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Critical Mass

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee
Grantholder

A major part of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 Cultural Festival, Critical Mass saw nearly 250 disabled and non-disabled young people from diverse backgrounds take part in inclusive dance and perform to a worldwide audience.

Project information

£1,113,350

Grant amount

January 2021

Date awarded

January 2021 – October 2022

Project duration

Birmingham

Location

In partnership with:
Dance Development Leaders Group, Fabric, Arts Connect, Birmingham Royal Ballet
Download: Birmingham 2022 Festival Critical Mass Download: Learnings and Evaluation For Critical Mass

Project Detail

Critical Mass

Critical Mass was an inclusive dance project that brought together hundreds of young people from the West Midlands as a flagship project of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Cultural Festival. The Critical Mass collective was an integrated cast with people identifying as D/deaf, Disabled and non-disabled working side by side to show how genuine inclusion can be achieved in mega-events. The genesis of the project was building on the lessons of previous major events where disabled performers had been showcased but mass casting was out of reach for many people. For the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Spirit had funded an access pot to help people financially that wanted to volunteer as a cast member, and whilst this went some way to increasing the diversity of the volunteers it didn’t give the level of access and inclusion that we hoped it would.

Critical Mass was a unique collaboration between Birmingham 2022 Festival, FABRIC, Arts Connect and Dance Leaders Group (DLG), designed from lessons from trying to engage disabled people and increase diversity in mass casting for previous major events. Critical Mass aimed to change how people think about access and participation in major events. The team worked with almost 250 participants from across Birmingham and West Midlands, aged 16 to 30, reflecting the diversity of the region.

The high point may have been performing at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony, but to prepare for this, participants were engaged for 14 months before the event and were showcased in a number of lead up events, like the opening of the Cultural Festival and the Birmingham International Dance Festival. It wasn’t just about dancing – it was also about connection, confidence, making friends as well as showcasing high quality inclusive dance.

Critical Mass was more than a dance project, it brought a new conversation about accessibility to the delivery of the Commonwealth Games beyond the events that the group were involved in directly. Following their success at the Games, the Critical Mass team produced and published a Playbook to share what they learnt and has continued with the support of FABRIC.

View Critical Mass Final Playbook

 

Impact & Learning

Key learnings

  • Boosting wellbeing: Dancing improved physical and emotional health. Safe spaces were created for participants who felt tired, anxious, or emotional, ensuring everyone could take part comfortably.
  • Creating a sense of belonging: Weekly sessions and performances fostered feelings of connection and togetherness, though more effort is needed to sustain those relationships beyond the project.
  • Changing perceptions: The project challenged ideas about what inclusive dance can look like while increasing understanding of disability among participants and staff.
  • Long-term impact: 84% of staff said Critical Mass strengthened inclusive dance in the West Midlands, laying the groundwork for more projects in the future.
  • Collaborative success: The project showed the importance of teamwork, planning, and flexibility to make massive, inclusive events a reality.

2,242

people

took part in weekly sessions.

22

members of staff

22 members of staff and 12 support workers helped make the sessions a success.

45%

of participants

identified as having a disability, being neurodiverse, or having a long-term health issue.

66%

of participants

said they would keep dancing after Critical Mass.

22,048

people

watched Critical Mass perform live, with many more seeing it on TV.

92%

of participants

rated their experience as good or excellent.

89%

of participants

said meeting new people and making friends was the biggest impact.

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