A documentary film produced by Pishdaad Modaressi Chahardehi about Ascendance, a community organisation which delivers dance and creative sessions across Yorkshire that support physical, mental and social wellbeing. This film focuses on two projects being supported by Ascendance, the first provides inclusive dance, movement and creative activities for older South Asian women while the second provides the same for older people with Parkinson's or other neurological diseases. Over the...

A documentary film produced by Pishdaad Modaressi Chahardehi about Ascendance, a community organisation which delivers dance and creative sessions across Yorkshire that support physical, mental and social wellbeing. This film focuses on two projects being supported by Ascendance, the first provides inclusive dance, movement and creative activities for older South Asian women while the second provides the same for older people with Parkinson's or other neurological diseases. Over the opening title a van being driven around Bradford. Title Unseen This is a story about joy, movement and community Across Bradford a group of dancers have been rewriting what it means to move As several older Asian women are helped into the van they talk about issues of loneliness and feeling of depression and how being a part of this group has allowed them to get to know the other ‘ladies.’ Title: Karmond Community Centre Bradford As a group of Asian women take part in session run by Ascendance, one of the dancers explains how they are looking to change the stereotype that dance, exercise and creativity is only for younger people. As some of the women paint other do various gentle movements alongside dancers. In voiceover some of the women talk about what they are getting from being part of the group. One of those running the session talks about working with people with Parkinson's and other neuro conditions to improve fitness and wellbeing. Some of those taking part talk about how being part of this group has helped them. Pishdaad speaks with one woman who has Parkinson's and who use to work in the care sector. Title: Marie Curie Hospice Bradford As a man makes his way along a corridor towards an exercise class, a woman pushes her husband who is a wheelchair along the same corridor. The couple talk initially about what he gets from the classes after which they talk about how they met. The man seen walking along the corridor talks about becoming part of the group after the loss of his wife while a woman talks about her Parkinson's. As a dancer from Ascendance leads the class, she talks in voiceover about how the classes work and about providing those taking part with inclusive accessible and creative tasks. Title: Bradford Shipley Stephen, an older man with Parkinson's, walks with a stick from his home getting into an Uber taxi. As he is driven to his destination he talks about once being a taxi driver himself. Title: Victorian Hall Bradford Another older man in a red t-shirt gets out of his car and heads into the hall taking an elevator to an upper floor. In a large room another dance class run by Ascendance featuring several participants with Parkinson dancing alongside their wives or husbands. As the dance and movement class takes place several participants talk about being diagnosed with Parkinson, their relationships with their partners or about their previous professions. A dancer also talks about how the creative level in the group is very high while another who also has Parkinson talks about being part of a workshop that looks at dancing with the disease and being able to have the scope to choreograph a performance. As he speaks, he leads a group in gentle movements. Title: In January, the journey led to London. To Resolution, one of the UK’s leading festivals for emerging dance Together they will perform Signature Moves, a piece choreographed as a personal response to live with Parkinson One of the dancers from Ascendance works with Stephen seen previously changes to her and others on a train travelling down to London. While some of them talk about how they feel about dancing and performing together, other talks about how they got involved with the group. Title: The Place, London The group arrives at the venue in London and in a corridor begin with some Tai chi before rehearsing in a studio space. Before heading to the stage a dancer reminds everyone to enjoy themselves before a group hug. The group come out onto the stage and perform their piece at the end of which the audience applaud as the group bow. Heading back into the rehearsal studio a New Zealand woman sings a Mauri song and at the end of which she states, ‘there is love, there is hope, there is charity for us all.’ Title: This film has been made possible through funding from Bradford 2025, public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, The National Lottery Community Fund and Leeds City Council A heartfelt thank you to all the community dance members and the Ascendance team for making this film possible Dancers Emma Clayton, Emma Hindley, Sophie Atkinson, Sharon Foundation Visual Artist Serena Nassini Artistic Director Rachel Wesson Credit: A film by Pishdaad Modaressi Chahardehi Title: Remembering Janet Burnside, a treasured regular dance member at our Marie Curie Hospice dance group. Her kindness and determination continue to inspire us End title: Ascendance.org.uk. Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. Arts Council England. National Lottery Community Fund. Leeds City Council