Using dance to bring Southampton’s communities together

Zoie Golding

I’ve worked for two decades as an artistic director, movement director, executive producer and CEO. Throughout my career, I’ve been driven to challenge perceptions of who dance is for and how it is experienced. This is how ZoieLogic began. Today, our mission is to connect people through dance and movement, particularly those least likely to see dance as for them or have access to it.

I grew up in the city, where my grandparents ran pubs across town. I spent many weekends at the old bowling green where my Nan ran the bar. Although my work has taken me around the world, I always love coming back home to Southampton, and it’s why I chose to build ZoieLogic here for our communities.

Photo credit Matt Walker

I founded FuzzyLogic Youth Dance Company in 2000 after working with boys in dance at college and seeing young boys backflipping off a bench at a local school and realising there were so few opportunities for them to train in dance. Twenty-five years on, ZoieLogic Dance Theatre focuses on three core areas: getting guys dancing, large-scale dance activations, and using dance to bring communities together. We have supported over 20,000 people – many first-time dancers – working across communities, schools, estates, businesses and public spaces to deliver what we believe are transformative projects.

Our work is about building pride, confidence and achievement – for participants to broaden their sense of self and their sense of belonging. That’s why community has always been something I’ve cherished. I learned early on that social and youth clubs are places in which people can be beautifully supported outside of their family network. 

In the arts – and especially at ZoieLogic – we are driven by that community spirit. There is little I love more than watching people achieve something they didn’t think was possible, alongside others, or finding a sense of belonging within a group.

In everything we do, no dance experience is required. People have always said to me “You’ll never get them dancing” – and I always accept the challenge!

I know movement can reach anyone, I have many stories of how dance has improved people’s lives. We create connection through dance in whatever form works for them, helping people live happier, healthier, more creative, and connected lives. With every participant we engage, we take the time to build a relationship with them and try to guide them on a supportive journey to move with freedom and confidence in a way that works for them.

The people of Southampton and our stories influence everything we do. Our projects are always built – or rather co-created – with our communities, interrupting and animating our city with our own stories.

As an example, ZoieLogic’s ‘We Are Holyrood’ programme brings people together through free, accessible arts experiences in the heart of the estate, building community cohesion and creating opportunities for young people to upskill. It offers year-round cultural activity, including monthly dance sessions for young people to develop skills and for adults to combat isolation.

The programme culminates in the annual ‘We Are Holyrood’ Hub, a celebration of identity, skills and achievement, and a rare opportunity for young residents to share their progress with the wider community.

All our work is rooted in co-creation, including the design, programming and delivery of the Hub. By shifting power to young Holyrood residents, we build ownership and address what matters most to them and the challenges they face. This uplifts young people and strengthens community cohesion, creating a ripple effect of pride across Holyrood. This year, for example, we asked what they wanted to do. “A music video,” they said – so they wrote the song and planned the video themselves.

We hope our work empowers our communities, building trust, fostering self-esteem and skills, and helping provide a renewed sense of community pride and connection.

We want to reach more people across our city and the Solent region, supporting happier, healthier and more creative lives. We will continue to create bold, socially driven experiences that attract national and international attention, showcasing Southampton as a city of brilliant people and stories worth hearing. And above all, we want our people to have fun – because it’s about the joy of moving and being together.

Our current focus is a crowdfunding campaign to sustain our core Fuzzy programmes for boys. We aim to raise £10,000 by the end of February to support teachers and facilitators, rehearsal space, sets, costumes, props and production costs. To learn more or support our mission, visit our crowdfunding page: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/fund-zoielogic-fuzzy