We are excited to annouunce the launch of a new Community Interest Company (CIC) called Edinburgh Community Performing Arts (ECPA), which will be bringing free community centric classes to DN Studios.

The ECPA is focused on bringing social opportunities in the context of dance and performing arts to subsections of the Edinburgh community who would normally experience barriers to access. There will be specific emphasis on tackling social isolation among older people, as well as providing opportunities to those with physical and mental disabilities.

DN Studios is a new top-class dance and performing arts studio where classes and events will take place, led by specialist teachers and volunteers. There will be a range of dance classes and social opportunities for older people (tea dances for example), held predominantly on weekday mornings. The intention is for classes to be grant funded so participants can attend at little or no cost.

We have an excellent facility here at in DN Studios, and we want to make the most of the space. We have a lot of free capacity during the weekdays when kids are at school and the studio isn’t being used, so our plan is to open the doors to the wider community. It’s always been our ambition to give back to the local community, and through the ECPA we can bring people together in a safe and welcoming space to provide much needed social and creative activities for older people.

The ECPA was set up by husband-and-wife duo Lindsay Bleakley and Nicola Bleakley, who also own DN Studios. Its board is made up of three additional board members who work on voluntary basis to make decisions about how the ECPA operates and which projects it invests in. The ECPA is almost entirely funded through grants and donations and welcomes regular funders.

To find out more about the projects and how to become a funder, you can visit our website, or contact us by email.