Professional Development
Rosie Heafford and the Second Hand Dance team are experienced facilitators, working with participants of all ages and abilities. We deliver workshops and lectures in schools, community settings and higher education, offering a range of sessions including dance appreciation seminars, career pathways in dance, practical technique classes and creative workshops.
- Schools workshops
- Family workshops for children and carers
- Choreographic master-class/CPD workshops for artists interested in making work for young audiences (between 0.5 day to 3 days)
If you are interested in finding out more, please get in touch at emily@secondhanddance.co.uk
Mentoring
Rosie is highly experienced in making dance shows for multiple ages and spaces. If you are a performance maker interested in having a critical friend alongside the rehearsal of your next show, please get in touch.
Rosie is currently mentoring Ceren Oran and Moving Borders. Find out more about them and their work here: https://www.cerenoran.com/moving-borders
Workshops and Masterclass
Second Hand Dance is regularly invited to share our practice through presentations, workshops and masterclasses at conferences and events across the UK and internationally.
Here are just some of the events we have contributed to, as well as what’s coming up.
WHAT STICKS?
Sunday 11 October 2026 / 2pm
FRATZ Festival, Berlin, Germany
Book Here: https://www.fratz-festival.de/en/tickets-accreditation/onlineticketshop/
Talk with: Lesley Howard, Chloe Mead, Keir Patrick, and Brent Tan
Creating immersive performances reflecting neurodiversity and access
A conversation with the creative team of «The Sticky Dance», moderated by Yama Tessa Hart.
How do we create immersive performances that consider multifarious ways of perceiving, experiencing and participating? What happens during development and what changes once a work goes on tour, enters new spaces and encounters many different audiences?
In “What Sticks?”, we take a look at the artistic processes behind “The Sticky Dance” created by disabled and non-disabled co-directors. We talk about neurodiversity and access, about approaches that work and those that reach their limits. How do artistic, performative and technical perspectives come together in shaping such a work?
Performers Chloe Mead and Les Howard, Company Manager Keir Patrick and Technical Stage Manager Brent Tan join Culture & Change Maker Yama Tessa Hart in a conversation shaped by a range of artistic and neurodivergent perspectives.
An exchange about experiences and hurdles, learning and evolving, open questions and next steps. For audiences, performance makers and anyone curious about how inclusive immersive practice can emerge, grow and change. And, of course: what sticks?
Sadler's Wells PlayLab 2026
Tuesday 28 July 2026 at Sadler's Wells, London
Keir Patrick co-facilitated a workshop on Participation and Co-Creation at Sadler's Wells East. Led by Choreographer Takeshi Matsumoto, PlayLab was a six week Artist Development Programme for artists interested in creating dance performances for young audiences. More information on the programme can be found at Sadler's Wells_PlayLab
People Dancing's Summer Programme 2026
Wednesday 22 July at De Montfort University, Leicester
Producing, Co-creation & Inclusion in Performance for Children led by Keir Patrick and Emily Jameson.
Created for facilitators working in participatory practice, this Masterclass explored how to make creative experiences more inclusive for neurodivergent and disabled children. Participants discovered how Second Hand Dance create spaces where children explore freely, make choices about how they engage, and that challenge the traditional rules of performance.
Second Hand Dance subtly challenge the status quo by crafting equitable, playful, shared experiences for children and adults. The creative process is child-led, rooted in non-verbal communication techniques, improvisation, observation, and deep listening. Through practical exploration of our ethos, creative processes, and movement practices, participants were able to deepen their understanding of inclusive connection and meaningful interaction — leaving with tools, frameworks, and renewed confidence to apply this learning directly to their own participatory practice.
Read Rosie's companion blog here: Let Them Disrupt: Children as Co-Creators
European Forum March 2026
Espace Marcel Pagnol, Villiers-le-Bel, France
Co-Directors, Claire and Rosie were present at the forum in March, a highlight of the Premières Rencontres Festival at the Espace Marcel Pagnol in Villiers-le-Bel. The forum happens every two years with a focus on early childhood creation and European cultural exchange. Featuring conferences, debates and round tables, presentations, artistic workshops and discussions, the forum brings together artists, cultural and early childhood professionals, institutional representatives, parents and children.
Claire presented a talk: "Reimagining equitable spaces that promote the capacity for action among very young audiences in dance" and Rosie led a workshop on "Second Hand Dance's collaborative and inclusive methodology"
2025
Queen Mary's University
3 December 2025
A special panel discussion hosted by QUORUM, the research seminar series for the Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) Drama Department.
"THEATRE AND PLAY: Staging Play panel exploring the joys and challenges of creating performances specifically for early years, and the broader
relationship between theatre and play.
https://quorumqmul.wordpress.com/programme/
Elefantteateret, Stavanger, Norway
26 Nov 2025
Dance for all | Workshop with Keir Patrick
https://www.elefantteateret.no/program-liste/dans-for-alle-bevegelsesimprovisasjon-med-keir-patrick
Korczak Dzisiaj Festival in Warsaw, Poland
20 October 2025
FOCUS: United Kingdom conference: "Creative Access and Equitable Spaces for Disabled and Non-Disabled Audiences"
https://korczak-festival.pl/en/
Explore Dance Festival
9 May 2025
Transformation through Participation
https://explore-dance.de/en/festival/
Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich, Germany
1 February 2025
Transformation through participation
https://www.reseo.org/event/reseo-x-bayerische-staatsoper-transformation-through-participation/
2024
Tanz und Inklusion (Dance and Inclusion) symposium Stralsund, Germany
9 December 2024
Equitable meeting points: creating work for neurodivergent and disabled audiences
https://www.performdance.de
Ascension Dance, Coventry, UK
27 November 2024
Second Hand Dance were invited to lead a masterclass for dance artists at Ascension Dance's Studio 17 in Coventry
Connection through movement: Creating performances for neurodivergent and disabled audiences
https://www.ascensiondance.co.uk
Tanzhaus: online presentation
18 September 2024
Equitable meeting points: creating work for neurodivergent and disabled audiences
Think Big! Festival, Munich, Germany
June 2024
An international symposium on the topic of ‘Dance from the very beginning’
Claire Summerfield was invited to give insight into artistic and production practice in the field of dance for very young audiences.
The Dancing Otherwise Network: Exploring Pluriversal Practices
24 - 25 January
Mapping the Dance Pluriverse: Collective Imaginings and Creative Conversations
https://dancingotherwise.com/
2023
Baby Boo Symposium | Theatre for Babies - Where Next? | 2 March 2023
Surrey Dance | 19 January 2023
2022
Velcro Lab | Bold, accessible, sensory dance experiences for children and adults | September 2022
Polka Theatre | August 2022
BIBU Biennial performing arts for children and youth | Digital Engagement and Disability; Reaching Further | May 2022