Together We Move: From Fundraising to Flashmob

30 September 2026

At the beginning of the year we launched a successful £7,500 community fundraising campaign for an ambitious project to celebrate the collective creativity of the young people we work with and foster connection between them and our local communities.

Together We Move, was a youth-led dance and wellbeing project designed to bring people together through movement. Co-created by members of the East London Youth Dance Company (ELYDC), the project set out to tackle isolation, build confidence and strengthen community bonds through free, accessible dance activity for children, young people and families. Thanks to the generosity of everyone who supported our Big Give Arts for Impact campaign we were able to make the programme a reality over the summer.

From the beginning, young people were at the heart of the project. We asked them: what do you want to create? Their answer was a fun, accessible TikTok-style dance routine that could be learned, shared and taught to others. Guided by the Hip Hop principle of “Each One Teach One”, participants developed choreography, explored safe content creation, created a dance film and taught each another across the summer.

“You get to express yourself through the music” Youth Participant

The young people gained confidence, leadership skills and experience in creative problem-solving, communication and collaboration.

With support from the London Legacy Development Corporation, the culmination came with a celebratory flashmob at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as part of the Music is Black Festival. Families, friends, community members and participants gathered to perform the choreography they had created, learned and shared across the summer.

“We really believe in building the next generation of creative leaders, and dance can do this. Dance is such a powerful vehicle for youth leadership because it teaches you through experience rather than theory” Tia Hassan, Artistic Director and CEO, East London Dance

More than a performance, the flashmob demonstrated the transformative power of movement. It brought together different generations, encouraged new friendships and created a shared moment of pride and belonging. The smiles, energy and sense of togetherness seen on the day showed exactly why the project resonated so strongly with our supporters.

Together We Move proved that when young people are empowered to lead, dance can become much more than an art form. It can be a catalyst for confidence, wellbeing and community connection, leaving a lasting impact on everyone who takes part.

Together We Move was funded by our amazing supporters via a Big Give crowdfunding campaign earlier this year and we want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who made this possible!