When people first hear about RISE, they often focus on the dancing. That's understandable. Music is what fills the room, movement is what people see, and energy is often what people remember. But what interested me when I first became involved with RISE wasn't how people danced. It was the effect the environment seemed to have on people.
As a Coaching Psychologist, much of my work centres around helping people better understand themselves, navigate change and create lives that feel more aligned with who they really are. Over the years, I've become increasingly interested in the environments we create for ourselves and the impact those environments have on our wellbeing, self-development and sense of connection.
Most of us spend our days moving between spaces that demand something from us. We are expected to respond, achieve, communicate, explain ourselves and remain constantly available. Even social situations can come with an unspoken pressure to perform, whether that's saying the right thing, looking a certain way or managing how we are perceived by others. What struck me about RISE was how much of that pressure simply falls away.
One of the things people often notice when they arrive at RISE is that there isn't much talking. Alongside putting phones away, we also encourage people to step away from the constant conversations that fill so much of modern life. That doesn't mean people leave feeling disconnected. In fact, many people describe the opposite.
In psychology, we often talk about the importance of belonging and connection, but connection doesn't always come from exchanging words. Sometimes it comes from sharing an experience. Sitting beside a friend and watching a sunset can create a sense of connection without conversation. Listening to live music with hundreds of strangers can do the same. Movement has a similar effect. When people spend time together in the same space, listening to the same music, moving and sharing the same experience, something interesting happens. The pressure to perform socially begins to disappear. People stop worrying about what to say next and become more aware of how they feel in the moment. For many people, that creates a stronger sense of connection and joy than they expected.
Another aspect of RISE that feels important to me is the absence of performance. Many people have complicated relationships with movement. They worry about whether they're fit enough, coordinated enough or confident enough. Some carry difficult memories from school sports or exercise classes. Others simply haven't danced for years and assume they have forgotten how or dancing isn’t for them.
At RISE there is no expectation that people move in a particular way. Nobody is teaching routines and nobody is judging technique. Some people dance enthusiastically from the first track, while others spend time finding their rhythm and building confidence. Both experiences are equally valid. What we consistently see is that when people feel safe, accepted and free from judgement, movement becomes much more natural. The focus shifts away from getting it right and towards simply being present. That freedom is important because movement offers benefits far beyond physical exercise. Research continues to show strong links between movement, emotional wellbeing, stress reduction and resilience. When people are able to move without fear of criticism or comparison, they often discover a renewed sense of ease, energy and self-expression.
One of the reasons I love RISE is because it reflects something I see repeatedly in my work as a psychologist.
People often assume that wellbeing is something we build entirely within ourselves. We focus on mindset, skills, confidence and personal growth. While those things matter, the environments we spend time in matter too.
Most of us can think of places where we immediately feel more relaxed, more ourselves and more able to connect with other people. Equally, we can probably think of environments that leave us feeling guarded, distracted or disconnected.
The space around us influences how we think, feel and behave far more than we often realise. Many of the conditions that support wellbeing are directly built into the RISE experience. There is music. There is movement. There is a sense of shared purpose. There is freedom from phones, chat and constant interruptions. There is no pressure to explain yourself, impress anyone or compete for attention.
When those distractions are removed, people often discover they are able to mindfully settle into the present moment much more easily.
That doesn't mean every session is a profound experience. Sometimes people simply have fun, enjoy moving to good music and leave feeling lighter than when they arrived. That is all valuable too. Wellbeing doesn't have to come from dramatic breakthroughs. Often it comes from small moments of presence, enjoyment and connection that accumulate over time.
For me, that's what makes RISE so interesting. It creates a setting where people can stop managing everything around them for a while and simply experience what it feels like to be fully present.
As RISE continues to grow, I'm increasingly interested in what these experiences can offer in a variety of settings.
The challenges many people face today aren't limited to one area of life. Feelings of stress, disconnection, loneliness and overwhelm can show up at work, at home and within our communities. Creating environments where people can slow down, feel comfortable and reconnect with themselves and others has value in all kinds of ways.
That's one of the reasons I believe RISE has potential far beyond its Folkestone roots. Whether it takes place in a community venue, a workplace, a festival, a wedding or a retreat setting, the underlying principles remain the same. People benefit from spaces that allow them to step away from pressure, reconnect with themselves and experience a genuine sense of belonging.
In many organisations there is growing recognition that wellbeing isn't just about policies or programmes. It's about creating cultures and experiences that help people feel supported, connected and human. The same is true within communities, events and shared spaces. People are increasingly looking for experiences that feel authentic, meaningful and restorative.
RISE won't be the answer for everyone, and it doesn't try to be. What it offers is something simple: an opportunity to pause, move, listen and reconnect.
For me, that's what sits at the heart of RISE.
The music and movement create the opportunity, but the real value lies in helping people feel more connected, more present and more comfortable being themselves whilst with others. In a world that constantly asks us to do more, say more and be more, there is something powerful about creating space to simply be.
That is the wellbeing thinking behind RISE.
