The Southampton-based dance theatre company, ZoieLogic Dance Theatre, is strengthening its mission to support men’s mental health by taking part in specialist training from Solent Mind.

The dance company’s ‘The Big Movement’ project aims to encourage men to move and connect through dance to support their mental wellbeing.

Solent Mind has teamed up with ZoieLogic in a 2-year partnership and as part of this, the charity’s Workplace Wellbeing Training team delivered a 2-day mental health workshop to its employees and managers. The specialist training was designed to equip staff with the essential skills needed to support people in their workshops and dance sessions.

Martina Bussi, Executive Director at ZoieLogic, attended the course, and highlighted its importance as the company continues to promote dance as a tool for mental wellbeing.

She explained: “As we continue to speak about the benefits of movement and dance for positive wellbeing, it’s crucial that we are equipped to support conversations around mental health.

“Some of the men attending our sessions are likely to have experience of poor mental health and we want to create a safe and supportive space for them, while also making sure our team feels confident to handle these types of conversations.

“The Solent Mind training was brilliant for this and provided us with the practical tips and tools necessary to help us support our participants while also safeguarding our own wellbeing.”

Solent Mind Workplace Wellbeing Training Manager, Mandy Wiltshire, said: “It’s been a pleasure to provide this essential training in support of ZoieLogic’s mission to get men dancing for their mental health, and I’m delighted to hear how much it has helped. Together, we can take another step towards a world where anyone experiencing a mental health issue has somewhere to go for support.”

ZoieLogic’s The Big Movement project is designed to get men dancing for their mental health. The project will offer a series of free sessions and workshops, which will lead up to the world’s first mass male dance event – The Big Movement – set to take over Southampton in 2027.

Sharing more, Martina added: “We will start by hosting a series of online sessions where men can learn more about the project. Then, through in-person workshops, we’ll showcase how movement and dance can positively impact mental health. Later down the line, we aim to recruit people for The Big Movement event to raise awareness of men’s mental health and how dance can help.”

To find out more about the dance theatre company’s The Big Movement project, visit: The Big Movement - The Big Movement by ZoieLogic.

To find out more about Solent Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Training, visit: Workplace Wellbeing Training | Trusted mental health training at work.