Memorandum submitted by Sadler's Wells
EXPANDING AUDIENCES
Since the opening of the new Sadler's Wells
in 1998 we have seen the expansion of dance audiences at the theatre,
with a 30% increase since 2000. This has been achieved with a
programme that is principally based on contemporary dance forms—generally
acknowledged as higher risk than traditional ballet—ranging
from Pina Bausch and Ballet Frankfurt through to Matthew Bourne's
Nutcracker and Carlos Acosta's Tocororo.
The Sadler's Wells experience seems to reflect
a wider increase in audiences for dance in the UK at a time when
audiences for other art forms, including for classical music and
opera, are in decline and mainly attract an older age range.
But this expansion has had little beneficial
impact on many in the profession, particularly dancers whose conditions
of work and rates of pay on average remain well below those for
other performers. This is a situation that needs to be remedied
urgently with more investment if the art form is going to continue
to flourish.
VALUE FOR
MONEY AND
ECONOMIC IMPACT
As a subsidised art form, dance is extremely
good value for money. For the £1.5 million that ACE currently
invests annually in Sadler's Wells there is a return of £12.5
million, 70% of which comes from ticket sales.
Sadler's Wells also produces direct benefits
within our local environment, with at least three restaurants
and two public bars largely reliant on the healthy audiences at
the theatre. We also work with schools, disabled groups and the
over-60s to enrich our community through dance.
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE
AND TOURING
As dance does not, as a rule, rely on language
it is one of the most transportable art forms. Opportunities for
cultural exchange are furthered by the trend for small contemporary
dance companies to work with minimal stage sets, making the costs
of touring increasingly affordable.
70% of the companies presented at Sadler's Wells
are international. In the last year we have engaged with dance
companies from the following countries: China, Poland, Russia,
Cuba, Argentina, the USA, France, Belgium, Germany. But much of
this exchange is one way at present because of the disparity in
funding for dance, particularly in relation to our European neighbours.
There is a perception from many of my European colleagues that
while we, and the European dance companies we present, benefit
from their country's investment when companies travel here, those
benefits are not reciprocated in terms of UK touring.
The funds available for the touring of international
dance within the UK are also minimal and do not reflect the appetite
we believe exists in venues and audiences around the country.
DIVERSITY
The possibility of appealing to diverse audiences
within the UK through dance are also enormous—witness the
current UK tour of Dance Theatre of Harlem, which is achieving
average audience figures of 81% of capacity.
There are very strong audiences in the UK for
a large number of dance forms representing many different cultures.
There are also opportunities for widening social inclusion by
embracing popular youth culture, such as Hip Hop, within the programmes
of established dance venues like Sadler's Wells.
PARTICIPATION
Although dance is clearly a form that can be
enjoyed as a participant as well as a viewer, it is important
not to confuse the two activities—the majority of our audiences
wouldn't dream of taking a flamenco class but can still equally
enjoy the visceral nature of performance by artists such as the
flamenco dancer Farraquito on our main stage. The emotional and
spiritual benefits of being in an audience should not be forgotten.
This distinction should also be remembered in the educative process—young
people also need encouragement to be audience members of the future!
May 2004
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