From Dance Cultures to Dance Ecology: a Study of Developing Connections Across Dance Organisations in Edinburgh and North West England, 2000 to 2016
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From dance cultures to dance ecology: a study of developing connections across dance organisations in Edinburgh and North West England, 2000 to 2016 Item Type Thesis or dissertation Authors Jamieson, Evelyn Citation Jamieson, E. C. (2016). From dance cultures to dance ecology: a study of developing connections across dance organisations in Edinburgh and North West England, 2000 to 2016 (Doctoral dissertation). University of Chester, United Kingdom. Publisher University of Chester Download date 06/10/2021 00:37:28 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10034/620561 FROM DANCE CULTURES TO DANCE ECOLOGY: A STUDY OF DEVELOPING CONNECTIONS ACROSS DANCE ORGANISATIONS IN EDINBURGH AND NORTH WEST ENGLAND, 2000 TO 2016 Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Chester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Evelyn Carnduff Jamieson 15th December 2016 FROM DANCE CULTURES TO DANCE ECOLOGY: A STUDY OF DEVELOPING CONNECTIONS ACROSS DANCE ORGANISATIONS IN EDINBURGH AND NORTH WEST ENGLAND, 2000 TO 2016 ABSTRACT The first part of this thesis provides an autobiographical reflection and three contextualising histories to illustrate the increasing codification of late twentieth century UK contemporary dance into discrete cultures. These are professional contemporary dance and professional performance, dance participation and communitarian intervention, and dance as subject for study and training. The central section of the thesis examines post-millennial reports and papers by which government, executives and public sector arts organisations in both England and Scotland have sought to construct and steer dance policy toward greater collaborative connections on financial and ideological grounds. This is contrasted with a theoretical consideration of collaboration drawing on a range of academic approaches to consider the realities and ideals of creative and artistic collaboration and organisational collaboration. Finally, the thesis draws together these historical, theoretical and policy driven considerations in a series of six case studies to establish the network of connections. Two professional contemporary artists and companies, two community dance organisations and two education departments (one of each from Edinburgh, Scotland and one of each from the North West of England) are scrutinised to assess the challenges, tensions and opportunities in reconciling policy driven collaboration with artistic integrity. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research has taken place with unwavering support from my family and colleagues. The introductory section of the thesis incidentally references many of the teachers, lecturers, dance artists, students, choreographers and wonderful people who have inspired me and with whom I have worked at various stages along the way – thanks to all of them. I am particularly grateful to: Leah Biddle, Amanda Clarkson, Pamela Day, Morag Deyes, Ruth Dockwray Manny Emslie, Alan Greig, Adam Holloway, Winifred Jamieson, Chris Kidd, Ethelinda Lashley-Johnstone, Jane Loudon, Jane McLean, Wendy Miller, Janey Moran, Jacqueline McCormick, Lisi Perry, Shelley Piasecka, Vicky Rutherford-O’Leary, Sarah Spies, Darren Sproston and Katie Stuart for providing their time to help and/or talk to me about their work. Sincere thanks to my mother without whom I would not be where I am today and to my late father, who like my mother supported everything I did and to my sister, brother and their families. But most of all, special thanks to my daughter, Marissa and my husband Leigh, who have been truly amazing with their continual support throughout this PhD research process. Grateful thanks to my supervisors Professor David Pattie and Professor Peter Harrop. As principal supervisor, Professor Harrop offered inspiring insight, advice and encouragement. Thank you so much Peter. iii CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii CONTENTS iv LIST OF FIGURES vi LIST OF ACRONYMS vii DECLARATION viii INTRODUCTION: CAREER, DANCE CULTURES AND POLICIES 1 CHAPTER ONE: THREE HISTORIES AND THREE CONTEXTS 21 • Professional dance – historical context 21 • Dance in higher education – historical context 42 • Community dance – historical context 59 • Connections and a view towards the 21st dance ecology 75 CHAPTER TWO: REPORTS AND POLICY FOR A NATIONAL DANCE 79 STRATEGY: ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND, CREATIVE SCOTLAND AND PALATINE CHAPTER THREE: THEORISING COLLABORATION 110 CHAPTER FOUR: STRATEGY, COLLABORATION, REALITY – 125 SIX CASE STUDIES • Making work in England and Scotland: Lisi Perry and Alan Greig 125 • Higher education and dance: University of Chester and Edinburgh College 154 • Dancing communities in England and Scotland: Cheshire Dance and 188 Dance Base iv CONCLUSION 231 • Historical strands 231 • Policy, collaboration and contemporary practice 235 • Case study reflection 239 • Final remarks 243 REFERENCES 244 APPENDICES 277 v LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1: A way of viewing the dance world. (Burns, 2007, p. 2) 99 Figure 2: Lighthouse Dance Project class schedule 182-183 Figure 3: Cheshire Dance organisational suggestion A 191 Figure 4: Cheshire Dance organisational suggestion B 192 Figure 5: Dance Base Organogram 214 vi LIST OF ACRONYMS DCMS Department of Culture, Media and Sport DCSF Department of Children, Schools and Families DfE Department for Education HEFCE Higher Education Funding Council for England HEA Higher Education Academy HND Higher National Diploma HNC Higher National Certificate LIPA Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts MDI Merseyside Dance Initiative NRCD National Resource Centre for Dance NSCD Northern School of Contemporary Dance PARIP Practice as Research in Performance QAA Quality Assurance Agency UCAS Universities and Colleges Admission Services vii DECLARATION “The material being presented for examination is my own work and has not been submitted for an award of this or another HEI except in minor particulars which are explicitly noted in the body of this thesis. Where research pertaining to the thesis was undertaken collaboratively, the nature and extent of my individual contribution has been made explicit.” Name: Evelyn C Jamieson Signed: Date: 15th December 2016 viii INTRODUCTION CAREER, DANCE CULTURES AND POLICIES Throughout my career in dance I have crossed between three broad “domains” of professional dance, community dance and higher education, each domain or sector possessing its own parameters, assumptions, discourse and questions. My curriculum vitae, by way of analogy, might be considered a series of passport stamps and visas as the necessity of livelihood and my changing working environments led me to and fro between these three sectors of the dance world, each with its distinctive history, culture and customs. This introduction takes an autobiographical approach in order to specify the ways in which I engaged with this “tristate” or tri-sector world, both accepting and re-affirming its borders as normative and “natural”. This goes some way to provide an auto-ethnographic backdrop to the central question of this thesis regarding to what extent a network of connections between these three “cultures” or sectors of dance actually exists. Furthermore, the thesis explores whether such connections lead to collaborations that may make possible the “dance ecology” of my title. It was only when I had spent some years teaching in higher education, and particularly when I became involved in preparing my contribution to the Palatine/Higher Education Academy Mapping Dance report in 2007, that I seriously began to investigate the connections within and between the three sectors as I wrestled with curriculum design and the interests and career aspirations of my students. It started to become apparent to me that a common factor across all areas in dance (certainly characterising early 21st century UK dance) was the desire on the part of some dancers, choreographers and companies, as well as pressure from external agencies, to establish connections and collaborate - something that is explored later in this thesis in the form of a series of case studies. The Mapping Dance report highlighted connections between higher education institutions, dance agencies and professional dance artists. It also highlighted the need for higher education dance courses (both in the conservatoire and university sectors) to consider preparing dance students for a workplace that spans education, community and professional performance. Contemporary dance lecturers, artists, community practitioners, promoters and arts officers contributed to the report. They offered best-practice examples, which included higher education 1 programmes that enabled professional dance practice in work-based learning contexts, collaborative programmes with community dance organisations, regional dance agencies, professional dance artists and formal education initiatives - a network of connections. There was an emphasis on developing the entrepreneurial graduate who could make contexts for work, be adaptable, be skilled in different dance practices and be career resilient (Burns, 2007, p. 6). At the same time my pre-existing personal dance networks (a deliberate plural arising from the tri-sector world) were experiencing the need for collaborative connections coming from various strategic “forces”. I was a board member of Dance North West during this time, when a national dance agency partnership between Merseyside Dance Initiative, Cheshire Dance, Dance in Greater Manchester and Ludus Dance kept me further informed of the national dance strategy, its impact