Dance Mapping - Arts Council England

To produce the Dance Manifesto, the National Campaign for the Arts (NCA) and Dance UK
undertook a six-month countrywide consultation process, talking to an extensive cross-
section of individuals and dance organisations. The four key ambitions as published in the
Dance Manifesto are:
• dance to be supported and developed as an artform
• dance to be an integral part of every young person’s education
• dance to be available and affordable for everyone to watch and participate in
• dance to be a sustainable career with world class training
An All-Party Parliamentary Dance Group held its inaugural meeting on 18 th July 2006
signalling a cross-parliamentary interest in dance. This was the first time that dance has had
a dedicated special interest group in parliament. Dance UK stated: ‘30 MPs and Peers
signed-up to the All Party Parliamentary Dance Group pledging their interest in, and support
for dance. The group will be chaired by Sir Gerald Kaufman MP, with Frank Doran MP acting
as secretary. Dance UK will administrate a programme of events for the group highlighting
the excellent and diverse range of dance activity in Britain today.’ 17
In turn, these developments led to the commissioning of the review by Tony Hall in 2006. The
review sought to identify access and provision to dance both within and beyond the
curriculum. Jointly commissioned by the DCSF and DCMS, the Tony Hall Dance Review
highlighted the ways the two departments could work with each other and external
stakeholders to raise the profile of dance both in and out of schools.
In launching the report in 2008, government stated:
‘Dance is unique. The most physical of art forms, it offers children and young people
not only a creative and artistic experience but an opportunity to express themselves
using their body as the medium. Pretty well every young person will have danced at
some point. Maybe at a school performance, at their school disco, or at a club, or
nothing more formal than dancing in front of the mirror in the privacy of their own
room. So dance touches everyone.
‘We both recognise the benefits and joys that dance provides. We both recognise the
significance of youth dance in developing excellence in dance at a professional level.
And we both want to help find ways to increase dance opportunities for young people
within schools and in the wider world.’
The narrative is clear with government policy recognising both the intrinsic and extrinsic
importance of dance as a unique artform.
17 http://www.danceuk.org/metadot/index.pl?dbview_id=22589&id=22778&isa=DBRow&op=show
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