Art and health come together in an inclusive dance piece created in five days

The premiere of the show Home Sweet Home, part of the Five Days to Dance project, an initiative led by the De Loopers dance company, was a resounding success with audiences and achieved remarkable results. This initiative is part of the program of activities held during May, centred around the VII Arts in Health Day at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu. With the challenge of creating a choreography in just five days while promoting inclusion, coexistence, and the fight against stigma, the project involved people served by the Mental Health Network of the centre, professionals, and citizens.

Home Sweet Home reclaims the concept of home as a space of respect, safety, and identity. In this context, the chair becomes a symbolic and central element of the show, representing this personal and collective refuge we need to find our place in the world. During the half-hour performance, the more than 50 participants interact with this object, integrating it as a key element of the show.

The people served highly value the project

Nearly a hundred family members, friends, and professionals highlighted the artistic and emotional quality of the production, which premiered to the public last Friday.

Wilfred van Poppel, choreographer and director of the company, praised the participants' commitment and talent, emphasizing "the extraordinary work done in such a short time."

Gabriel, a participant in the Torrents d'Art workshops, the Arts in Health program of the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, emphasized the healing effect of art on both an individual and collective level: "Dance makes us all equal. There are no borders, no labels. We were able to become a team and share a collective experience. "Everything artistic is healing." Clàudia, a user of the Sant Jordi Occupational Centre at the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, believes the relaxing effect has been beneficial for her: "What I liked most about dance is that it’s exercise and makes me feel calm. I would do it again!"

The Sant Boi venue hosts the project for the first time

With this performance, the Five Days to Dance project successfully concluded its first edition at the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu in Sant Boi. The initiative is already established at the Brians penitentiary, where the fourth edition was held last October with inmates from the Psychiatric Unit of Brians 1 and inmates from various modules.

This show was one of the major highlights of the program of activities accompanying the VII Arts in Health Day at the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, held last week. The event underscored the importance of strengthening ties between the health and cultural sectors, within the framework of one of Catalonia’s most significant Arts in Health programmes.