MHID started a programme called Reach 4 Dance in 2005 taking talented young dance students into mental health settings around England. The programme offers high quality performance in hospitals for service users and includes some small dance and movement based workshops for people in secure environments.

For 2007 Reach 4 Dance has received increased funding to allow the programme to extend to the whole of the UK and will be using the skills of professional dancers to offer more intense engagement through creative workshops.

Clare Cattle, a well respected dance teacher and former ballerina acts as programme director and we are pleased to announce that Simon Horrill, a former soloist with the Royal Ballet, will be joining the programme to support the increased workshop and studio performance activity.

Reach 4 Dance has been well received by users and staff and has attracted significant media interest.

In addition, Ray Rowden has used similar dance and movement based activities this year in Osaka, Japan and in Kerala India during MHID trips. He has worked with Erroll Pickford, a former principal dancer with the Royal Ballet and Olivia Thorne, a respected dance teacher in the UK and Japan to deliver these international events.

The scheme is supported by Mara Galleazi, a prima ballerine with the Royal Ballet. Mara and Ray are adapting the dance based workshops to the needs of children with HIV / AIDS and will be taking these to South Africa in 2007.

The programme is supported by an unconditional grant from Jannsen Cilag.

For further information on the programme and a list of planned performances and workshops please contact Ray Rowden at mhidevelopment@yahoo.com