, London (3rd Nov ‘24)

Our DDC dancers performed ‘The Bad, the Very

Bad and the Ugly’ at Royal Ballet and Opera as

part of their Family Sundays events. Our dancers

also led a workshop alongside David Pickering

MBE, where the audience (mostly children) learnt

their choreography.

Big Syn International Film Festival,

London (8th Nov ‘24)

Our DDC dancers performed ’The Debate’ as the

opening act at the gala awards of the Big Syn

International Film Festival where we also won an

award for our film Kingdon.

Disability Arts Festival, Harrow Arts

Centre, Harrow (8th Nov ’24)

Our DDC dancers performed ‘The Debate’ at

Harrow’s Disability Arts Festival; it’s great to be

part of this disability festival and we love returning

here each year.


15

FRESH at The Place

Hidden Impact Screening, Greener and

Cleaner, The Glades, Bromley

(9th Nov ‘24)

To mark Remembrance weekend, we held a

screening of ‘Hidden Impact’, our 2019 annual

show which was based on the stories of people

with learning disabilities, their journeys and

contributions to the First World War.

‘Purple Tuesday’, Bluewater Shopping

Centre, Dartford (12th Nov ’24)

Our Tuesday adult dancers performed and

facilitated a workshop for members of the public to

mark Purple Tuesday - an initiative that focuses on

raising awareness about the challenges faced by

disabled consumers and the need for accessible

shopping and service environments.

‘Rosas - Exit Above’, Sadler’s Wells,

London (12th Nov ’24)

Our DDC dancers enjoyed an evening at Sadler’s

Wells where they watched Rosas - Exit Above – a

piece that they have previously studied.

Access All Areas Workshop, Bromley

(15th Nov ‘24)

Access All Areas came to deliver a workshop

during our DDC class, which was open to DDC

dancers, MAT dancers as well as Magpie

facilitators and musicians to use as CPD.

‘FRESH’, The Place, London (16th Nov ‘24)

Our Saturday Youth dancers took to the stage and

performed ‘Aqua Vitae’ as part of this platform

(FRESH) at The Place.

Board Away Day, Community House,

Bromley (23rd Nov ’24)

Our Board of Trustees held an away day to

focus strategically, and also to gain Disability

Awareness Training which was led by our Artistic

Director; a combination of theory and practical,

where our Trustees got on their feet for a Magpie

session, accompanied by live music and some of

our Dancers’ Committee members.

16


Stopgap Workshop

‘Family Sundays’, Royal Ballet and

Opera, London (24th Nov ’24)

An exciting day for all ages of our company -

Magpie’s DDC dancers delivered a performance

of ‘The Bad, the Very Bad and the Ugly‘, followed

by a workshop, delivered alongside David

Pickering, where audience members could

participate and learn motifs from the piece

watched as part of their Family Sundays.

Magpie’s Youth and Junior dancers were invited

to this event as a trip where they were able to

watch the older Magpie dancers perform, as well

as enjoying other workshops and trying on RBO

costumes! It was a great experience for all.

Candoco open class, Siobhan Davies

Dance, London (29th Nov ’24)

Our DDC dancers enjoyed a trip to the Siobhan

Davies studios as part of their training where they

participated in a professional class with Candoco

Dance Company mixing with other professional

dancers.

Stopgap visiting artist workshop,

Bromley (29th Nov ’24)

Stopgap Dance Company visited our DDC session

to deliver a workshop which was open to DDC

dancers, MAT dancers as well as Magpie

facilitators and musicians to use as CPD. The

session was based around their work ’Artificial

Things’.

Bromley Disability Pride, Bromley United

Reformed Church (30th Nov ’24)

Both our Tuesday and our Thursday MAC dancers

had a wonderful time, each performing a piece

for the Bromley Disability Pride event which we are

proud to be a part of each year.

’Wayfair’, Sadler’s Wells, London

(5th Dec ‘24)

Our DDC dancers enjoyed a trip to watch

’Wayfair’ performed on the prestigious stage at

Sadler’s Wells Theatre.

‘The Debate’, The Glades shopping

centre, Bromley (6th Dec ‘24)

Our DDC dancers performed ‘The Debate’ in the

Glades shopping centre and delivered an open

workshop for members of the public.


17

Trash Trip

‘Cinderella’, The Royal Opera House,

London (14th Dec ‘24)

Our Magpie dancers and their friends and family

enjoyed a trip to the Royal Opera House to watch

a performance of Cinderella.

‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’,

Churchill Theatre, Bromley (19th Dec ‘24)

The whole Magpie team gathered to see our local

pantomime – over 150 dancers, staff, friends and

families enjoyed this festive performance starring

Gareth Gates at our local theatre.

Woodside School, Croydon

(7th & 8th Jan ’25)

Our Magpie facilitators went to Woodside School

to deliver workshops to a variety of different aged

children; varying from EYFS workshops to

workshops for some of their oldest teenage

students.

Trinity Laban, London (6th Feb ‘25)

Our Artistic Director, some Magpie ambassadors

and members of our delivery team went to Trinity

Laban to deliver inclusive dance training to their

year 2 dance students.

Riverside School, St Paul’s Cray, Kent

(13th Feb)

We were thrilled to be asked to run a stall at their

‘Preparing for Adulthood’ event where we were

able to meet new people and spread the word

about our work.

‘Trash’, Sadler’s Wells, London

(22nd Feb ’25)

A wonderful trip extended to all ages at Magpie

Dance to see a performance of ’Trash’ at Sadler’s

Wells Theatre.

‘Let’s Dance!’, Orion Eden Park,

Beckenham (2nd Mar ’25)

Jumping on the national bandwagon led by

Angela Rippon, Magpie opened its doors to all

ages and experiences of dance and gave tasters

of 10 of our regular classes in this Day of Dance.

On top of these sessions (some led by dancers)

there was a professional filming crew in for the

day which included interviews with dancers and a

DDC performance of ‘The Debate’.

Mencap, Bromley (3rd Mar ‘25)

Our Tuesday MAC dancers went to Mencap to

deliver a workshop and performance which was

extremely well received; our dancers were a big

hit!

18


Let’s Dance!

Siobhan Davies Dance, London

(7th Mar ’25)

Our DDC dancers enjoyed a professional class

at Siobhan Davies Dance Studios, learning new

techniques and working amongst other

professional dancers.

Corali workshop, Bromley Library

(14th Mar ’25)

Dancers and staff, who attend as continued

professional development, enjoyed Corali’s

workshop based on their new piece ‘Phantasia’.


(18th Mar ’24)

Our Tuesday MAC dancers performed at Astley

Day centre. They debuted their new material for

this year’s whole company performance, based

on ’Our People’.

Ginger Indian Cuisine, Hayes

(20th Mar ’24)

Three of our MAC dancers, from across the

Tuesday and Thursday groups, combined to

deliver a bespoke performance followed by a

Q&A at this special fundraising and networking

event. Thank you to the two local businesses BABR

and Cain & Co for organising the event and for

their generous support.

Transition Event, Bromley College

(26th Mar ’24)

We were delighted to be able to attend this

transition event at Bromley College to advertise

our sessions and opportunities on offer for adults

with learning disabilities.

‘Phantasia’ by Corali, The Place, London

(29th Mar ‘24)

Our DDC dancers went along to The Place to

watch and cheer on fellow Magpie Dancer, Alice,

as she performed with Corali. It was a fantastic

evening and wonderful to watch her perform.


19

Fundraising events

Thank you to everyone who has donated

or taken part in a fundraising challenge for

Magpie Dance this year. Around 90% of our

income is derived from fundraising, so your

support is vital to keeping us dancing!

There are loads of ways you can help – please

take a look at some of the ideas below:

Challenges and events

Take on a sponsored challenge, or what

about a 5km, 10km or even a marathon?!

We’ve got running tops, sponsor sheets and

more to support your sporting and sponsored

challenges.

Occasionally we have places in organised

events such as the Vitality Big Half, so make

sure to look out for emails and updates on

social media.

20


Don’t Send Me A Card

‘Don’t Send Me A Card’ is a scheme which

enables you to send eCards to friends and

family, while donating to your chosen charity.

You can use the link below to find Magpie’s

Charity page on their website and choose

your eCard design. A great way of helping to

reduce your carbon footprint as well as

raising funds for Magpie Dance!

https://www.dontsendmeacard.com/ecards

/charities/magpie-dance

Online shopping

To cover more of your shopping online, we

have an Easy Fundraising Page where you

can raise money for Magpie Dance from

even more of the items you buy online. All

you have to do is register with Easy

Fundraising, selecting Magpie Dance as your

chosen cause. Shop to your heart’s content at

places like Amazon, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and

John Lewis and up to 15% of your purchase

will be donated to Magpie Dance. It really

couldn’t be easier!

Bexley Community Lottery

Launched in response to shrinking budgets

in the community sector, the fantastic project

raises money in the community for the

community.

There are so many chances to win great

prizes of up to £25,000! Tickets only cost £1

per week and 50% of all tickets sold from the

Magpie Dance page comes to us. A further

10% goes to other good causes in Bexley.

Bexley Community Lottery is ongoing, so you

can enter at any time. Simply visit Bexley

Community Lottery and search for Magpie

Dance to begin supporting.

The Big Give

In March 2025 we took part in The Big Give

fundraising challenge for the second year

running. This national programme doubles

donations made by individual donors during

a week-long online campaign.

With thanks to you, we were successful in

exceeding our target for the week, raising

over £12,000 in total! It was wonderful to

receive the support of so many families and

friends, and campaigns like this really do

make a great impact on our ability to

continue delivering our work.

We hope to continue to take part in future Big

Give campaigns, so keep a look out for how

you can get involved next time …

Magpie Dance’s 40th Anniversary

2025 marks 40 wonderful years of Magpie

Dance! To celebrate our 40th anniversary,

we are hoping to raise £40,000 – we need

your help! Please visit our website to see

how you can support us.

Please keep Magpie Dance in mind for any

inspiring challenges you may be planning to

help us continue our work.


21

Peer Mentors

Our Peer Mentoring programme is a 3-module

course for Magpie Adult dancers to participate

in (only one per class), during our regular weekly

Youth and Adult Community sessions.

The Peer Mentors are monitored and their skill

development is recorded. The progression for

them from dance participants to Peer Mentors

is evidence of their learning and development

during Magpie Dance. Furthermore, for people

who respond well to this training, there are

opportunities beyond Peer Mentoring roles. These

roles have now been formally acknowledged and

each Mentor has an agreement in place with their

responsibilities outlined and training is provided.

Once the three modules have successfully been

completed, Peer Mentors are invited to become

Magpie Dance Ambassadors where they will

assist, join in, and represent Magpie Dance in

sessions, external workshops and events.

22


Ambassadors

The Ambassador programme is fed by our peer

mentor scheme to enable graduates from the

peer mentor course to share their skills and

experiences across our classes. An Ambassador

assists, joins in and represents Magpie Dance in

sessions, external workshops and events - they

wear a black Magpie Dance Ambassador

T-shirt to be easily identified.

They’ve developed a range of new skills by

assisting in sessions and helping at various

events – the biggest achievement being their

work in local SEN schools. Nine Ambassadors

joined our teams of Facilitators and Musicians

to deliver over a hundred workshops to1000

children and young people in five SEN schools

across Bexley, Bromley, Croydon and

Lewisham over a ten-week period. These

sessions instilled a huge amount of confidence

in our Ambassadors who were extremely

professional, and it allowed the opportunity for

the Ambassadors to exhibit their skills and to

also receive consistent payment for their work.

This is in addition to our two Ambassadors in

regular sessions for Marlborough SEN School

(Bexley) with the school delighted to have such

excellent role models for their students. One of

our Ambassadors also continues to assist

weekly in our Junior and Mini sessions.

Moreover, our Ambassadors deliver one-off

workshops at Trinity Laban (London), help at

fundraising events (such as The Rock Choir

fundraiser concert) as well as at public events

including workshops for the NHS’s Big Health

Week, and Bromley Children’s Family Forum.

As an organisation which works with people

with learning disabilities it is really important to

us that as we grow, we have a

neurodiverse team ourselves. We see the

Ambassador programme as a stepping stone

towards that so that wherever we go we’re

representing the people we work with.

“I am a Magpie Dance Ambassador; I like

helping and teaching children. I feel important”.

Magpie Dance Ambassador

“It’s been an amazing experience for me to watch

my daughter inspired and so enthusiastic about a

project and to witness her grow and develop in

her role as Ambassador.”

Magpie Dance parent


23

Work placements and interns

Magpie Dance is dedicated to helping others

acquire knowledge about learning disabilities

and is passionate about providing opportunities

for students to gain experience in the dance and

charity sectors.

In the past year, the work we undertook with

students included:

H We were delighted to work yet again with

The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) as we

hosted 3 placements across our Youth and

Junior programmes as part of their BA (Hons)

Ballet Education programme.

Inclusive Dance Practice Training (IDPT)

The IDPT is our in-house training programme

teaching trainees the Magpie method and

approaches to inclusive dance. Three volunteers

successfully undertook and completed this training

in this financial year – congratulations to Ella

Holappa and Mabel Hawthorne who are now

fully fledged assistant facilitators.

H We welcomed 2 work experience students

(in Year 10) from Orion Eden Park School,

Beckenham, who visited all sessions.

H Our Artistic Director, Alison, delivered CPD

training workshop alongside 2 Ambassadors

to students on MA/MFA Dance Leadership

and Community Practice course at Trinity

Laban.

H Furthermore, we were excited to welcome a

placement from Trinity Laban in our Adult

Programmes.

24


Magpie Dance Friends Scheme

Our Friends play a vital role in securing Magpie

Dance’s future as we do not receive core

long-term funding. Friends contribute either

monthly or annually, and receive regular updates

on our work. You can join online today by visiting

our website – every contribution really does play

a crucial role in enabling us to continue our work.

“We are extremely lucky to have Magpie in our

lives, I can’t imagine life without it, you have to see

it and live it to understand just how it’s changed all

our lives, and helps us to view a brighter life for

our disabled children/ adults.”

Magpie Dance parent

For further information on becoming a Friend and

to join, please contact us at info@magpiedance.

org.uk


25

Awards

The Charity Governance Awards, London

(30th May ’24)

On the 30th May our Co-Chair, Jade, attended

The Charity Governance Awards, celebrating

good governance and trusteeship, with one of our

Dancers’ Committee members and her Dad. We

were shortlisted for the prestigious ‘People in

Governance’ award and thanks to the fantastic

work our Trustees and our Dancers’ Committe do,

we won the award! It’s fantastic that we have

been recognised in this prestigious award and

congratulations to the whole Magpie Dance team.

Bromley Volunteer Awards, Bromley

United Reformed Church

(26th September ‘24)

The Volunteer Awards is an annual event where

the volunteering community is celebrated and

recognised in Bromley; an opportunity to thank

Bromley volunteers for the incredible contribution

they make to their organisations, and the wider

community. We are delighted that Trustee (and

Treasurer), Margaret Wilken, received runner

up for the ‘Leslie Marks Trustee Volunteer of the

Year Award’ and Anna Fittock, who volunteers in

our Wednesday Youth sessions, won ‘The Young

Volunteer of the Year’ award – Anna deserves to

be recognised for her hard work and dedication to

Magpie Dance – we are thrilled for her!

26


SE London Regional Achievement Jack

Petchey Awards, The Churchill Theatre

Bromley (7th October ‘24)

Nominated by their peers and leaders, four of

Magpie Dance’s Youth Dancers attended the Jack

Petchey Awards on the 7th October at The

Churchill Theatre, Bromley. The dancers were

winners of the Achievement Award, recognising

special achievements for young people aged

11-25 and received medallions to go with their

framed certificates. Congratulations to these

dancers!

Young Entertainers Awards UK,

Goldsmiths, University of London

(26th Oct, ’24)

We were delighted to attend the Young

Entertainers Awards; an annual awards ceremony

designed to recognise, celebrate, and reward

young people for their outstanding achievement

in performance in the community, and those who

work with them. We were excited to be shortlisted

for two categories – Magpie Dance was shortlisted

for ‘Performing Arts School of the Year’, and

our facilitator, Katharine, was short listed for ‘Best

Performing Arts Teacher’.

The Abbbas (Above & Beyond, Bromley

Business Awards 2024), Oakley House,

Bromley (7th November ‘24)

The best of Bromley’s business heroes were

celebrated on the 7th November for their

commitment to going ‘above and beyond’ and

supporting their local communities.

The inaugural Above and Beyond Bromley

Business Awards celebrated the hard work and

achievements of those going ‘above and beyond’

and we were delighted that our Artistic Director,

Alison, was shortlisted for the ‘Best Individual

award’ and Magpie Dance was shortlisted for the

‘Best Long-Standing Business’ award.

One Dance UK Awards, Leeds

(24th Jan ’25)

David Ward, our Head of Development and

Fundraising, attended these presigious dance

awards and we were delighted to be the winners

of the One Dance UK ‘Green Dance Award’ – not

only does this mark the end of last year’s Artistic

Theme ‘Our Land’, but it also pays accolade to our

commitment to our environmental policy and all

the hard work we do, and continue to do, as we

endeavour to reduce our carbon footprint across

our working methods and programmes of activity.


27

Our Funders – grateful thanks…

H Arts Council England

H National Lottery Community Fund

H City Bridge Trust

H Backstage Trust

H BBC Children in Need

H Beckenham Rotary

H Boshier Hinton Foundation

H Capital Group

H David Solomons Charitable Trust

H Garfield Weston Foundation

H Go! London

H Gosling Foundation

H Grocers Company

H Jack Petchy Foundation

H Little Lives

H London Catalyst

H London Youth

H Mercers Company

H Mottingham Big Local

H National Citizens Service

H National Lottery Awards for All

H Shaftesbury Young People’s Trust

H Souter Charitable Trust

H Tesco Bags of Help

H Three Monkies Trust

H Vogue World London

H Will Charitable Trust

A special thanks to FLR Spectron for supplying

free IT support and to Bromley Central Library

for temporarily providing office space. Whilst

our registered address remains at The Churchill

Theatre in Bromley, we are delighted to

have moved into our new offices on the 31st

January 2023 at Community House; a vibrant

resource and voluntary centre for the residents

of Bromley hosting over 14 charities – we are

delighted to be based there and would like

to thank the staff there for making us feel so

welcome.

Volunteers

We are very grateful to all our volunteers who

have supported Magpie participants on projects

and performances this past year.

Our volunteers were:

H Rachel Baggerley

H Katherine Ball

H Joshua Barnes

H Dan Chung

H Lydia Devinett

H Brigid Doherty

H Anna Fittock

H Matthew Graham

H Mabel Hawthorne

H Ella Holappa

H Alyson Law

H Tania Pieri

H Margaret Riches

H Katja Rochat

H Matt Terry

H Kunal Walia

H Deborah Whale

H Ronié Williams

H Zechang Xu

Magpie Dance Trustees

The Board of Trustees are responsible for setting

the overall strategic direction of the organisation,

working to ensure that Magpie Dance is well

equipped to enhance the lives of the communities

we serve; they actively promote our work and

leverage opportunities to advance our mission

- they are also volunteers! Thank you to our

Trustees:

H Jade Bassett

H Jessica Lynch-Blosse

H Aaron Francis

H Megan Gardiner

H Faye Harrison

H Ailisha Ogunmefun

H Anaish Parmar

H Eamonn Prendergast

H Chris Wicks

H Margaret Wilken Smith

Thank you to all of Magpie Dance’s staff,

freelancers, trustees, volunteers, individual

supporters, friends, participants, parents and

carers for their continued support.

28


Goodbye and Welcome

In this financial year we said goodbye to Trustee

and Treasurer Margaret Wilken Smith, who went

above and beyond in her role; helping with our

external end of year accounts and supporting our

Finance Manager – Margaret, thank you, you

will be missed; as we say goodbye, we welcome

Anjie Enabor who will be stepping into Margaret’s

shoes as the Board’s new Treasurer. We also welcome

a new Trustee Secretary Michaela Moores

and Trustee Faye Harrison.

Continuing with our welcomes, at the very end of

this review, we welcome Amina Nanna Stephens

who is embarking on a one-year internship with us

(thanks to the Jack Petchey Internship Programme)

as our new Marketing and Projects Intern – we

look forward to the exciting developments Amina

will bring into this new financial year and our 40th

anniversary – welcome!


29

Co-Chairs of Trustee Board

Jade Bassett & Chris Wicks

chair@magpiedance.org.uk

Magpie Dance

The Churchill

Theatre

High Street

Bromley

Kent

BR1 1HA

EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH

LEARNING DISABILITIES

07470 449 558

info@magpiedance.org.uk

www.magpiedance.org.uk

facebook.com/magpiedance

x.com/MagpieDance

instagram.com/magpiedance

https://www.youtube.com/

@magpiedance2501

Executive Director

Laura Graham

lauragraham@magpiedance.org.uk

Artistic Director

Alison Ferrao

alisonferrao@magpiedance.org.uk

Finance Manager

Sally Atkinson

sallyatkinson@magpiedance.org.uk

Fundraising & Development Manager

David Ward

davidward@magpiedance.org.uk

Fundraising Consultant

Sarah Cobley

sarahcobley@magpiedance.org.uk

Operations Co-ordinator

Karis Barlow

karisbarlow@magpiedance.org.uk

Projects Manager

Laura-Ann Whitlock

l.whitlock@magpiedance.org.uk

Projects Co-ordinator

Annie Walsh

anniewalsh@magpiedance.org.uk

Administrator

Nikki Webb

nikki@magpiedance.org.uk

Registered Charity No. 1062185 Co Limited by Guarantee No. 3292609

Patron: Richard Wilson OBE, Youth Patron: Kellie Shirley

Photos by: Magpie Dance, Annie Walsh & Ali Wright

Magpie Dance 25

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