Author: frontline-admin

FRONTLINEdance Invitation: A Creative Day for Parent/Carers who work in the arts, media and creative sector.

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FRONTLINEdance warmly invites you to join us for a special day designed for parent/carers of deaf, disabled or neurodivergent family members, and who are arts, creative and media professionals. It will be a chance to meet, connect, and share our stories and experiences in a supportive and creative space.

Together, we’ll explore the lives we are leading as carers — reflecting on the challenges we face, while also celebrating the joys and strengths that caring brings. The day will be relaxed, welcoming, and full of opportunities to be creative, whilst exchanging ideas and being listened to.

This gathering marks the beginning of a series of monthly sessions, where we can continue to create together as a group. Through shared experiences, we hope to build a community that uplifts, supports, and celebrates the unique journeys of parent/carers, and create something together in which we will share with others. 

We look forward to welcoming you, 

When: 8th January 2026, 10 am – 2.30 pm

Where: Westport Lake Visitors Centre, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent.

Breakfast and Lunch will be provided

Please register by completing this short registration form:  Parent/Carer Project: Registration Form – Fill in form

Artist Call Out!  Deadline 22nd December at 10am.

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In January 2026, FRONTLINEdance is starting a new programme to support deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists, creatives and media professionals, of all art forms. 

To kick-start the programme, we are inviting up to 8 artists to form a collective over 4 days, and 3 half days, offering the opportunity to connect and collaborate. 

Between £850 – £1,050, depending on location, will be paid to each artist to support time and expenses. 

FRONTLINEdance’s role will be to select, connect you together, facilitate the introduction, provide the space, and support the process. What happens in these 5 days will be decided by the collective, whilst being supported by FRONTLINEdance’s Artistic Director and a Freelance Evaluator. You’ll have the opportunity to explore ideas and collaborate with no pressure to create a product. What happens next, will be decided by the group and supported by FRONTLINEdance. 

To apply, please fill out this short expression of interest form:

 Expressions of Interest: Connect & Collaborate  – Fill in form

1st Feb: 10am-6pm (in person) 

9th Feb: 10:30am-1pm (online)

12th & 13th Feb:  10am-6pm (in person)

20th Feb: 10am-6pm (in person)

Monday 2nd March: 10:30am-1pm (online)

Weds 18th March: Public Webinar 10:30-1:30pm (online)

Please register by 22nd December at 10am. 

Artists will be selected by Rachael and FRONTLINEdance’s associate Artistic Director, Kayleigh Price on 22ndDecember. You will be notified of the outcome on Tuesday, 23rd December by 6pm. 

We look forward to receiving your applications and a reminder that this is open to all art forms, creatives and media professionals at any stage of their career. 

Not sure if this is for you? Then please join Rachael and Kayleigh online at 1pm-1:30pm on Wednesday, 17thDecember, for a short overview with the opportunity to ask questions. 

Join us on Teams: Meeting ID: 390 280 532 129 85 Passcode: nu26ag7L

 Please email hello@frontlinedance.co.uk if you would like the link to be emailed.

Grief Awareness Week facilitated by FRONTLINEdance in partnership with VAST / Dudson Centre

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Monday 1st to Friday 5th December 2025

Two women are sitting on a wooden floor, with one holding the other. Photo taken from behind
Join us for a FREE Programme facilitated by FRONTLINEdance in partnership with VAST / Dudson Centre

As part of grief awareness week, FRONTLINEdance is sharing its project ‘Holding On’, online and at the Dudson Centre, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

Holding On was created with those with lived experience of cancer, grief, loss and bereavement. Shaped by personal loss and by Seth’s Legacy; a pancreatic cancer support and awareness initiative, films, live performance and an outreach programme have been produced.

During 1st to 5th December 2025, a varied programme welcomes you to come as you are and join in a way that feels right for you. This could be popping in to watch a film, taking part in an inclusive and accessible creative workshop, joining in a conversation, or just listening to others.

There is no need to book for the sessions at the Dudson Centre, just turn up!
For the ONLINE sharing’s please see the link to register in the Schedule below.

This event has been made possible by funding from Arts Council England and support from VAST / Dudson Centre. You don’t need to have experienced cancer, grief, loss and bereavement to join us.

Any questions, please email: rachael@frontlinedance.co.uk or call 07484 874335
We look forward to welcoming you.
SCHEDULE
Monday 1st December 2025: Jenny Manning Room at the Dudson Centre
10:30am-11:15am – Creative Workshop  
11:15am-11:30am – Official sharing and introduction of two Short Films ‘Holding On 1 & 2′
11:30am-12 midday – Guided Conversations around the work explored and film shared.
(Please note that this is not a therapy session nor a conversation led by a trained councillor).
12midday-1pm – Short Film shared on loop
1-1:45pm -Introduction and Sharing of a recorded live show ‘Holding On’
1:45-2:15pm – Guided Conversations around the work Holding On
(Please note that this is not a therapy session nor a conversation led by a trained councillor).
3:15-4pm – Short Films shared on loop
4pm-4:15pm- Restful Wrap Up  
Tuesday 2nd December 2025: Online 7pm – 8:30pm
Introduction / Process of the live show Holding On, with FRONTLINEdance’s, Rachael Lines
Sharing of the recorded live show.
Q & A’s
Registration Link:https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/181c604f-c052-4c47-a9fa-a67ab614faef@fbf29ec3-0f26-4edc-9e90-a46afa7bf69d
 
Wednesday 3rd December 2025: Online 5pm-6pm
Introduction / Process of the two-screen dance film, Rachael Lines
Sharing of the two-screen dance films created
Q & A’s
Registration Link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/50fc4e57-53d6-4153-8546-73aaa133512c@fbf29ec3-0f26-4edc-9e90-a46afa7bf69d
 
Thursday 4th December 2025: Jenny Manning Room at the Dudson Centre
10:30am-11:15am: Creative Workshop (1)
11:15am-12midday: Sharing and introduction of two Short Films ‘Holding On 1 & 2’ with space for questions and a conversation to follow.
12midday-1pm: Short Film shared on loop
1-1:45pm: Creative Workshop (2)1:45-2:45pmIntroduction and Sharing of a recorded live show ‘Holding On’ with space for questions and a conversation to follow.
(Please note that this is not a therapy session nor a conversation led by a trained councillor).
2:45-3:45pm: Short Films shared on loop
3:45-4pm: Restful Wrap Up
Friday 5th December 2025: Rose Price Room at the Dudson Centre
12midday-1:15pm: Introduction and Sharing of a recorded live show ‘Holding On’ with space for questions and a conversation to follow.
1:15-1:30pm Short Films with a short introduction
1:30 pm-3pm Creative Workshop
3:30pm-4pm Sharing and introduction of two Short Films ‘Holding On 1 & 2’ with space for questions and a conversation to follow.
4pm-4:15pm: Restful Wrap Up
DETAILS OF VENUE
Dudson Centre, Hope Street, Hanley. Stoke-on-Trent. ST1 5DD
PARKING – Paid parking on site or Sampson Street (4 hours-£1) (All day-£1.50) 2 minutes away.
FREE disabled parking at the venue.
Tea and Coffee are provided throughout the event.
Wheelchair accessible
Cafe
MORE INFORMATION
Holding On: recording of a 30-minute live performance. With music by composer and multi-instrumentalist Greg Hall, and featuring an intergenerational, inclusive cast of professional and community dancers, the performance weaves together dance and sound harmoniously.
Audience Feedback: Powerful | Emotive | Breathtaking | Beautiful | Skilful | Emotional
 
Holding On 1: Screen Dance Film
This 10-minute film follows two women as they navigate the meaning of the end of life. Beautifully performed, filmed and edited, it presents the lived experience of grief and human connection through dance and visual storytelling. Raw emotions intertwine with natural sound, stark landscapes, and a newly composed piece of piano music, amplifying the profound journey of saying goodbye.
 
Holding On 2: Screen Dance Film
Heavily influenced by a collection of feelings, stories, and emotions gathered from a group of women who lost loved ones to pancreatic cancer, this 4-minute screen dance film invites you on a powerful journey through pain, memories and togetherness. Little Oak Tree, created and sung by Greg Hall, was created whilst thinking of the recent death of his 17-year old niece Ayla by cancer, features as the soundtrack. Ayla which means ‘oak tree’ in Hebrew, and is laid to rest in a place full of beautiful trees and nature, the idea of the passing seasons and the changing weather and landscape resonated with Greg as a metaphor for the continuation of life, as hers sadly ended. 
 
Creative Workshop (45mins): 
An opportunity to connect and move with yourselves and others, whilst being guided through a range of explorations designed for you to respond in whatever way feels right. No experience needed.

Creative Workshop (1.5 hours): 
A welcoming, relaxed environment to explore and process the themes of Holding On. Through simple, guided activities, you’ll have time to listen, share, move, write, draw, sing and connect. No experience needed—just bring yourself.
 
Morning Momentum:
A chance to connect with yourselves and others at the start of the day through facilitated movement and easy interaction. Move as much or as little as feels right for you. No experience needed— just come as you are!
 
Restful Wrap Up: 
Taking time to pause at the end of the day, with some gentle movement, breathing, and stretching. No experience needed.
 

NOVEMBER 2025 Training in Stoke-on-Trent

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Working creatively with those with chronic and life-altering conditions such as brain injury, stroke, and palliative care.

Who is it for:

Those interested in facilitating arts and creativity with individuals who have chronic and life-changing conditions, such as brain injury, stroke, and those receiving palliative care. This includes in hospital settings, as well as in the community. This can include, but is not limited to, those who work in the Arts, in Health and in Social Care. 

Examples:  

Artists (all art forms and genres) | Activity Workers | Creative Enablers | Volunteers | Physiotherapists | OTs | Speech and Language Therapist | Carers | Health Care Assistants | Support Workers | Play Specialists | Art(s) Therapists (all art forms) | Artistic Directors | Choreographers | Nurses | Performers | Musicians | Singers | Story Tellers | Faciliators | Evaluators | Doctors | Students. 

Places are limited! No previous dance experience is required.  

Details: 

Dates: 12th, 19th, 25th & 26th November 2025

Priority will be given to those attending all four days. If you can’t attend all four, select the individual days you’d like to attend on the registration form (link below). We’ll notify you by 5pm on 7th November if a place is available for you on your selected day(s). 

Times: 9:30am – 4pm each day. 

Cost: 

£140  (4 days) for freelance/low income / £50 daily rate if not attending all four sessions

£200  (4 days) for others / £65 daily rate if not attending all four sessions

These sessions are heavily subsidised, due to FRONTLINEdance being an Arts Council England funded, National Portfolio Organisation. 

Venue: TBC

To Register: https://forms.office.com/e/72BXypwBMa (Deadline 4pm, on 7th November 2025). 

Overview:

Day 1, Wednesday 12th November – Introduction to performance and arts health, delivered by Lucinda Jarrett. 

  • History and possible futures for arts and health practice. 
  • Introduction to principles of practices of Rosetta Life in palliative care, stroke and brain injury, unpaid care and climate justice. 

Day 2, Wednesday19th November – Practical workshops of dance & performance in clinical and community settings:

Lucinda Jarrett – Devising dance and theatre performance making 

Miranda Tufnell – Working creatively with and through the body

Both artists will then co-lead a session with a ’taster group’ to see the work in action. 

Opportunity to hear feedback from the participants and facilitate a discussion around co-design and co-creation workshops. 

Day 3, Tuesday 25th November –  Creative Health:   The NHS and the community context 

The day will be spilt into two:

  1. An opportunity to hear from a range of health organisations about what is important to them, why creative health is needed, and why it is commissioned.
  2. Lucinda Jarrett and Melanie Pappenhiam lead discussions and practical workshops about delivering to clinical needs through dance, music, voice and songmaking:
  • Developing sustainable embedded practice in clinical settings
  • Developing sustainable embedded practices in community settings
  • A creative care pathway for recovery from stroke and brain injury 

Day 4, Wednesday 26th November: Planning, Devising, Reflect and Conclude:

Training participants will work together in small groups to plan and devise a workshop, then deliver it to each other as a group. Volunteers from the FRONTLINEdance Moving Together programme will attend co-devising, support, and join in the workshops.

There will be an opportunity for reflection, evaluation, celebrations, feedback and questions.

Reminder that our creative health day with Rosetta Life as co-hosts, takes place on 5th November  – we hope you make it? You need to book by 29th October: https://shorturl.at/3Z0ig 

NOVEMBER’25 Training: working creatively with those with chronic and life-altering conditions such as brain injury, stroke, and palliative care.

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 FRONTLINEdance is offering training with Rosetta Life.

Who is it for:

Those interested in facilitating arts and creativity with individuals who have chronic and life-changing conditions, such as brain injury, stroke, and those receiving palliative care. This includes in hospital settings, as well as in the community. This can include, but is not limited to, those who work in the Arts, in Health and in Social Care. 

Examples:  

Artists (all art forms and genres) | Activity Workers | Creative Enablers | Volunteers | Physiotherapists | OTs | Speech and Language Therapist | Carers | Health Care Assistants | Support Workers | Play Specialists | Art(s) Therapists (all art forms) | Artistic Directors | Choreographers | Nurses | Performers | Musicians | Singers | Story Tellers | Faciliators | Evaluators | Doctors | Students. 

Places are limited! No previous dance experience is required.  Please also share with your networks. Thank you.

Details: 

Dates: 12th, 19th, 25th & 26th November 2025

Priority will be given to those attending all four days. If you can’t attend all four, select the individual days you’d like to attend on the registration form (link below). We’ll notify you by 5pm on 7th November if a place is available for you on your selected day(s). 

Times: 9:30am – 4pm each day. 

Cost: 

£140  (4 days) for freelance/low income / £50 daily rate if not attending all four sessions

£200  (4 days) for others / £65 daily rate if not attending all four sessions

These sessions are heavily subsidised, due to FRONTLINEdance being an Arts Council England funded, National Portfolio Organisation. 

Venue: TBC

To Register: https://forms.office.com/e/72BXypwBMa (Deadline 4pm, on 7th November 2025). 

Overview:

Day 1, Wednesday 12th November – Introduction to performance and arts health, delivered by Lucinda Jarrett. 

  • History and possible futures for arts and health practice. 
  • Introduction to principles of practices of Rosetta Life in palliative care, stroke and brain injury, unpaid care and climate justice. 

Day 2, Wednesday19th November – Practical workshops of dance & performance in clinical and community settings:

Lucinda Jarrett – Devising dance and theatre performance making 

Miranda Tufnell – Working creatively with and through the body

Both artists will then co-lead a session with a ’taster group’ to see the work in action. 

Opportunity to hear feedback from the participants and facilitate a discussion around co-design and co-creation workshops. 

Day 3, Tuesday 25th November –  Creative Health:   The NHS and the community context 

The day will be spilt into two:

  1. An opportunity to hear from a range of health organisations about what is important to them, why creative health is needed, and why it is commissioned.
  2. Lucinda Jarrett and Melanie Pappenhiam lead discussions and practical workshops about delivering to clinical needs through dance, music, voice and songmaking:
  • Developing sustainable embedded practice in clinical settings
  • Developing sustainable embedded practices in community settings
  • A creative care pathway for recovery from stroke and brain injury 

Day 4, Wednesday 26th November: Planning, Devising, Reflect and Conclude:

Training participants will work together in small groups to plan and devise a workshop, then deliver it to each other as a group. Volunteers from the FRONTLINEdance Moving Together programme will attend co-devising, support, and join in the workshops.

There will be an opportunity for reflection, evaluation, celebrations, feedback and questions.

Reminder that our creative health day with Rosetta Life as co-hosts, takes place on 5th November  – we hope you make it? You need to book by 29th October: https://shorturl.at/3Z0ig 

Dan Martin

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Dan Martin, a Bristol-based photographer and filmmaker, is celebrated nationally for his creative vision and captivating storytelling. 

His work has garnered recognition at esteemed events, including the Buffer Festival in Toronto, where he was invited to showcase his work. 

Notably, his contributions have been honoured with two prestigious awards at the Circus International Film Festival, winning both the Audience Award in 2022 and the Founder’s Award in 2023. 

Dan’s distinctive creations, crafted with meticulous attention to detail, can be enjoyed exclusively on BBC iPlayer, showcasing his unique perspective and undeniable talent.

“It was a privilege to collaborate with FRONTLINEdance on a project that explored grief with such honesty and compassion. The process was both meaningful and creatively fulfilling.”

FREE Arts & Health Event!

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A Creative Approach to Health: Co-designing high-quality, inclusive and engaging creative programmes and artworks.

Rachael, our Artistic Director dancing with a lady who is lying down in a hospital bed. Both are smiling.

FRONTLINEdance would like to invite you to join us for a special event aimed at making Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire a place where people with chronic and long-term health conditions — including hospital patients — can easily access and enjoy the arts in inclusive, engaging, and meaningful ways.

When: Wednesday 5th November 2025

Time: 10am – 4pm (refreshments from 9:30am)

Where: NSCG, Performing Arts Building, Knutton Lane, Newcastle-under-Lyme. ST5 2GB

Access: BSL interpreter and Audio Description available on request at booking.

FREE – though donations are very welcome.

Booking closes at 10am, on Wednesday, 29th October 2025

REGISTER HERE: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1764337754719?aff=oddtdtcreator

Parking: Free parking is available in the student car park at NSCG.

We’re thrilled to welcome Rosetta Life, an Oxfordshire-based organisation known for its impactful work in hospitals and community settings, to co-host this event. This gathering will bring together:

  • Local artists
  • Arts and health organisations
  • Educators
  • Hospitals and health bodies
  • Social prescribers
  • Funders
  • Third sector representatives

We can’t wait to explore how we can collaborate to make the arts in health care and community settings accessible to those with health conditions. Please invite anyone else you know who might be interested in attending. 

About the day:

You will hear about the what, how, and why,  ‘FRONTLINEdance’ and ‘Rosetta Life’s’ work influences the patient experience, how it supports staff wellbeing, aids rehabilitation, and brings joy, specifically to those at life-changing times of their lives. The event will also feature:

  • Two artist ambassadors from Rosetta Life Arts will share their stories and experiences.
  • A practical workshop
  • Discussions, provocations, and conversations
  • Lunch – provided free of charge
  • Films by both Companies
  • Opportunity to network

Any questions please contact: rachael@frontlinedance.co.uk

Thanks in advance for joining us. We look forward to welcoming you! 

For those new to us: FRONTLINEdance is an artist-led company based in Stoke-on-Trent, placing disabled people and those with long-term health conditions at the core of our organisation as leaders, dancers, artists, and audiences. By co-creating and co-producing in community and healthcare settings, we can offer high-quality live performances, film and workshops that are relevant, inclusive, and engaging. Rachael Lines is, and has been the co-founder, Artistic Director and CEO, since 2001. She regularly makes dance work for hospitals and facilitates dance sessions for those with long-term health conditions, including cancer, brain injury, stroke, and those diagnosed with MS and Parkinson’s. https://frontlinedance.co.uk/

FRONTLINEdance in hospitals:

Royal Stoke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_oSIPYtkr4
University Hospitals of North Midlands –
Cancer Ward: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Qd_hMEMHcVs
Haemodialysis Unit: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TU1OMRMGvS4

Happenchance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJyGpLUNrzU
Forget Me Knot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_zqKmD9mjg

FRONTLINEdance currently provide workshops at the Haywood Hospital, on the specialist inpatient rehabilitation wards. They’re also in residence at the Royal Stoke Hospital, performing and facilitating workshops on wards for patients, staff and visitors.

Rosetta Life are a community of artists, activists, and technologists with experience of life-altering health conditions and care. Together they co-design creative programmes and make artworks that drive social change. Lucinda Jarrett is the Creative Director of Rosetta Life. She is a writer, independent dance artist, and performance maker who co-founded Rosetta Life in 1997. https://rosettalife.org

Lesley Goodburn

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Lesley Goodburn has worked in healthcare for the last 18 years working locally in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, regionally in the West Midlands, and latterly nationally as the experience of care lead for provider improvement and national clinical programmes at NHS England. She currently works for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as head of public involvement and engagement.

Lesley has a passion for using creativity and art to help people share their experiences of care, and in her time at NHS England she developed a programme of digital storytelling across 150 hospitals. She has also shared her personal experience of the death of her husband Seth from pancreatic cancer, 33 short and heart-breaking days after diagnosis, via ‘Seth’s Story’, which is a play, a film and an educational resource.  

She joined FRONTLINEdance as a Director following a collaboration with the ‘Holding On’ project, a contemporary dance and two films, exploring grief and bereavement after the death of a loved one from pancreatic cancer.

Amy Tomson

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Amy is thrilled to return to FRONTLINEdance after a seven-year break from dance, during which she was a full-time carer for her daughter, Peggy. During this time, she also worked at Horton Lodge Community Special School in Staffordshire, supporting children to develop greater independence in both physical and communication skills through conductive education.

Amy holds a First-Class BA (Hons) in Dance from the University of Leeds. She began her journey with FRONTLINEdance in 2002 as a trainee dance artist, contributing to numerous projects over seven years as a performer, choreographer, and facilitator.

She has also collaborated extensively with Restoke, participating in projects such as Mother, You Are Here, Voyagers, Reclaim, and Palace. With Restoke’s support, Amy also led a series of six creative sessions for mothers of disabled children, combining movement, conversation, and craft to foster connection and support.

Amy’s wider experience includes working with a range of artists and companies, including Lucy Suggate, Jordi Cortes Molina, Salamanda Tandem, Beth Cassani, Hull Truck Theatre Company, Lucy Cullingford, and Filip Van Hussel of Retina Dance Company.

We’re Recruiting! Executive Director and Co-CEO

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Following an organisational development review, FRONTLINEdance is delighted to announce the expansion of its team. This includes the creation of a new senior post of Executive Director and Co-CEO, where we are seeking a considerate, adaptable, conscientious, and confident leader with a passion for driving change and making a positive impact. This position will be pivotal in providing future stability and support while developing exciting 25th Anniversary plans (21st November 2026).

We are seeking an experienced Executive Director and Co-CEO to co-lead our team. This individual should be committed, enthusiastic, an effective manager of people and systems, and able to ensure the smooth and successful operation of our company, both day-to-day and strategically. They should also be able to foster a vibrant and collaborative community through the richness of dance and the arts. In this role, you will drive our vision forward while ensuring operational excellence and engaging with our dedicated stakeholders and the broader community. 

As our Executive Director and Co-CEO, you will be at the forefront of planning and implementing programs that inspire creativity and promote disability arts. You will have the unique opportunity to shape strategic initiatives, build strong relationships with stakeholders, and advocate for inclusive arts in our community.

This is an opportunity to take charge alongside our Artistic Director and CEO and make a lasting impact while embracing a friendly and collaborative work environment.

We celebrate diversity and inclusiveness and are committed to providing our employees with the tools they need to succeed. If you are a strategic thinker with excellent communication skills and a proven track record in leadership, we invite you to apply and help us shape the future of FRONTLINEdance together!

This leadership post is one of a few new PAYE and freelance posts FRONTLINEdance is advertising.

We believe that now is a great time to join us! 

For more information and how to apply. Please select from the formats below.

PDF-Executive-Director-and-Co-CEO-MAY-2025-1Download