Our practice is both inclusive and accessible to all.
All participants are supported to pursue their potential and talent through our individually tailored pathways that cater for all abilities.
We are one of the largest organisations nationally in the field of participatory dance and training programmes. Each year, we engage over 7,600 participants through activities based at our accessible hub in Durham, as well as through outreach across the Northeast and beyond, working in educational, community, and cultural settings.
You can find out more about our story with images that span our history by visiting our Google Arts & Culture page here: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/cQVRDV89boiNOA?hl=en
or by watching ‘Footprints’ film about TIN Arts by Ian Paine:
Vision and Mission
TIN Arts believe in a truly inclusive society where people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities are empowered and inspired through dance to express themselves, pursue their potential, and expand their experience of the world around them.
Our long term goal is for TIN Arts to be a beacon of outstanding dance practice that influences thinking and action at a national level.
Vision: We seek to create a world in which everybody has access to the arts
Mission: to remove barriers and increase access to high quality dance and performing arts, targeting people who are under-represented in the sector, with a focus on those with a learning disability/who are autistic.
The opportunity to express yourself is a universal Human Right and we believe dance is a universal language. We develop high-quality dance opportunities for all which support social change and place the arts at the centre of people’s lives.
We nurture and develop talents of people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. Our main focus is to ensure that people with a learning disability or who are autistic are included, and are able to progress within dance as performers, makers and leaders.
Assumptions
The work of TIN Arts is shaped by four key assumptions:
- Talent is everywhere, opportunity is not. Individuals need different kinds of support to achieve their potential on their creative journey.
- There are barriers in place that make it more of a challenge to participate and get support in the arts if you have a disability. Eliminating barriers will enable people of all ages and abilities to develop new skills, be creative, and celebrate talents and achievements.
- Partnership working across a range of sectors will enhance our ability to create impact and benefit for people.
- The knowledge and insight of people with lived experience is central to developing high quality practices.
Our Approach
- We bring passion, knowledge and expertise about the positive difference that dance makes in people’s lives to all aspects of our work, building a strong sense of community.
- We create new partnerships and strengthen existing collaborations to promote, support and develop opportunities locally, regionally and nationally.
- We develop means by which our governance can be more diverse and representative of the people and communities we serve.
- We invest time in cross organisational planning, data collection and evaluation to embed a learning culture across TIN Arts.
Our Work Strands
The work of TIN Arts can be summarised in three strands.
Dance Activities for All
Delivering dance activities for people of all ages and abilities that increase engagement opportunities for individuals and communities and are designed to respond to the changing needs and aspirations of people at different life stages.
This areas includes our work in schools and open classes for children and adults (‘BOUNCE’).
Clear Progression Routes
Create and offer progression routes to people from diverse backgrounds, developing their talent, skills and expertise in their chosen area within the dance sector, supporting them to reach their full potential.
This area includes our training programmes for adults with a learning disability (‘GeTIN2Dance’), working with talented disabled and non-disabled young people (‘TINeke’) and development programmes for dance artists with a learning disability or who are autistic (‘Talent Development North’).
Celebrate Achievement
Produce and present an ambitious artistic programme of events and performances that is open to all, artistically compelling, challenges people’s expectations and attitudes, and inspires participants, audiences and stakeholders.
This area includes performance platforms such as FUSE (SEND schools), SLIDE (BOUNCE & TINeke), Best Foot Forward (GeTIN2Dance) and TIN Arts Performance Company (National Touring).
Outcomes
Successful delivery of our work strands will result in:
- Barriers to engagement and participation are identified and removed contributing to more equitable access to the arts for all.
- More people have access to high quality dance activities that meet their needs as their life circumstances change.
- Our activities are increasingly influenced, co-created and led by people whose expertise has been gained through lived experience.
- An expanded talent pipeline is established across the North, contributing to a more inclusive, representative dance workforce and a collaborative and sustainable approach to talent development in dance across the sector.