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Leading North West Partnership Launches New Model for Dance Talent Development
12 leading North West venues, promoters and organisations have launched a new model to transform opportunities for dance artists across the region.
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A coalition of 12 leading North West venues, promoters and dance organisations has launched a new collaborative model to transform opportunities for dance artists across the region. Led by Cheshire Dance and authored by Adam Holloway, the partnership has unveiled the Dance North West NOW Action Plan, a shared five-point framework designed to strengthen dance-making, and its support, in the North West by creating new commissioning opportunities, supporting artists' professional development, expanding national touring, and growing audiences and engagement in dance.
Developed in response to the increasing challenges facing freelance artists, particularly those whose voices are under-represented in our society, as well as cultural organisations facing increasing costs, the model demonstrates how collective action can deliver greater impact than organisations working alone. The founding partners are Blackpool Grand, Bluecoat, Cheshire Dance (Chair), Company Chameleon, Contact, Culture Liverpool, Culture Warrington, hÅb, Lancaster Arts, Lowry, Storyhouse and Unity Theatre.
The partnership's immediate focus is on Actions 1 and 2 of the plan, creating bespoke opportunities for North West dance artists to develop ambitious new work and present it to audiences across the UK through collaborative commissioning and touring. The partnership will continue to grow, with Action 4 inviting outstanding dance from across the country to join North West talent in attracting audiences through coordinated touring and place-based audience development campaigns.
The ambition extends beyond performance on stage. Action 5 will expand partnerships into outdoor festivals, rural touring, digital platforms, education and creative health, while Action 3 will provide continuing professional development (CPD) for dance artists to strengthen practice, deepen artistic inquiry, build careers, partnerships and business models and support wellbeing and specialist work in creative health, learning and education.
Likely we’ve all witnessed the eye-watering power of dance to express and communicate ideas, to delight audiences and its ability to transform lives, communities and places. Ultimately this new talent development model for North West Dance will create step change and be available for others to build alongside. Together, these actions aim to create stronger artistic, social and economic outcomes for the region, that will see the North West strengthen England’s and UK’s dance sector but also its touring, creative health and education sectors.
Adam Holloway, Director of Cheshire Dance, said: "We've recognised that by working together we can achieve far more than any organisation can alone. This partnership creates practical opportunities for dance artists across the North West - from making new work and touring nationally and internationally to developing exemplary engagement programmes and sustainable careers. At a time when the dance sector faces significant challenges, collaboration isn't optional, it's essential. We're building on the expertise and commitment that already exists across the region to create stronger conditions for artists, freelancers and companies to thrive."
Eva Martinez, Associate Programmer for Dance at Lowry, said: “Lowry is fully committed to supporting the DNW NOW Action Plan and the collective ambition behind it. By working together across the North West and strengthening the dance infrastructure across the region, we can create stronger opportunities for artists, develop new audiences for dance and build a more connected, collaborative and sustainable future for the sector.”
The publication of the Dance North West NOW Action Plan coincides with the release of the independent Dance Plan consultation, led by consultants Helen Palmer and Ian Tabbron. Together, these resources provide new evidence to support business cases for investment, for advocacy and collaboration across the dance sector.
Cheshire Dance is inviting artists, organisations, funders and partners to use the Action Plan as a framework for collaboration, and to help shape the next phase of dance development in the North West.
Those wishing to follow the initiative can sign up to the Dance in the North West – by 'Dance in the North by Cheshire Dance' mailing list for future updates: http://eepurl.com/ycicszNXos