our story
Dance was the starting point. Change is the ambition.
Project Female began in Brighton & Hove in 2018 as a youth dance performance company, founded in response to a gap in the dance world. Too often, access to dance depended on what families could afford, who met the entry criteria and who felt confident enough to take part. For many young females, traditional dance environments could reinforce the pressures around body image, appearance and perfection, rather than offer a space to explore, express and grow.
We believed there could be another way.
We wanted to create a dance environment where young people did not have to fit a mould to belong. A place where creativity mattered more than perfection, where their experiences could shape the work they made, and where every young person could feel valued, supported and able to take up space.
Over time, we recognised that the need went far beyond dance.
Young females were navigating increasing mental health pressures, gender inequality, harassment and a lack of opportunities to influence the world around them.
Many were struggling to access support that felt right for them.
So we began bringing dance together with youth work, mental health support and social action.
Our work grew from a performance company into a wider youth charity, using creative expression as a route to wellbeing, leadership and change.
Today, Project Female works with more than 300 young females each year through dance sessions, performance companies, outreach and youth-led projects.
From the studio to the stage and into conversations with decision-makers, young females are supported to develop their voices, create ambitious work and influence the issues that affect their lives.
We have always believed that young females should be more than participants in the world around them. They should have the confidence, skills and power to shape it.
Our story continues with every young female who finds belonging, discovers their voice or takes their first step into leadership.
Dance brings us together. Their ideas, experiences and ambitions shape where we go next.
