All Dance was originally part of the Cultural Olympiad celebrations in Derbyshire in 2012, inviting disabled people to learn to dance, and it was launched to coincide with the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games in London. Sixteen dance artistsworked with disabled people from groups across Derbyshire creating dance pieces in just eight weeks. These dances were performed at Derbyshire’s first county-wide disability dance platform, a Day of Dance on November 2012 at the Donut Creative Arts Studios (DCAS) in Chesterfield.
Derbyshire County Council continued this work as part of the Made in Derbyshire 2015 programme, which celebrated the people, places and products of Derbyshire. Eight different groups performed at two celebration performance events, one in the north of the county at Cliff College, Calver and one in the south at Friesland School, Sandiacre. Over 100 people participated, 87 with a disability, ranging from learning disabilities to Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities. The Council used this as a pilot project, providing evidence that helped secure funding from Arts Council England for the current two year dance project.
We are seeking eight Lead Dance Artists who will each be partnered with one of the eight Derbyshire Boroughs or Districts. Each Lead Dance Artist will work with one community group on a dance piece uniquely created by each group and their Lead Dance Artist.
Over ten weeks the Lead Dance Artists will work with their groups to create a piece which will be performed at one of the two All Dance events, in the north or the south of the county in late November/December. Following this the Lead Dance Artist will continue to work with their group for a further five sessions over the following two/three months.
The All Dance project aims to:
- improve the artistic development and creative ability of disabled people
- encourage more dance provision throughout the county for people with disabilities
- raise the profile and expectations of people with disabilities and audience members, changing people's perceptions of what is possible
- increase the skills and opportunities for artists working or living in Derbyshire
- improve the physical health and wellbeing of participants, by providing dance activities, workshops and performances
- enable people with disabilities to feel more in control of their own lives,through taking part in the choreography of their own dances.
Key skills/knowledge
The Lead Dance Artists will need to demonstrate:
- A good understanding of dance work with disabled people
- Proven experience as a community dance artist
- Proven ability to evaluate community arts projects
- Excellent ability to communicate with participants, support staff, venue managers and dance artists
- Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, reliability and capacity to meet deadlines
- Access to own transport for travel throughout Derbyshire.
Some of the Lead Dance Artists will have the opportunity to work with Support Dance Artists.
Lead Dance Artists must ensure their availability for one half day a week for ten weeks, commencing 4th September 2017 and up until the performances in late November/early December. Following that there will be a further five sessions with the same group, to be arranged with the group directly e.g. fortnightly, between January and March 2018.