A pioneering local partnership between Newcastle Hospitals Charity arts programme and Dance City, the North East’s leading dance organisation, is bringing movement and creativity into clinical settings through ‘Dance Moves’. A key part of the Charity’s arts programme, this initiative sees professional dance artists working alongside NHS staff to support the recovery of orthopaedic and stroke rehabilitation patients through accessible, tailored movement sessions.
These weekly sessions take place across multiple wards at the Freeman Hospital and combine one-on-one bedside interaction, offering a more personal experience, with group movement sessions on the wards to encourage shared participation. The programme goes beyond simple physical exercise, also fostering social connection and helping to create a more joyful, uplifting ward environment each week.
The collaboration was born from a shared mission to enhance the hospital experience through creativity, movement and shared human connection, and is underpinned by research that evidences the benefit of using dance within NHS priority work for falls reduction and frailty prevention. By embedding Dance City’s professional artists within the Freeman Hospital, the partnership provides a creative approach that complements traditional physiotherapy and occupational therapy and supports patient recovery. Close collaboration with the occupational therapy and physiotherapy teams ensures that activities are patient-centred and support individual needs and rehabilitation goals.
Lissie Ogden, Engagement Manager at Dance City, said: “Seeing the impact that Dance Moves is already having on patients and staff across Newcastle’s hospital wards has been truly inspiring.
“Our partnership with Newcastle Hospitals Charity is built on a shared belief that dance can support meaningful, positive change for patients and staff alike. Research continues to show how dance can improve strength, balance and mobility, and we’re already seeing the difference in how patients feel after each session.
“Dance feels like a universal language – something we can all connect with, and this pilot has shown how joyful and essential movement is in supporting wellbeing and recovery.”
Charlie Gregory, Arts Curator for Newcastle Hospitals Charity, said: “Bringing this partnership with Dance City to life and witnessing the positive impact it has had on both patients and staff has been incredibly rewarding.
“Designed around patients’ needs, our arts programme creates meaningful, personalised experiences that support wellbeing and recovery. The feedback from the pilot programme of ‘Dance Moves’ has been overwhelmingly positive, with many patients describing the sessions as the highlight of their week. Participants have enjoyed requesting a wide range of music, from Elvis Presley and George Michael to energetic 90s dance classics, helping to ensure that ‘Dance Moves’ remains relevant across generations and wards alike.”
Dance Moves joins a growing portfolio of arts and health interventions, as part of the arts programme delivered by Newcastle Hospitals Charity. This includes ‘Newcastle Singing for Lung Health’, ‘Hospital Sessions’ live music and ‘Storytelling’ with Seven Stories for younger patients, all contributing to a more holistic approach to patient care across Newcastle Hospitals.
