Priorities for dance
The Scottish Arts Council Business Plan identifies priorities for 2009/10 and we will work within these priorities to achieve vibrant and sustainable dance provision in Scotland.
In 2009/10 we will prioritise investment in artists for the development of choreographic practice through:
- funding for choreographic research and professional development
- partnerships with the dance centres and their support for choreographers
- support in developing international working.
Our investment in the creative process will lead to opportunities for choreographers, collaborators and dancers. Our hope is that through this focus on choreographic practice we will support a pathway through the profession, creating the environment where choreographers are able to sustain careers. We wish to enable distinctive, original choreographic practice to flourish in Scotland and a rich diversity of new work to be created, performed and ultimately enjoyed by audiences. As part of this, we will continue to develop our approach to supporting dance and disability.
We have agreed funding for four dance Foundation Organisations, whose reach and role have a national and international impact. They are organisations with bold artistic visions and a commitment to engaging people in the arts. We will use our Quality Framework to help them to develop best practice in all areas.
The organisations are:
The Dance Department also leads on three cross-artform organisations which have foundation status:
We wish to create an environment where the new and the innovative can flourish, and have set up a pool of project and programme funding, which enables flexible investment. From April 2009, we will support an increased number of choreographer-led dance companies through Flexible Funding to realise ambitious artistic programmes of work over two years. These are:
We will also support through Flexible Funding:
In 2009/10, we will maintain our commitment supporting new choreography and the touring of work through our Dance Projects fund.
We hope to strengthen the partnerships between venues and dance companies to ensure that audiences can experience a range of high quality dance performance. The Performing Arts Promoters Fund continues to be important in achieving this.
The dance department leads on two funds which increase opportunities for audiences across the performing arts. Stage 1 funds large-scale venues to programme an ambitious range of high quality performances and the Cross Border Touring fund, run in conjunction with the other UK arts councils, enabling large dance, theatre and opera companies to tour more widely.
Many people in Scotland dance, whether in dance classes or in social contexts such as ceilidhs. Our Foundation Organisations, the dance centres and the network of dance artists in residence play a key role in creating opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to take part in dance.
The physical nature of dance, which cuts across government agendas such as health and wellbeing, presents great potential to develop further opportunities in dance. However, until dance is taught in all schools throughout Scotland, opportunities for young people to access and progress in dance will continue to be restricted. We will continue to work with the Scottish Arts Council Education Department and the wider dance sector to promote the importance of dance in education. The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games provide an unparalleled opportunity to raise the profile and support for dance as a creative, participative and physical artform.
Recognising the diversity of dance includes the indigenous dance traditions of Scotland, and in 2009 we will be introducing a Traditional Dance project fund to support the development of new projects which foster traditional dance and encourage participation.
We will continue to collaborate with a range of partners in the delivery of our aspirations for dance. We facilitate the dance artists in residence network and regularly bring together the dance centres in Scotland to encourage their closer working. In 2009/10 we will endeavour to work with the widest dance community to investigate long-term approaches to strengthen dance in Scotland.
The formal process of merging our roles and responsibilities with those of Scottish Screen began in January 2007, with the formation of a new board, whose members were drawn from the two existing bodies. In January 2009, a new company, Creative Scotland 2009 Ltd, was established and, subject to legislation in 2009 (the Public Service Reform Bill), Creative Scotland will become the new lead body for arts and screen industries in Scotland in 2010, replacing the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen. |