People Dancing

Lauren Scholey tells us about Arts Council England's research project into dance and social exclusion

Dance Included is a two-year action research project, designed to explore models of good practice in the area of dance and social exclusion. Six dance projects have been supported to participate in a research and evaluation programme coordinated by Arts Council England, the results of which will be used to inform our policy around future funding for this area of work.

The root of the idea for Dance Included began in 2000. Social exclusion had been a key priority for the government for several years, and the Arts Council had commissioned an initial piece of research into the area of the arts and social exclusion. In the Dance Department we were also growing increasingly aware of the confusion that existed in the dance sector about the term social exclusion. Projects that had previously been termed 'access' or 'outreach' were now called 'social exclusion', and we were interested to test what was really meant by this term.

Social exclusion, according to the government, 'is a shorthand term for what can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime environments, bad health and family breakdown.' (Cabinet Office, 2000).

Although dance artists and companies have been working with disadvantaged and isolated communities and individuals for over 20 years, the focus of the majority of this work has been to reach people who have traditionally not had access to dance activity and provide a high quality arts experience. At times, this may have included communities or individuals that could be deemed to be 'socially excluded' under this new definition, and in many cases this work has had a dramatic effect on the people involved. The transformational power of the arts and dance is widely acknowledged.

However, the focus of work that aims to combat the effects of social exclusion is one that requires the arts to have a positive impact on the problems associated with social exclusion - poor health, unemployment, poor skills, crime and so on. This requires a different approach, and specifically needs hard evidence that can measure the impact that a project has had on these areas. For example, a project that sets out to reduce levels of crime amongst young people must be able to measure subsequent rates of offending, and provide both quantitative and qualitative evidence with regard to those findings.

It is important to note here that the Arts Council still values the huge amount of outreach and access work that is taking place. The common misconception is that the desire for 'social exclusion' has replaced the desire for 'access' but this is not the case. Social exclusion projects are an extension of some of the principles behind access projects but begin and develop from a different premise. Some artists and companies may choose to develop expertise in this area, but it is not for everyone, and neither do we expect that everyone should do so. The key to this is to be clear which area you are working in. As the Arts Council has got clearer about its own understanding of what social exclusion means in relation to the arts, we hope that artists will also be able decide whether or not it is for them.

The guiding principles behind Dance Included built on the initial research project undertaken by the Arts Council, working with the research team involved in that project, Helen Jermyn and Gerri Moriarty. There were no dance projects involved in this piece of research, and we were keen to test the field and advertise the programme as widely as possible. We received 45 applications to the programme in total, all of a very high standard. The application process was a really useful indication of who was working in this field.

All six organisations that have been funded have been working in this area for a number of years. They also all have a commitment to measuring the impact of their work against the factors that cause social exclusion, and are prepared to test the 'myth' that dance really can change people's lives!

Research and evaluation of the projects is key and we are approaching this in two ways.

Helen Jermyn has been commissioned to develop the research framework for the whole programme and is concentrating on an exploration of both practice and outcomes. The objectives of the research are:

• to explore the impact of each of the six dance projects
• to document the range of different approaches and explore what approaches are effective and not so effective
• to develop an overarching evaluation that can be used across the six projects.

Working closely with each organisation, Helen has devised a detailed breakdown of data collection that is required of each project, and a strict reporting system to ensure that each organisation regularly collects the necessary data over the two years.

Alongside Helen, Gerri Moriarty has been working with each organisation to support the development of their own self-evaluation plans that are suited to each organisation and the priorities and processes they built into their proposals.

By supporting six different organisations we were keen to gather evidence and knowledge particular to the impact that dance can have in combating the effects of social exclusion. As the project continues, networking and discussion opportunities are built into the project so that the artists involved in the project can learn from each other.

Dance Included will enable the Arts Council to look closely and systematically at the conditions that affect and transform the lives of socially excluded people, with specific reference to dance. The initiative is still in its early days so hard and tangible results are not yet available - hopefully they will give us evidence that will strengthen the place of dance within the life options available to all.

Lauren Scholey is assistant officer, Dance at Arts Council London. Contact Lauren.Scholey@artscouncil.org.uk or Telephone 020 7608 6149

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