Thanks to funding from Rugby League Cares Leeds Rhinos Foundation Dance Development Officers delivered the Arts Award to British Military Families at RAF Paderborn last week as part of a long-standing relationship designed to offer children on the base first class coaching and fun activity during the school holidays
Following on from two successful years of dance camps delivered by Dance Development Coordinator Nicola Booth and Dance volunteer Taylor Heaps for British Forces Germany, Leeds Rhinos Foundation this year provided children on camp with a new offering to gain the Explore Level Arts Award.
30 youngsters booked onto the camp, accredited by the Arts Council England, which provides an exploration into dance as an art form covering the different genres of dance, research into famous dance artists and organisations and experience performing and creating dance.
As part of the award delivery this time led by Nicola and Cultural Partnership Officer Gemma Brown, the students record their progress in a log book and on film which is later sent away for moderation to receive the nationally accredited award as a valuable introduction to exploring a career of learning in the arts.
The camp also gave Nicola and the dance development team a chance to work with the garrison’s Paderborn based Performing Arts School, the BFG – British Forces Germany Dance Academy, who were set up as one of the legacies from previous Rhinos visits.
Mr Grant Davis, Community Support Senior Development Worker for the Army Welfare Service said: “We were fortunate to be able to host the Leeds Rhinos Dance coaches this May Half term who delivered a fantastic, engaging week of accredited dance.
“The week of dance gave the young people of BFG a chance to take part in a high-quality event adding value to them whilst increasing their technical knowledge and ability as well as improving their confidence to explore the art of dance.”
“The AWS intend to continue to provide such events through to the closure of British Forces Germany,” added Grant Davis.
Since receiving funding from Rugby League Cares in 2015, Leeds Rhinos Foundation have provided the award for members of the charity’s Rhinestones Dance Academy along with school groups and children on camps across Leeds during school holidays, providing the award for over 200 young people since 2017.
The camp delivered for British military families last week was the last camp the Foundation will deliver under the funding, to bring to an end the two-year programme in connection with Rugby League Cares and Cape UK.
Nicola Booth commented: “It’s always an honour to be asked to return to Germany and deliver dance to the British Forces children.
“The BFG Dance Academy have grown considerably since we first started going to Germany, so it was great as a foundation to be able to offer the children an accredited award. I’d like to say a big thank you once again to the AWS for having us.”
“We’ve been able to offer the Arts Award to a range of different groups in Leeds over the past two years and now abroad so it’s been very rewarding for us and for the children who have all been able to gain an introduction into dance and performing arts.”
Leeds Rhinos Foundation will be returning to Germany in the summer to once again offer a dance camp along with rugby and multi-skills as part of the partnership.