At this meeting of the network we began to share and discuss the experiences of producing dance and how they have, or might in future, intersect with HE. Anecdotally there is copious evidence of such links but they tend to be personal-professional and ‘below the radar’ of dance as an academic discipline; so one key aim of the FE:PDN project is to extend the range of dance in HE so that it encompasses the people, processes and products of producing. As we prepared the AHRC application that is supporting the network, the literature review revealed just how bare the cupboard is in relation to research related to dance and producing – we hope to begin to address that gap in our work.
Another related aim is to develop a better understanding of the dance ecosystem, how it functions and its current state in these unstable and challenging times. Both aims informed this day as we begin to gather the views and reflections of a group of leaders of dance organisations spread geographically but with UK and international networks. Steffi Sachsenmaier led the session and captured some of the discussion using online padlets.
