About Us

Exim Dance is a Plymouth based, award winning CIC known for our vibrant approach to making dance accessible to all. 

Exim works predominantly in Plymouth’s deprived communities, focusing on providing high quality dance wellbeing opportunities. 

Our mission is to improve people’s lives through dance. What we deliver is diverse and accessible. Our vision is to help create a world where underrepresented groups no longer exist and are seen as equal and integral to their community! We are passionate about using dance, and breaking down the ideological barriers surrounding it, in order to support vulnerable people. Our services promote improved mental and physical health and a reduction in loneliness, particularly within marginalised groups. 

Our premises provide our service users with a safe non-judgemental environment to express themselves in, where they can develop their skills and confidence. Somewhere the community can come together and create! 

Our work centres around our core value that anyone who wants to do something can do it. No matter their background or whether they are disabled. We support those on low income by offering our services for free. We seek to unite communities without barriers. 

Exim plays a vital role in supporting Plymouth’s cultural and community scene. We do this through our own work and through working in cross-sector partnerships with others at a local, regional and national level. 

We champion community cohesion. The company works both as a youth referral & social prescribing service.

2022 has seen the company shortlisted among the top four UK businesses in The Great British Business Awards under the category Outstanding Contribution to the Community and awarded as Highly Commended in the UK Youth Parliament Community Champion awards. 

Our Artistic Director was selected as one of ten South West business entrepreneurs to be supported through the school of social entrepreneurs business leader 2022 programme and was selected as one of nine community leaders to be showcased through Action Funder as part of International Women’s Day 2022.

In 2021 Exim Dance Company were awarded the Sport and Recreation Alliance ‘2021 Mental Health and Wellbeing Award’ sponsored by Active IQ.

Exim has been shortlisted in One Dance UK awards under the categories Inspirational work in the Community and Inspirational work in Education and Covid Community Champion through South West Business and Community Awards throughout 2021/2020. 

2019 saw Exim selected to be apart of Active Devon ‘This Girl Can’ national campaign and Artistic Director, Laura Nightingale was selected as a Devon Girls Can ambassador & received professional business development training through Women’s Resource Centre London and was chosen for the 2019 cohort and presented at The House of Lords March 2019.

October 30th 2019, Exim Dance Company premiered their new professional work ‘MARKED’; choreographed by choreographer Adam Benjamin with dances at The House Theatre, University of Plymouth then headed to Italy in November to present at ‘Se io fossi te Incontri Internazionali su Arte e Abilità Differenti IV Edizione Festival’. MARKED will be commencing a tour nationally and internationally from April 2020.

Exim professional company toured internationally in 2018 to Spain, Moscow and South Korea.

2017/2018 Exim were selected to take part in the innovation programme through Real Ideas Organisation to develop the company into a social enterprise.

In 2015 Exim Dance’s Intern won Intern of the Year at the National Awards for Creative and Cultural Skills.

In 2015 Exim Dance were awarded a special commendation from Grads for Growth for their work to develop graduates.