As we touch down in the UK following the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) annual conference in Rimini, Italy, we are celebrating after PhD Researcher Emma Morgan won the annual research poster award.
Keep reading to find out about the IADMS international conference, Emma’s poster award and the research that was shared by members of the SPRINT Project team.
What was the conference about?
The IADMS conference included four days filled with interdisciplinary research on dance medicine and science, covering wide-ranging topics such as education, physiology, physiotherapy, psychology, sociology and nutrition.
SPRINT Project team members Maria Kolitsida, Emma Morgan and Prof Jennifer Cumming presented their own dance research findings to the conference delegates.
What is the focus of Emma’s research?
As part of her PhD research, which is funded by a University of Birmingham PhD Studentship, Emma is currently focusing on understanding the relationship between self-compassion, mental illness symptoms and mental wellbeing in dance students within higher education. Supervised by Prof Jennifer Cumming, Dr Mary Quinton, and Dr Sanna Nordin-Bates, Emma would like to find out if self-compassion can act as a protective factor for dance students’ mental health, and share knowledge gained in relation to this.
Image description: A photo of Emma presenting her research at the IADMS conference.
Image description: A photo of the announcement of the poster award winner at the IADMS conference. The poster award is presented to the individual who created the best poster at the IADMS conference.
Check out a quote from Emma below, where she tells us about her experiences at the IADMS conference!
“The highlight of my experience was, undoubtedly, the inspiring individuals I had the opportunity to meet and connect with. Through engaging interactions, idea exchanges, and meaningful conversations, I return from the IADMS conference with a broadened perspective and deepened insight into my research topic on self-compassion in dance.” Emma Morgan.
The whole SPRINT Project team are very proud of Emma and her huge achievement – well done Emma!
What research did Maria and Jenn present at IADMS?
Maria’s PhD research, which is funded by an ESRC DTP collaborative PhD Studentship in partnership with One Dance UK and the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science (NIDMS), focuses on understanding how dance teachers in private dance schools respond to self-harm in their students, and their related support needs. Supervised by Prof Jennifer Cumming, Dr Anna Lavis, and Erin Sanchz, Maria seeks to share knowledge about what dance teachers need to be able to support students in the best way.
Check out this quote from Maria where she describes her experience of the IADMS conference!
“The 34th Annual IADMS conference in Rimini, Italy gave me access to the up-to-date knowledge I need to continue adopting a holistic approach to dancers’ mental health.
Moreover, Professor Jennifer Cumming and I attended the IADMS round table discussion on eating disorders in dance. Attendees’ backgrounds mirrored the interdisciplinary approach needed for the prevention, management and treatment of eating disorders. Being present in these conversations allowed us to share some of our ongoing research and understanding of eating disorders in dance, a topic that continually emerges from and relates to my PhD research on self-harm in dance.
Finally, presenting my research on dance teachers’ responses to self-harm in their students sparked some insightful conversations and questions that further challenged and fuelled my thinking for the final stages of my PhD research and beyond.” Maria Kolitsida.
Image description: Photos of Maria presenting her research at the IADMS conference.
Jenn’s research is also in collaboration with One Dance UK and NIDMS and focuses on the views, practices, and challenges of UK dance organisations in creating a positive safeguarding culture. She reported on a mixed-methods study that involved a national survey and interviews with organisational leaders. A specific focus was placed on understanding and sharing knowledge around safeguarding and abuse prevention issues and current related practices and procedures.
“This data represents a “snapshot” of the UK dance sector, revealing both areas of strengths and weaknesses in identifying harms, embedding safeguarding procedures, providing training and support, as well as embedding safeguarding within the curriculum. Our research provides a baseline measure for measuring future progress by the sector, but we are also mindful that organisations who participated are already likely prioritising safeguarding. We continue to call for more collaborative and interdisciplinary research to better understand how safeguarding policies and procedures can be effectively and consistently implemented.” – Prof Jennifer Cumming
Image description: A photo of Prof Jennifer Cumming presenting her research at the IADMS conference.
Want to find out more about the dance related research carried out by the SPRINT Project? Check out the dance project page here!
Image credit: Maria Kolitsida, Emma Morgan and Prof Jennifer Cumming.
Written by Dr Sally Reynard, Postdoctoral Researcher in the SPRINT Project.
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