Improved provision for dance performance, better training for professional dancers and a stronger place for dance in schools are the hoped-for outcomes of Arts Council Northern Ireland’s (ACNI) Dance Strategy, which has just been made available for consultation. ACNI commissioned Scottish Cultural Enterprise Ltd to research and create the new strategy. At 18p per head, NI’s dance spend is the lowest in the UK, and participation levels are only 2% of the population compared with 5% in Wales and 10% in England. Recommendations in the report include an increase in project funding for professional companies, and the introduction of multi-year funding. A dance programming scheme would be introduced, and a network of dance spaces is proposed, encompassing both existing and new venues, and including a possible dance centre in Derry. Dance education could be boosted by placing dance within the core curriculum, increasing visits to schools by professional companies and increasing the number and range of youth dance activities. An increase in support for community dance is also suggested. Training, both vocational and managerial, should enable better quality dance and improved work in the community, while more opportunities to train to teach dance have also been called for. The consultation runs until 13 November.
w: http://www.artscouncil-ni.org
Published: 08-09-2008