Dance Mapping - Arts Council England

2. A diverse workforce
Dance in England has developed within an evolving cultural history, which is characterised by
diversity and multiculturalism. From this multicultural richness dance as a form is represented
by a massive range of different genres from English Folk dance, to classical South Asian
Dance, flamenco, hip hop and urban styles through to belly dancing, Latin dance and dance
styles from the African Diaspora. In addition, we are seeing new aesthetics emerging from
disabled dancers and makers, whose work is challenging perceptions of dance.
Arts Council England has been working in partnership to diversify programming, staffing,
audiences, communications and engagement in the arts sector as well as supporting and
fostering talent from priority groups. A wide range of diversity-related initiatives have and are
taking place, including Arts Council England initiatives Turning Point (the review of visual arts
strategy), decibel, Inspire, the GAIN project (to diversify boards), and the Cultural Leadership
Programme, which includes the Powerbrokers initiative that supports emerging and
established leaders in the cultural and creative sector. Arts and cultural organisations have
also been supported through the Respond programme in developing their own race and
cultural diversity action plans. This broad thrust is also reflected at regional level in the
development of cultural diversity plans and initiatives.
This has taken place within a context of a massive shift in demographic. A recent report by
the Change Institute for Arts Council England, Where to Next?,( 2007) draws attention to the
following shifts.
• The UK is continuing to experience historically high levels of migration with a net
increase of 189,000 last year, with 574,000 immigrants arriving and 385,000
emigrants in 2006.
• The profile of the UK domestic population is also changing. A Cabinet Office report in
2001 mapped out the impacts of generational change in Black and minority ethnic
communities and the role in the labour force that painted the picture of an aging
demographic profile of ethnic minority groups increasingly driving the working age
population of the UK.
• The context for female participation in the labour force has also changed. Office for
National Statistics figures show that there are now 30.7 million women (51.0 per cent)
compared with 29.5 million men (49 per cent).
• There are 6.9 million disabled people of working age in Britain, one fifth of the total
working age population. Fifty one per cent (3.5 million) are men and 48 per cent (3.3
million) are women. There has been a gradual increase in the size of the working age
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