The beginning

Founder of Aesop, Tim Joss, started the charity with a simple proposition in mind: the arts have the power to solve societal problems, and by demonstrating this with evidence, can be funded by other sectors.

Aesop chose to highlight existing arts in health programmes, in two national showcases, held in London Southbank Centre, in 2017 and 2019, the former of which had the support of then Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt. Aesop conducted significant pieces of research into GP attitudes towards arts in health programmes, identified the 'active ingredients' that go into successful arts in health programmes, and developed a training course, with the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health, for arts in health professionals.

Dance to Health

Meanwhile, Aesop developed its own exemplar programme, that would test and demonstrate its proposition: Dance to Health.

The idea was simple. Older people's falls are one of the most significant and overlooked health issues in the UK. There are well-evidenced exercise programmes that help prevent falls, but they suffer from low completion rates, due to their being dull. The solution? Train professional dance artists to smuggle those exercise programmes into creative dance classes.

The results? Participants with higher completion rates, 58% reduction in falls, artistic and creative experience, reductions in social isolation, and huge improvements to mental wellbeing. Dance artists with new avenues for developing creative practice, and reliable incomes. Funded by the NHS and local authorities.

The future

Tragically, founder of Aesop, Tim Joss, died in a traffic accident in January 2024. The trustees of the charity, and the staff team, worked together to ensure that the charity remained a going concern. We are all invested in seeing Aesop's vision continue to be realised, and so far, the outlook is very positive.

In May 2024, new interim CEO Anna Williams was appointed, and we are now in the process of looking how to further develop Dance to Health, as it continues to grow across the UK. We also continue to engage a network of arts organisations and practitioners working in this space, exploring how we might best work together in community.