24 November 2023
One key aim of our network is to build stronger relationships between HE and the arts sector both through discussions between the members and by reaching out to include those who also have a place in the producing dance ecosystem. This approach also allows us to use a relationship-building strategy which suits our focus on practice – we create a network built on strong relationships by working together, and by reaching beyond the network members to take the ‘temperature’ of the wider dance sector.
We started this process by working with Yorkshire Dance on a day divided into two sessions, the first with Network Members, followed by a gathering of artists from across the region and joined by those online.
The work at this point takes the form of a scoping exercise – one which begins with almost no literature and little in the way of publicly available records that might offer insights into the current state of the art. But even at this initial stage we hope to make a meaningful contribution by making more visible the work of our arts partners, hearing the voices of the sector and gathering evidence of the trends that are emerging.
The day at Yorkshire Dance was lively, as the documentation which follows reveals – and the focus on the voices of the artists provided an important perspective for our work. Thank you to everyone at Yorkshire Dance and to Rachel Krische from Leeds-Beckett University who worked to make it happen.
Please follow our investigation over the months ahead and please also add your perspective, thoughts and comments.
Professor Christopher Bannerman
