Project Female as a Mental Health Support Setting
The wellbeing of our young people is at the heart of all Project Female CIC activity.
Our dance provision is adapted to remove features of a traditional dance setting which could be a source of stress and anxiety for young people. Project Female is a non-judgemental safe space that advocates for our young people to present themselves unapologetically. We integrate their thoughts and feelings into our creative process to ensure they have ownership and pride in everything we do. Our team are trauma-informed and look for the meaning behind any behaviour we observe. We implement a check-in process for all our groups and aim to upskill our dancers to reflect on their own wellbeing needs as well as develop an awareness of the physical manifestations of wellbeing and how to manage these symptoms effectively.
PROMOTES GOOD MENTAL heALTH
Project Female promotes good Mental Health by
developing a unique approach to engage young people that acknowledges the overwhelming levels of anxiety that exist in their day to day lives
offering additional pastoral care in all settings and consistent and reliable support via a trusted safe adult
having robust safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure all of our young people are supported throughout their activity with Project Female
training all of our facilitators in Mental Health Awareness and a Trauma-Informed approach
contracting all facilitators to adhere to our code of conduct that sets out our approach to engaging young people within a dance setting
oFFERS HEALTH BENEFITS THROUGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Physical activity is linked to improved mood and reduced stress levels
Being part of Project Female not only offers a regular physical activity but also provides the benefits of feeling part of a social community
Our young people report the benefits of accessing a space which is for female identifying participants as they feel less self-conscious about taking part
Young people also report greater benefits of participating in a dance activity outside of a school setting as it is a less judgemental space
PROMOTES HEALTHY BODY IMAGE
Project Female was created by Ellie Bishop-Williams in response to being told her body shape was not suitable for a career in the dance sector
Project Female celebrates body positivity and wholeheartedly embraces our young people feeling confident enough to express themselves using movement which makes them feel empowered
Our ethos celebrates the individual and acknowledges the omnipresent pressures to be perfect which are contributing to the mental health crisis in our young people
PROMOTES A STRONG SENSE OF SELF WORTH AND HIGHER SELF ESTEEM
Our aim is for every young person to feel welcome and valued as part of our community
Within our code of conduct we set parameters for acceptable behaviour and our expectations for how all members of our community are treated
Our facilitators are experienced in commuting with young people and addressing any behavioural issues in a safe but effective manner with clear boundaries for our young people
Through the implementation of our youth work approach the voices of our young people are welcomed and celebrated
PROVIDES ALL STAFF WITH APPROPRIATE TRAINING
All Project Female staff are aware of an array of local services and are therefore able to signpost any young person who is struggling to an appropriate service
We encourage open dialogue within the team and with the young people we work with to stay aware of the reality of being a young person in the current moment
Mental Health training is mandatory for Project Female staff, ensuring all Project Female spaces are safe and equipped with a trusted and trained adult
Trauma Informed Awareness underpins all Project Female activity. We utilise appropriate trauma informed people and resources to hold us accountable when working with sensitive themes and content in productions. We cultivate a culture of trauma informed awareness across all classes through the use of Trauma Informed trained facilitators