Critical Mass
Critical Mass is an inclusive dance collective, for young people aged 16–30 across the West Midlands. With funding from Spirit of 2012, its dancers took part in the opening of Birmingham 2022 Festival and the opening ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games as well as featuring in three of the baton relay celebrations and the launch of Birmingham International Dance Festival.
The project was developed in partnership with Fabric (formerly Dance XChange), Arts Connect and the Dance Development Leaders Group, a network of dance organisations in the West Midlands. It brought 242 disabled and nondisabled young people together over a 14-month period to produce new performances for the Birmingham Games. Organisers wanted to show how genuine inclusion can be achieved in large events such as the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, as in the past many mass performance moments have failed to be genuinely inclusive for all participants.
Inclusion was prioritised from the start, with support workers recruited as soon as the project started. Organisers spent a lot of time reaching out to and reassuring potential participants, with taster sessions offered to young people to see if they felt the event was for them. Participants met weekly and had opportunity to take part in dance Critical Mass rehearse for the opening ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Credit: Graeme Braidwood and movement workshops. Here the organisers worked to build participants’ confidence and helped them to bond as a group. Social events such as a winter social also helped this bonding and nurtured a sense of mutual support.
There were challenges along the way, such as transport, as well as meeting the individual needs of each participant within a mass participation experience. At the same time, workshop leaders and support workers gained valuable knowledge and skills in organising inclusive mass performances. There is a commitment to share this knowledge with other dance organisations, the events sector and beyond.
The performances at the Commonwealth Games were the obvious highlights of the project. But it has also left a legacy with many of the participants forming lasting friendships. The evaluation has also shown how successful Critical Mass has been in building the self-confidence and life skills of the young people who took part. Some 81% of the participants said they gained new skills and 76% said they were more confident in doing new things. These impacts will be felt in the years ahead as participants move on with their lives.
