Published: 1st Feb 2025
Life can sometimes be challenging where you face unexpected obstacles and hardships. Would it be true to say that categorically, men are expected to be strong, and stay quiet about their feelings?
Well, Southampton dance theatre ZoieLogic is challenging the notion that men just need to man up, get on with it and cover how they’re feeling. Perhaps this is still due to the gender stereotypes around men and the pressure to be a certain way.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, studies have shown that only 36% of NHS referrals to talking therapies are for men indicating that they’re less likely to access psychological therapies than women.
However, as exercise and mindfulness are helpful methods which can reduce stress, movement-based interventions such as dancing have been found to help treat anxiety and depression.
ZoieLogic wants to link dance and male mental health so that the two can work together hand in hand and become a positive movement that makes a big change – to raise awareness and rid the stigma around male mental health.
The dance theatre’s initiative is hoping to gather over 800 men in the city of Southampton for spring 2026. The goal? For them to dance in solidarity with the Big Movement and get the word out about male mental health.
This is where Models Direct stepped in as ZoieLogic wanted male models to come forward to promote the campaign and we had our amazing models do it brilliantly.
Our shortlist didn’t happen because ZoieLogic were looking for the best dancers, rather they wanted diverse males headlining their campaign to reflect that mental health can affect anyone, regardless of ethnicity, culture or background.
We’ve got some amazing behind-the-scenes images and videos to share with you featuring our male talent who were chosen for the campaign: Alex, Lee, Muhammad and Renaldo. Check them out in action here:
Alex is our guy with cerebral palsy in the wheelchair, Lee has a white and red long-sleeved top on, Muhammad has cream jeans on and Renaldo is the tall black guy in grey.
To top it off, we’ve got a bundle of awesome feedback to share with you straight from our dancers with the moves! Here goes:
Ola (NYZK-7384) expressed:
“It was another awesome fun time day from start to finish. Great experience and impactful with all cast and crew members at Big Movement. Thank you to everyone at Model Direct for creating this brilliant opportunity.”
Jahiem (RVMQ-9843) shared with us that it was a,
“Great, friendly and exciting experience for a great cause, was very organised and a good day out.”
Eternal (GDYD-4847) wanted you to know that,
“It was fantastic working with them because I was able to meet other models who work with model directors around my age so I enjoyed the opportunity and experience.”
John (XWXY-6847) explained that it was,
“A wonderful opportunity through Models Direct
Models Direct organised for me to take part in a promotional video for men’s mental health. The event is called ‘The Big Movement’ and is being run by the wonderful team ZoieLogic. I had a great time and met some fantastic people and am hoping to get involved with this excellent cause more in the future.
I am very grateful to Models Direct for making me aware of the Big Movement and for giving me the opportunity to take part in it. Gemma at Models Direct has been very helpful and friendly, and made sure that I had all the information I needed to feel confident on the day.”
Finally, Adithya (TSNY-6363) wanted you to know that,
“Working as a model with Models Direct was an enjoyable experience. The choreographers and leader were incredibly supportive and patient, especially during the learning phases of the dances. They were attentive to our needs, ensuring a comfortable and efficient work environment. The atmosphere was filled with fun and laughter, and I forged meaningful connections with a diverse group of people at the shoot, which added to the overall enjoyment and satisfaction of the experience.”
These are great feedback for not only you to learn about their experience but also our team. It’s important for us to know what went right, and also, in some instances, what went wrong as everything is a learning curve, even for us. It helps us improve our processes and the way we do things as an agency.
You don’t need to be an experienced dancer to be part of something big like ZoieLogic’s project. Just register with us today as a new model or if you want to hire talent, let us know by filling in our talent application.
