Ongoing changes to official guidance
Official guidance for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is rapidly changing. We will publish updates and clarifications on this page as soon as we receive them.
Further changes for England from 2 December 2020:
From midnight on Wednesday 2 December 2020 the current national lockdown in England will end and an updated 3-Tier system will begin. The current national restrictions remain in place until then (see 5 November update below).
A review of which areas are within each Tier will happen every 14 days. We believe the new rules mean the following for Dance:
- Higher, Further and Vocational dance training can continue across all three tiers
- Dance activity/provision for under-18’s is allowed across all three tiers
- In Tier 3 adult dance activity/provision is not allowed and should cease; performing arts venues will close
- In Tier 2 adult dance activity/provision is allowed within households or support bubbles; venues can open with restrictions
- In Tier 1 adult dance activity/provision is allowed for groups of up to six people can continue (following the Rule of Six); venues can open with restrictions.
Find out what Tier you are in at:
www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions
Full list of Tiers by area is available at:
www.gov.uk/guidance/full-list-of-local-restriction-tiers-by-area
New national lockdown for England from 5 November 2020
The new rules, which will run until at least 2 Dec, include:
* Requiring people to stay at home, except for specific purposes, and to work from home if they can
* Preventing people from gathering with others outside of their household or bubble, except for specific purposes
* Closure of certain businesses and venues – including leisure facilities and dance studios.
The official guidance can be found here: www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november
What this means for Dance?
The following is an edited version information received from colleagues at One Dance UK on Friday 6 November, to whom we are grateful for helping us all to navigate this changing situation.
Participatory dance work
In England, the guidance states that dance activity with ‘non-professionals’ – we take this to include work led by professional dance artists, practitioners and teaching artists that involves participation by the general public - cannot take place.
Rehearsal and training
Stages 1 & 2 of the ‘Performing Arts Roadmap for England’ remain in place, which means that professional dancers and choreographers can rehearse and train in studios and behind closed doors in other venues for broadcast or recording purposes. This is because it is work that cannot be undertaken at home. Where it is possible for the staff of organisations to work from home they should do so. A COVID-19 Risk Assessment should be undertaken and guidance on social distancing and cleaning followed.
Other than for this, theatres and entertainment venues – in including dance studios – must remain closed to the general public.
In educational setting
Schools have the flexibility to decide how physical education, sport and physical activity will be provided whilst following the measures in their system of controls. This means that dance can be undertaken in school (also music and drama) so long as safety precautions are undertaken. Advice is provided in the full opening guidance for schools. Providing that precautions are undertaken, schools can work with
external coaches, freelancers and organisations where they are satisfied
it is safe to do so. Full advice is provided in the full opening guidance for schools.
Information on Further Education (FE) settings can be found here.
Information on Higher Education (HE) settings can be found here.
Private dance school classes for children and other out-of-school dance activities
Where provision is taking place outside of school, this provision should only operate where the primary purpose is to provide registered childcare or the provision is reasonably necessary to enable parents to work, search for work, or attend education or training, or where it is used for the purposes of respite care, including for vulnerable children.
Out-of-school activities that are primarily used by home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a suitable full-time education (which could include, for example, tuition centres, supplementary schools, or private tutors) may also continue to operate.
All other out-of-school activity, including school-based extra-curricular activity, which is not being primarily used by parents for these purposes, should close for face to face provision but can offer remote education, for the duration of the national restrictions.
Guidance for Northern Ireland is available here:
www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/coronavirus-covid-19-regulations-guidance-what-restrictions-mean-you
Guidance for Wales is available here:
www.gov.wales/protect-yourself-others-coronavirus
Guidance for Scotland is available here:
www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-protection-levels/