Aerial classes come to Taunton thanks to SWEF Enterprise Grant

Lucy Hartland-Mann, Founder of Fusion Dance Circus Academy, teaches popular dance and circus classes to children and young people in the Taunton area.

Here she shares her story about how her business introduced aerial to its extensive portfolio thanks to a SWEF Enterprise Grant of £2,000.

“After graduating from Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (2013) and the Royal Academy of Dance (2024), I worked as a dance and circus teacher across Somerset. While I was teaching in Taunton the pupils would ask for more, so I could see the interest in these arts forms and demand for more sessions.

I officially launched the Fusion Dance Circus Academy at the start of August 2023 and began setting up my own classes, fusing together dance and circus skills. From street dance to contemporary dance, to circus skills, hula hooping – it’s a bit of everything! To me, the most important part is that everyone can explore, be creative and collaborate.

When I started the business, a key challenge was that everything was self-funded. I already had a mortgage, so it was difficult to find the money I needed to set up, promote and deliver the classes.

Up until the SWEF Enterprise Grant I was borrowing circus kit therefore it was a huge relief to invest in the essentials and feel independent in my business. Thanks to the £2,000 from SWEF I was able to purchase a crash mat and top bar extension so I could safely start offering aerial classes, something that the community wanted, but didn’t exist until now. I also invested the money into a PA system speaker with a microphone so the young people could perform with a professional feel. Finally, I became a member of the Taunton Chamber of Commerce which has been great for networking and professional development.

If you’re thinking of applying for a SWEF Enterprise Grant, just do it. Grab the opportunity and make the most of the support. I found the application process easy, and it was refreshing to meet and network with a wide variety of people and businesses thanks to SWEF.

In terms of the future, I’m running regular classes from September 2024 at the Creative Innovation Centre (CIC) in Taunton, but I aspire to branch out into neighbouring towns and also start offering classes to adults in addition to children and young people. I’m also keen to keep training and developing my dance and circus skills to bring back that learning to classes.”

Find out more about our SWEF Enterprise Grants programme, which provides business grants of up £2,000 to young people aged between 18 – 30 in Somerset, North Somerset and BANES.

09.07.24