People Dancing qualifications have been designed to evidence the skills and knowledge that participatory artists need when working in community contexts.

If you have been working as a participatory or community arts practitioners for some time you may already have the skills and knowledge you need, but want a qualification to evidence your experience to employers. If this is the case we recommend that you look at the documentation (called the specification) for the qualification(s) you are interested in and see whether or not you think you could meet the learning outcomes set out in the specification.

You may decide that you need to find a course provider to help you on your learning journey. However if you feel confident in your ability to meet the learning outcomes you may wish to purchase access to the assessment directly.

Please contact qualifications@communitydance.org.uk for further information.

In this section:

Our qualifications and fees

Become a candidate and FAQs

Training with People Dancing

Find other course providers

Policies

FAQs

How much does it cost to take a People Dancing qualification?

The price of each qualification can be found here. We do not charge a candidate registration fee.

Are People Dancing qualifications nationally recognised?

Our qualifications have been developed after consultation with employers and artists from across the dance sector. Whilst the qualifications are not currently on the Regulated Qualifications Framework, their content has been devised in consultation with the profession and approved by People Dancing, the professional body for participatory dance artists.

Who marks my assessment?

We have appointed and trained a team of artists with specialist knowledge in specific fields to mark assessment material.

How long do I have to complete my qualification?

Candidates have two years to complete Certificates and one year to complete an Award after the point of registering as a candidate.

How do I become a candidate?

There are a number of ways you can become a People Dancing candidate. Read through the section above about how to become a candidate to find out which option is best for you. You or your course provider will need to purchase access to an assessment to receive a unique candidate number. This number will be needed for all future correspondence in relation to your assessment.

What is a unique candidate number and how do I get one?

Each candidate is allocated a unique candidate number (UCN) once they have paid for an assessment. This is sent out to each candidate via email. The UCN will be required by the candidate when logging on to the People Dancing Professional Qualifications Portal on which the assessment is housed.

How do I pay for my assessment?

Find out more about paying for your assessment here: Our qualifications and fees. Once your payment has been received you will be sent an email confirming receipt of payment. It can take up to 14 days to be issued with your unique candidate number (UCN) so please allow enough time between the point of purchasing and taking the assessment.

How do I take an assessment?

Within 14 days of paying for your assessment you will be sent a unique candidate number (UCN) via email, with additional instructions on how to access the People Dancing Professional Qualification Portal where you will be able to take the assessment. Whilst you will be able to access the Portal on more than one occasion you will only be allowed access to the assessment once so please do not attempt it until you are sure you are ready. The form that the assessment will take is described in your chosen qualification specification and in the qualification guidance.

What should I do if I need to retake the assessment?

If you did not obtain the grade that you wanted to achieve when you first took an assessment you can retake the test. A maximum of three attempts in total can be made within a three-year period. Please visit Our qualifications and fees for further information.