Tender steps: connecting communities to break the silence on babyloss through dance

Tender Steps is a 10-minute dance film created to raise awareness of babyloss, produced as part of Babyloss Awareness Week 2024. Funded by Arts Council England and supported by Dance Mama, the project was developed in collaboration with local partners, including the perinatal charity Connected and the Work Health Hub. The film serves as a platform for grief, healing, and community connection, addressing an often-silenced experience through movement and digital storytelling.

This presentation will explore how Tender Steps exemplifies the conference theme of Connectivity by harnessing partnerships across the arts, health, and community sectors. The project was designed to bridge gaps between artistic practice and perinatal mental health support, engaging both bereaved families and the wider public. Through collaborative working with Connected and the Work Health Hub, the film was embedded within local support networks, enabling the project to extend beyond artistic expression into meaningful civic impact.

The presentation will highlight the ways Tender Steps delivered local engagement and facilitated open conversations around babyloss, while also reaching digital audiences beyond geographical boundaries. It will encourage discussion on how dance and film can act as catalysts for social connection, community healing, and cross-sector collaboration.