Memorandum submitted by Jill Tookey
I have pleasure in responding to your inquiry
into dance.
Young People and Dance: What opportunities and
support currently exist in order to promote the inclusion and
progression of young people in dance?
The National Youth Ballet of Great Britain,
a registered charity founded in 1988, provides a unique opportunity
for talented young dancers to work with top professional choreographers,
composers and designers. The young dancers are involved in the
whole creative process of making a new work—from the conception
of an idea, through the rehearsal stage to the exciting performance
at major theatres throughout the country. NYB's vision is to encourage
and nurture the wealth of dance talent in this country and to
help those with special gifts to take the first step to becoming
a professional dancer and ultimately to bring pleasure to audiences
around the world. NYB Alumni can be seen in all major British
Dance Companies.
What is the role of dance within education at
present? Should this change in the future?
As little as two hours sport, PE, or dance is
currently in schools weekly curriculum. This should certainly
change in the future to ensure the good health of the younger
generation as well as creativity.
The National Youth Ballet's OUTREACH programme
takes dance and simple movement to Primary School Children, successfully
linking their workshops to Key Stages 1 and 2. Our initiative,
which has been in place for the past five years and enhanced the
lives of thousands of young people, has received enthusiastic
and positive feed back from both the children involved, teaching
staff and Head Teachers. Children with disabilities and learning
problems are easily integrated into such workshops.
The National Youth Ballet has recently devised
a new programme, FIT TO DANCE WITH NYB. The programme addresses
the current Obesity in children problem by introducing fun, fitness
and basic movement classes within the community and schools. Our
Company has a National network already in place. NYB would be
able to develop an extensive programme employing qualified teachers,
should major funding become available.
Regarding the Arts Council. We have received
very little support from this body. Way back we had a grant of
£5,000 to support new choreography for a piece. NYB also
won an ABSA award £4,500 way back whereby a first time sponsor's
money was matched by the Arts Council.
Sadly, we are not affluent enough to be able
to employ a sponsorship person and the endless form filling required
to apply through The Arts Council is both time consuming and usually
disappointing. I work with the support of just one voluntary Company
Manager and we are, of course, very busy with the organisation
and creative aspects of the Company.
We were fortunate in achieving three year major
support from HSBC 2000-03 which enabled us to raise our profile
and tour to many different parts of the country Manchester, Snape
Maltings, Suffolk, Swansea and Stoke on Trent as well as the home
counties and London. Sadly banks were then forced to draw their
horns in and the sponsorship and This "Centre Stage"
sponsorship which enbraced four National Youth Companies—The
National Youth Orchestra, The National Youth Theatre, The National
Opera Studio and us ceased.
HSBC did call a meeting with all of us to meet
a lady from The Arts Council Business and The Arts or Arts and
Business where we met with a lady called "Charity" with
a view to discussing a joint application! This came to nothing!
This year we have no public funding at all!
May 2004
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