IT has been a fabulous week for us this week as we reopened the Swan Studios for our regular groups who run a variety of community classes.

Having closed to the public back in March all our groups lost the ability to run their classes from our venue and all became tech experts as they mastered running classes via Zoom and continued to offer content, continuity, friendship and sanity to their members who were locked behind closed doors and away from their day to day normal life.

Zoom, of course, had many challenges and is not the same as personal classes. I was recently reduced to tears (of laughter) in a Covid-safe meeting with one of my group leaders as she explained all of the challenges of trying to teach over this medium, in the height of the summer heat and with a computer screen being less than forgiving!

There is however nothing like being back in the studio, all our spaces are Covid secure with a fresh new look to start the new terms.

Having activity in the building is simply perfect, the laughter from the pre-school dance class and the adult tappers fills the air, seeing the mums return with their tiny babies for sensory classes alongside a whole programme of activity for adults from beginners to advanced ballet/contemporary dance is uplifting.

A community theatre with spaces designed for performance, dance and music should never stand empty, it should be vibrant and alive and bustling with people being creative.

It has been devastating to have the spaces unoccupied for such a long period of time. This week we have seen the beginnings of the reawakening of the Swan. Exciting times lie ahead.