Why Should I Care? Outreach Initiative

The WHY SHOULD I CARE? outreach initiative is targeted at youths tackling illness be it patient, caregiver or professional. The initiative aims to share creative coping ‘life hacks’ to aid in the coping process and is comprised of two segments - WHY SHOULD I CARE? LIVE EDITION and WHY SHOULD I CARE? VIDEO SERIES.

‘Why Should I Care?’ Live Edition is an interactive sharing workshop by young people, for young people. The 2-hour workshop includes games, movement, writing and meditation, and is structured around the 5 stages of grief in the Kubler Ross model. The session is facilitated by a team of young caregivers and youth who experience illness.

The sharing was exclusively for youth aged between 18 to 30 who have experienced illness as a caregiver or patient. Join a team of fellow young caregivers and patients in sharing tips for wellness through games, movement, writing and meditation.

“...a refreshing concept that incorporated games and movement within a sharing session…” - Sow Jeng Teng

“[A] Heartwarming initiative to better understand the journey of persons who experience illness or are exposed to it.” - Shayne Quan

“...a lot of people don't hear/understand the experiences of others enough, and this is a good opportunity to do so.” - Tan Zi Yang

‘WHY SHOULD I CARE?’ VIDEO SERIES
Airs 1 July to 19 July 2019 on:
www.creativesinspirit.com/wsic
Facebook Creatives Inspirit
Instagram @creativesinspirit

This video series features youth patients and caregivers in open dialogue about their experiences with illness. They share strategies in facing their challenges, and how to better support anyone experiencing illness. Check em out below!

Why Should I Care? Project Dreamcatchers

On 30th December 2019, we teamed up with Project Dreamcatchers (NUH) to bring the Why Should I Care Program to young patients from National University Hospital.

We had a blast introducing, games, crafts and writing activities as means of expressions for the kids. We teamed up with Y.K. Riley (author of How To Be A Good Patient) and therapist Wayne Neo and Art Therapy student Janel Ang to bring this fun filled workshop to the enthusiastic kids - as we go into the year 2020, we look forward to bringing more meaningful programs to more communities!

GOT TO MOVE X CREATIVES INSPIRIT

We are very honoured to have been included in the National Arts Council’s Got To Move campaign in 2017, a movement celebrating diversity in the Singaporean dance scene and aiming to involve all citizens in this nationwide dance movement. We debuted our AnyBody Can Dance (ABCD) Program, which is the company’s effort to create an education and outreach programme aimed at the wider public on different audience levels to promote the idea that any kind of body is able to dance, regardless of ability or skill level. With this flagship program, access to the worlds of dance for the masses in Singapore will be as easy as ABCD.

For our inter-generational programs this Got To Move 2019, We held an Intergenerational Workshop, Tropical Summer Dance Party and premiered our video ‘I Got it from..’.

Check them out below!

GOT TO MOVE 2018

For our 3rd year with Got To Move, We thought we’d spice things up by bringing our old and new dance party moves in one space!

We conducted Intergenerational Workshops and a Tropical Summer Dance Party to reel out the moves of the different generations and party together to the hits from the 80s to the early 2000s! Check out our shimmy’s and shakes in the video above!

GOT TO MOVE 2018

In 2018, we teamed up with both Got To Move Singapore and Flamenco Sin Fronteras to bring latin rhythms to the street of Singapore. We loved getting everyone in the groove and making Singaporeans get up and dance!

GOT TO MOVE 2017

The Creatives Inspirit team had the best time sharing with the community our AnyBody Can Dance (ABCD) programme as part of Got to Move 2017! Here's some some of our absolute favourite moments!

What's more? We were featured by The Active Age and you can have a look at our best moments below!

MAKE-A-WISH X CREATIVES INSPIRIT

In November 2017, the Creatives Inspirit tribe teamed up with Make-A-Wish Foundation to grant a wish for one of their children. We worked hard giving Fatehah and her friends dance classes to prepare to dance alongside Indonesian child star, Zara Leola for her hit music video, ‘No to Bully’. We also collaborated with the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Programme and Disney to produce the music video and are glad to have met Fatehah, Zara and everyone involved!

Watch the video below!

ST. ANDREW’S NURSING HOME X CREATIVES INSPIRIT

Partnering with St. Andrew’s Nursing Home, we brought Zumba Gold to the Nursing Home residents in Buangkok. Zumba Gold accounts for the diverse cognitive and physical fitness levels of the elderly participants while retaining the energetic party-like atmosphere that is characteristic of a typical Zumba workout.

"In June 2018, I had the immense pleasure of facilitating and co-leading these Zumba Gold workouts with the residents of St. Andrew’s Nursing Home (SANH). It was very encouraging to see that, over the course of three weekly sessions, the residents of SANH became not only increasingly receptive to our programme but also increasingly adept at performing these dance moves with us. While most of them had appeared slightly tentative at the beginning of the first session, we constantly did our best to engage them throughout the workout – with lots of encouragement, lots of hi-fives and lots of great music (‘Macarena’ was the clear crowd favourite). When they came back on the second and third sessions, some of them were even dancing to our pre-workout music before the session had properly begun!

I look forward to returning to SANH, so that I can continue to befriend the residents and dance with them. Their energy is inspiring and infectious, and I am fortunate to have experienced that energy in a small but powerful way." - Ziyad Bagharib

WOMEN IN RECOVERY ASSOCIATION X CREATIVES INSPIRIT

Earlier this year, creatives inspirit had the privilege to collaborate with Women In Recovery Association (WIRA). An Organization providing rehabilitative support to female offenders during their time in Loyd Leas community supervision center and after they leave the center.

Shanice Stanislaus, the director of creatives inspirit was given the opportunity to work with these individuals through conducting zumba fitness programs complemented with elements of self discovery, goal setting and empowerment. Due to privacy within the prison walls, photos were not permitted during the session.

“I’ve always wish I had a camera to capture the amazing sessions we have inside the center. The girls led in by the officer will usually stroll in with their cups of water eagerly waiting for the session to start. At first glance, they usually might seem uninterested or detached, some don’t share with you eye contact, some hide nervously behind their friends but some will watch you as you set up to began. But inside they are as excited as you are to start the class.

We usually start with an introduction, I’ll explain who I am and what the zumba program is and usually in any other fitness class it ends there and we will start the class. But with this women, I go a step further. I make them close their eyes and feel themselves standing in the space.

You are here and you are here with yourself now. This hour is for you, what would you really like for yourself today? I’ll usually prompt them to set an intention for themselves,. ‘I don’t care what it might be but you have to set it even if it’s as small as listening and just letting loose to music or choosing to enjoy it as an exercise.’ And once they have had that moment, I go another step to get two people to co lead with me, face the group and dance as if you’re leading a giant fitness concert. And each time the song changes, you can tap someone in so at the end of the program everyone would have had a chance to lead. “

And so we began.

Music turns on.

And every time we have a session this is the best part, everyone spends an hour dancing, screaming at the top of their voice, co leading sometimes they freestyle. It feels like a huge fiesta but we are in a prison, grey walls and all. And in those moments I see the most amazing things happening for each of these individuals, as they let loose, they are given positive affirmations, they start to reconnect with themselves again, they start to believe in themselves again even if it’s a small thing such as following a step and dancing with the rhythm. I had a session where one of the girls, she hid behind everyone at the back, and I would slowly try to connect with her, smile at her, give her the thumbs up and I could see how much that meant to her, her body started to respond, she started to own her body rolls and footwork and by the end of the class she found herself unconsciously at the front, grooving away and dancing to ‘cheap thrills’.

This is beautiful to watch every time to see what movement can do for people. And for me coming into work alongside these girls have prompted to think that we as a society we don’t talk about these individuals as much, for them and for us, our concern in their lives probably ends the moment they commit a criminal offence. We as a society we aren’t trained to think beyond that, perhaps the conversations have not been had about what got them there in the first place where I’ve heard many reasons; bad relationships, Low self esteem, no positive role models, poverty, addictions etc and so perhaps it also talks about what we can do to help these individuals even as they navigate our educational and social structures.

And so when I go in, I know and I can see what’s happened to them mentally and physically, they have to deal with both the consequences of their crimes but for them it feels like life have stopped the moment they get caught. And so, what we do when We go in is to give back some kind of power and choice back to them as much of that is stripped away from them. To give them the power and the choice to say for this hour I can choose some kind of light and happiness to give to myself instead of relenting to the emotional turmoil each one of them might be going through in their own way. Empowering them to say that there other possibilities in your life and your life doesn’t have to end at the crime committed is the biggest gift I found that I can give them and it’s a gift I hope to keep giving those who might be struggling with this particular phase of life and perhaps one day they can pass this gift on to someone else who might be going through a similar path.

SINGAPORE ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH (YOUTHREACH) X CREATIVES INSPIRIT

In June of 2018, we were fortunate to have piloted this initiative with Singapore Association of Mental Health (SAMH) YouthReach, a psychosocial rehabilitation programme for youths with mental health conditions. The vision is to empower the youths to move out of their comfort zones to achieve mutually agreed goals in a safe, caring and inclusive community.

Here are some highlights from the fun and interactive session:

CAREGIVERS ALLIANCE X
CREATIVES INSPIRIT

In September of 2018, we collaborated with Caregivers Alliance - a social service organisation in Singapore dedicated to meeting the needs of families and caregivers of persons with mental health issues. We had the best time with these impassioned caregivers and we hope the spirit of play gave them a renewed sense of purpose and injected some needed fun and excitement into their lives!

'The program gives a window of opportunity for participants to get out of their limited selves and connect with others as well as loose inhibitions and most importantly, discover the fun part of themselves.'-Prema Lata

'I like the energy level they have and that influences us'-Carol Ee

I enjoyed connecting with people even if you just got to know them, the art of living with struggles. Time to ourselves strengthen our life in order to give back to others'-Teo Soh Ghim

RADIN MAS COMMUNITY CLUB X
CREATIVES INSPIRIT

On 4th June 2019, we conducted two AnyBody Can Dance workshops at Radin Mas Community Centre as part of Radin Mas Arts Week, inviting residents to build bonds through the arts! As part of La Mariposa Borracha's (2019) Outreach campaign, we worked with the community club to share the joy of wellness through dance and movement.

ANYBODY CAN DANCE!

The  AnyBody Can Dance (ABCD) Program is the company’s effort to create an education and outreach programme aimed at the wider public on different audience levels to promote the idea that anybody is able to dance, regardless of ability or skill level. We are honoured to have presented this program as part of the National Arts Council's Got To Move 2017 campaign, which aims to celebrate diversity in the Singapore dance scene and involve all citizens regardless of experience. With the AnyBody Can Dance Program, access to the worlds of dance for the masses in Singapore will be as easy as ABCD.

PROGRAM DESIGN AND STRUCTURE

In designing the programme, we have drawn on our working experience with an extensive industry network, spanning across clowning and various dance genres such as Flamenco, Broadway Jazz, and Hip Hop. The result is an eclectic and exciting mix of movement that is tailored to suit the learning curve of a child, a newcomer, or a person that may have physical or mental difficulty, with a larger range of dance movement. With our programme’s vision of creating greater access to dance, regardless of the genre of dance, we hope that participants will feel empowered and encouraged to join in the spirit of dance and continue their personal journey of learning and creating dance in the future.

The programme will be conducted in the form of classes and Zumba is one of the main modes used for these classes. It is a Latin American-inspired dance fitness programme where participants are taught to easy-to-follow rhythms such as Merengue, Reggaeton, Dancehall and many more world rhythms. In addition, the principle of play, central to the Le Jeu clowning tradition that we practice and share at Creatives Inspirit, is the fundamental principle and basis of each programme and complements our modes of expression through dance to assist the processes of learning and dance-making.

We target two groups through specially tailored classes for kids, and the general public (teens and young adults, the middle-aged, the elderly, and especially those who are facing illness). We end off with a final celebratory Zumba event (open to all ages and generations) with a twist where participants are invited to co-lead onstage with the instructor, giving them a sense of empowerment and confidence that anyone can be a leader when it comes to movement. Through play, we hope all our participants find the ability to express their individuality through movement.

PLAY THROUGH MOVEMENT (KIDS)

This particular program will focus on bringing clown games to children (ages 5-9), using movement as a medium of expression. It hopes to develop the children’s individuality through play as well as empower a child to be their own choreographer, playing games to nurture movement created by the child. Each child will be given an introduction to 3 basic world rhythms to also educate them on the diversity of dance cultures in the world, in hopes of stimulating an interest in learning more about various rhythms.

Duration: 1 hour

Sessions range from 1 workshop to 8 sessions

Programme introduced during Got To Move 2017

PLAY THROUGH MOVEMENT (PUBLIC)

This workshop is targeted at the general public, including people who may experience physical illnesses, mental illnesses, and disabilities. Having experienced working with these groups of people before, we are a strong advocate for bringing dance to all kinds of bodies and we believe in the power of dance and play in therapy and wellness. Thus, we hope to introduce dance creation and learning as a new way of expression. Clown techniques will be used as a form of engagement through dance, to inform the dance-making process as well as to bring out the individuality of each participant.

Duration: 90 minutes

Sessions range from 1 workshop to 4 sessions

Programme introduced during Got To Move 2017