National Inclusive Dance Network / Alliance
Full Network Meeting
Friday 6 November 2015
Coventry University
Present (at main meeting 1.30-3.30pm): Nicola Miles Wildin (facilitator), Abigail Reeve
(ACE), Avril Hitman (Magpie), Charlotte Newman (GDance), Chris Stenton (People
Dancing), Claire Summers (Plymouth Dance / Exim), Helen Crocker (GDance), Karen
Anderson (Independ-dance), Linda Jasper (YDE), Louise Katerega (Foot in Hand), Louise
Wildish (People Dancing), Polly Risbridger (East London Dance), Vanessa Oxspring (People
Dancing), Margaret Eccles (Independent), Paula Hocking (WheelFever), Isabel Jones
(Salamanda Tandem)
Apologies: Andi Higginson, Anusha Subranamyam, Fiona Slater, Imogen Aujla, Jo Verrent,
Louise Rogers, Luke Pell, Marc Brew, Michaela Butter, Patrick McGeough, Paul Russ, Liz
Forte, Jill Grote, Tom Clark, Kate Marsh, Karen Wood, Caroline Bowditch, Luke Pell
At Welcome Event:
The new name for the merged National Inclusive Dance Network and National Alliance was
announced as: Dance for Change.
At Dance for Change Meeting:
1. Review of maps
Attendees reviewed maps which had been added to by conference delegates during
morning registration (see Appendix I). Information had been added under the strand
headings of the Tipping Point national strategy (as developed in 2014):
-
Finding and growing next generation talent
Strengthening the Grassroutes
Raising the bar: embedding opportunities sector wide
Voicing the case for change
2. Update on current activity
Cath Wilkins (CW) and Louise Wildish (LW) reported on progress against the current
Tipping Point ‘work package’:
-
Work had begun on strengthening the infrastructure, including merging the
National Inclusive Dance Network and People Dancing-led National Alliance
-
The working party were in the process of refining the model for a Dance Agent for
Change project, which we aim to roll out in 2016
-
Work had begun with Shape Arts to develop a quality standard tool for improving
inclusion of disabled participants, artists and audiences (which would be tested by
project partners The Garage in Norwich and DanceXchange in Birmingham)
3. National quality framework
Network members suggested potential quality indicators under headings (quality
‘areas’) which had been pre-agreed by the Dance for Change working party:

Quality Area 1 – Organisational culture, inc. learning & development:
-
-
Deaf & disability awareness training
Helpful / informed use of terminology, formats, channels & methods of
promotion when recruiting / advertising positions
Understanding / awareness of Access to Work, benefits, government policy and
funding
A dedicated person within the organisation – being in the know, advocate,
training, support
Adequate induction and preparation. This and training should be on going for
the whole organisation, not just access department / person
Handbook – simplified version of policies
A live document owned by all organisations
Active engagement
Access budget line in organisations’ financial projections / project budgets
Apt knowledge, eg. time, transport, geography of buildings in town
Sharing training / learning opportunities with other arts organisations – share
the cost, increase the impact
Sessions given in kind
Standard procedure to do creative ‘recce’ of venues

Quality Area 2 – Making your venue / event accessible:
-
Raise minimum requirements; bring up to date
When refurbed, consult the right people before and as you do it
Invite groups for an access ‘recce’ in advance
Consultation / steering group
Not to forget deaf artists – signing and signage
Physical: ramps etc
Staff training – Box office, Front of House, Technicians, Marketing
Relaxed performances (earlier performance time?)
Companion to include shared travel expenses.
Changing rooms on same level as the stage
Quiet stage – behind stage and front of house

Quality area 3 – Promotion & communications:
-
Training of promotional team – disability awareness training as standard
Clarity regarding what is / is not in place
Easy read version of all information – use of symbols / images
Images in marketing materials showing a range of disabilities
Screen read
Sending a synopsis of the performance before the show
Films – subtitles or signers
-
-
Quality assurance access mark

Quality area 4 – Dance courses / workshops:
-
Ratio of participants to support workers
Inclusive language / images in publicity; e.g. pictures, easy read
Inclusion training (of gate keepers, not just dance leaders; reception, staff)
Make clear in information / promotional material content of what’s going to be
in workshop and what support is available
Being flexible – to be able to accommodate different pace of participation /
learning
Being responsive to different learning population
Consistent delivery needed (longer term engagement)
Pastoral care of special importance for disabled students

Quality area 5 – Artist / company programming and support /
development:
-
Programming of inclusive companies central to programme
Use of sharing platforms
Under area 5, it was also noted it’s more cost effective to have a company up
skill the organisation than lots of companies come in & struggle
In discussion the following suggestion also arose:
-
(Dance for Change?) Identifying a national advocate to take on changes to
government policies and influence decisions (SHAPE, ACE, National Mencap,
Equity?)
4. Discussion of strategic priorities
Groups identified the following opportunities and threats under each strand in the
Tipping Point strategy:
MAP 1 – Finding and growing next generation talent / leaders
Opportunities:
-
Visibility on high profile programmes, eg. BBC Young Dancer
Better interconnecting with existing networks, eg. NDN
Knowledge filtering
Opportunity to buddy inclusion specialist organisations / individuals with
organisations not focused on inclusion of disabled artists/participants
Getting work into festivals and the outdoor arts sector
Threats:
-
Without investment in grass roots there aren’t enough artists coming through
Not a wide enough talent pool currently as not enough disabled young people
have access to dance
-
-
Access to sharing work (levelling things out, making it non-threatening) –
putting artists on wrong platforms / wrong timing in their development can be
very damaging to them / sector
How are we going to share our values / quality of work?
Funding imperative for new & discontinuation of the past – project funding so
often lack of sustained investment in work
MAP 2A – Strengthening the grassroots (inclusion specialist organisations,
individual practitioners & groups providing grassroots access to dance)
Opportunities
-
Other sources of funding, e.g. cultural commissioning (by health authorities)
Embed inclusivity in the whole creative process
Inclusivity being seen as core to programme and business of organisations
Dissemination of information that affects inclusive practice
Threats
-
Lack of resources – human and financial
Local authority & arts funding cuts
Changes in social care funding
MAP 2B – Strengthening the grassroots (training the teachers / community
dance practitioners)
Opportunities
-
Private dance sector becoming more involved in championing inclusivity –
major provider of dance classes
Threats
-
Assessment – for exams in dance (eg. BTEC) changing to more ‘rigorous’
criteria
MAP 3 – Raising the bar (embedding inclusive practice more widely)
Opportunities
-
Grassroots engaging with national bodies such as NDTA
Broadening inclusive community work; using Agents for Change
Threats
-
Location (especially rural): Geographic gaps and closing them!
Neglecting grassroots otherwise there will be no map 1 or 3
Asked to identify the priority areas Dance for Change should focus on following
work on the Dance Agent for Change and National Quality Framework projects,
attendees agreed on the following:
(Colour code: yellow = selected by most people when given a ‘top 4 priorities’;
grey = received more than 1 vote)
MAP THREATS
OPPORTUNITIES
1
Work not being taken seriously / not
sharing the same values
Work being shown within the wrong
context
Unavailable platforms to support
artists at the right point
Not casting the net wide enough
Using the same organisations and
artists repeatedly (as so few)
BBC Young Dancer and engaging with
high profile platforms
Interface with national bodies (eg. NDN)
Joined partnerships and hubs
Grassroots!
Using the same organisations and artists
in strategic way (to bring through
others)
Funding infrastructure – unstable
Seen as ‘additional’ part of
organisations
2A
Local authority cut-backs
Cultural commissioning / arts & health
well-being – needing to hit targets
Finding new sources of investment
2B
Assessment and training opportunities
(BTECs) becoming more rigorous
Private dance sector & exam boards –
teachers having to do CPD, therefore
there’s pressure on examining bodies
Support systems
Schools and private dance not
accepting disabled dancers into
classes
RAD
3
Geographic location – no opps /
infrastructure in certain rural places
Organisations folding and losing
support and expertise
Interconnect practitioners with each
other in areas where little support
Buddying
In summary, Dance for Change needs to focus on:
-
-
-
Creating greater access to dance at the grassroots, largely through working
with examining bodies / existing private dance school infrastructure as well as
embedding inclusive practice at the core of larger, better resourced dance
organisations working in localities
Better interconnecting practitioners and identifying clear roles for existing,
inspiring disabled artists so they can help nurture others and impact on a broad
range of dance organisations / venues
Finding means of safeguarding the infrastructure/ expertise that exists across
the UK
Tapping into new sources of finance &/or existing resource
5. Next steps
CW thanked attendees and explained that the findings of the meeting and
identified priorities would be shaped by the working party into a 2nd ‘work
package’ through which to deliver Tipping Point strategic objectives.
6. AOB
Linda Jasper brought attention to the evaluation of inclusion and access of U.Dance
2015 carried out by GDance. It was noted that the resulting report and guidelines
could also help inform and shape elements of the Tipping Point strategy.
Charlotte Newman, 30 Nov 15