Overview
Our approach to access includes consideration of:
- Physical access to buildings and places
- Financial and socio-economic factors
- Inclusive approach to dance and movement
- Communication and information
- Overall approach, including mindsets, awareness of social and health inequalities, and values-based ways of working
Buildings & Spaces
Curious Motion doesn’t yet have a ‘home’ so we operate out of various venues. This includes community venues, church halls, libraries, arts spaces, studios, and cafes. Information for each of the venues we use on a regular basis is below. For other venues used on a one-off or infrequent basis, access information is provided on the relevant event page.
SOUTHGATE METHODIST CHURCH
Langdale Street, Elland. HX5 0JL
- Small car park with free parking (it gets full quickly)
- Two disabled parking bays
- Accessible toilets
- Lift to first floor
- Step free entrance in the car park
- Free parking is also available on Langdale Street for two hours during the day
We mainly use the Sykes Hall – this is a large hall on the ground floor.
We sometimes use the Upper Hall – this is situated on the first floor.
Access to the Sykes Hall is via the car park entrance:
- Step free
- The disabled parking bays are outside of this entrance
- An accessible toilet is situated down the corridor from this hall.
- Please ring the large grey bell when you arrive as the door will be locked. The bell is on the wall to your left (not the small bell on the door).
Access to the Upper Hall is via the Langdale Street entrance:
- One very small step to enter. Step free once inside
- The Upper Hall is situated on the first floor
- Lift and stairs to the first floor
- Accessible toilets on both floors
More information: www.southgatemethodistchurch.org.uk
Getting to the Upper Hall at Southgate Church:
VIDEO COMING SOON
THE SPACE @ FIELD LANE
Burnsall Road, Rastrick. HD6 3JT
- Step free
- Single storey building
- Changing Place toilet
- Parking is on-street only. This is free
- Full access guide available HERE
ELLAND LIBRARY
Coronation Street, Elland. HX5 0DF
- Step free
- Workshop space is on the first floor
- Lift to first floor
- Accessible toilet
- Limited parking directly outside the library on the street.
- More information about the library HERE.
VIDEO COMING SOON
PROJECT COLT
Bridgefield Mills, Elland Bridge. HX5 0SG
- Step free ground floor
- Accessible toilet
- Free parking is available along the side of the mill. No disabled parking bays.
- More information about Project Colt: www.projectcolt.org.uk
VIDEO COMING SOON
Costs & financial factors
Curious Motion is a Community Interest Company (CIC). This means we operate on a not-for-profit basis and any surplus funds generated from our activities are used to continue our services for the community. We do not have shareholders and all funds raised are used for public benefit. We are regulated by the CIC Regulator and report to them annually.
We work to ensure that all of our activities are accessible to people regardless of their financial situation. To do this, we currently offer:
- All classes & workshops within our regular activity programme are offered on a ‘pay what you can’ basis. Unlimited free spaces are available and no questions are asked.
- We accept card payments online and cash payments.
- Online payments offer many different donation options, including free spaces.
- For cash payments a donations pot is put out in all sessions – people can put in an amount anonymously if they would like to.
- For larger events we are exploring a ‘suggested donation’ and the option for people to ‘pay it forward’ if they have the means to support others. Further information on this is provided for the specific event(s).
In order to maintain our accessible approach we rely on grants, commissions, and donations to subsidise the cost. We also have a Local Giving page where donations can be made – if you would like to support us you can make a donation HERE.
Inclusive approach to dance & movement
Curious Motion specialises in an accessible and inclusive dance and arts practice, with a focus on creativity and health. We work to ensure all people can participate in the way that works for them. This means we:
- Approach our work as an artistic practice that is always evolving, and we involve our community in this exploration.
- Prioritise an approach that is holistic, inclusive, creative, and unique.
- Use language and ways of working that recognise this approach. For example, we are not a dance school or operating within conventional dance education and so we utilise terminology that reflects this, such as ‘dance artists’ rather than ‘dance teachers’ and ‘participants’ rather than ‘students’.
- Offer experiences that are bespoke – we do not have ‘ready made’ sessions; we utilise a range of skills and approaches offered by our talented artists, and we learn about and respect diverse approaches to dance and movement.
- Cultivate a team of highly experienced and skilled professional dance artists, who are committed to using their skills for the benefit of the community, health and wellbeing, and to make wider social change.
- Offer a range of ideas and adaptations, including seated options and ways of working with movement that bring awareness to physical sensation and experience, rather than purely replicating visual form, aesthetic or shape.
- Create spaces where people can express themselves and be part of shaping activities.
- Offer one-to-one conversations with participants to provide information in advance and explore how we might best support them.
- Work with open minds and hearts, staying curious and always learning.
Communication & Information
We communicate our information in a variety of ways. This includes:
- Printed information and flyers available in the community, including in community venues, libraries, GP surgeries, and on noticeboards.
- We translate information into the languages required by our community, which currently includes Arabic, Spanish, Kurdish, and French.
- Active social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn
- Video and audio communication, as well as written information.
- Captions and subtitles are always used in digital communication.
- We are working on easy read versions of information
- Our website will soon be available in different languages too.
- Our team is continually exploring how best to communicate our information – if you have a suggestion please feel free to contact us.
Overall Approach
Belonging underpins everything we do. We are advocating for ways of working and living that promote compassion, inclusion, and ‘human-first’ approaches to cultivate healthy and happy spaces for everyone. We are continually learning about and reflecting on social and health issues related to our community and we actively seek to address these issues. We are led by our values and remain open minded and curious to ensure our work makes real long-term social change.
Our approach includes:
- An awareness and careful consideration of health inequalities. Some members of our team have lived experience of this too.
- We follow the social model of disability to underpin how we think about society and our own offer to the community.
- Advocacy around issues facing our society related to wellbeing and inclusion.
- Promoting our shared humanity and creating spaces that recognise this.
- Placing emphasis and importance on ‘soft skills’, including kindness, understanding and accepting differences, empathy, and critical thinking.
- Building a sense of community with everyone involved in our work, including participants, audiences, volunteers, freelancers, and staff.
- A flexible and continually evolving approach, that is informed by the needs and aspirations of our community and wider social issues.
