Memorandum submitted by Foundation for Community Dance

 

1. ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR COMMUNITY DANCE

 

The Foundation for Community Dance is the national development agency for community and participatory dance. We work across the UK and internationally to support increased access to and participation in dance. Established in 1986, the Foundation is a membership organisation with 1,336 individual members, and 347 corporate members - representing in excess of 4,500 professional dance artists, teachers, organisations, companies and managers working in the field.

 

Our central premise, and that of our members, is that every body can and does dance - and through the act of dancing, creating dances, performing dances and developing a critical stance In relation to those dances a number of essential human benefits follow: creativity and focussed expression, self worth and personal development, social skills and responsibilities, improved health and well being and cultural and community identities.

 

2. OUR MEMBERS WORKING IN CREATIVE PARTNERSHIP

 

A large proportion of our members work across the education sector in formal curriculum settings and in out of school activities and many of them have contributed to the Creative Partnerships initiative. In the Winter 2007 edition of our quarterly magazine Animated we reported on four of these initiatives, in East Lancashire, Coventry, Kent and Cornwall. I have attached copies of these articles from the 'coal face' as evidence for the Inquiry as they offer answers to many of the questions you have raised.

 

Jude Bird, working in East Lancashire describes Creative Partnerships

 

"It is not an arts education programme, it seeks to redefine the way creativity can be placed at the heart of learning and find ways that teachers pupils and creative practitioners can forge partnerships to allow this to happen"

 

Vice Principal of Brockhill Park Performing Arts College, Jackie Mortimer describes the impact

 

"The project although over, continues in the lives of these young people. Through easy and difficult times they seem able to cope. It is as they have returned as young adults. When you have and of these young students in the room with you it's Iike having another adult in the room. They are interested energized and joyful. They talk about how they feel and of their aspiration. Back in school they bring this sense of pride and hard work to their every day lives and into their classrooms. This will be the long-term legacy"

 

In Cornwall, Laura Martin also talks about the legacy

 

"The work's success is thanks in no small part to the work of many individuals -teachers, dance practitioners and others - working round restrictions in an inventive manner. We hope we've left a legacy of confidence in creativity and skills, inspiring teachers to be braver and to take more risks after they have seen how simple ideas can be so effective in practice."

 

The attached articles describe past partnership initiatives and demonstrate some of the impacts made when creative artists enter into partnerships with schools.

 

July 2007