Dame Darcey Bussell DBE brings dance workshop to local school children on World Mental Health Day

Dame Darcey Bussell DBE has led a day of high-energy, mood-boosting dance fitness workshops for hundreds of local school children to support their wellbeing and mark World Mental Health Day.

Alongside her role as Chair of the Board for Theatre Royal Plymouth (TRP), Darcey is the founder of DDMIX Trust. DDMIX Trust has partnered with Place2Be to run the workshops for pupils from 12 primary schools from across the region. The event took place at TRP’s Production & Learning Centre, TR2, and saw 360 children in total join in the choreographed aerobic sessions, as well as being treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the world-class facility.

DDMIX’s dedicated programme, DDMIX for Schools, is an innovative dance fitness platform created by Dame Darcey with the vision of making exercise fun, inclusive and accessible to all. Designed to run alongside PE sessions, the programme draws on a wide variety of dance styles from around the world, offering a full-body workout without the pressure of mastering complex choreography.

On World Mental Health Day, 12 primary schools attended TR2 and took part in one of two sessions throughout the day and explored the impressive facility, including the set-building workshop, wardrobe department and rehearsal spaces. The primary schools involved are Plympton St Maurice Primary, Woodford Primary School, Oreston Community Academy, Austin Farm Academy, Glen Park Primary, Morley Meadow Primary, Sir Robert Geffery’s, Whitleigh Primary, College Road Primary, Mayflower Academy and St George’s C of E Primary.

Dame Darcey Bussell DBE said: “In order for our society to have good physical and mental health, our children need to have a really positive attitude to being active from their earliest years, one that can stay with them for life.

I was thrilled to be in Plymouth with so many school children exercising with us, and also seeing them learn about the Theatre Royal and the wonderful production facilities of TR2.”

Place2Be CEO, Catherine Roche, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering once again with DDMIX for Schools, alongside Theatre Royal Plymouth, to bring this dynamic programme to 12 schools across the region as an extension of our partnership with Westcountry Schools Trust (WeST).”

TRP provides a Creative Communities programme across the region for over 30,000 young people and adults a year and is deeply invested in nurturing the next generation of theatre-makers.

To learn more, you can visit the DDMIX website and keep up-to-date with TRP's work with young people.