SUBMISSION BY SCOTTISH ARTS COUNCIL
DANCE IN SCOTLAND
Vision
The Scottish Arts Council wishes to see an environment which supports a wide range of high quality dance activity, with opportunities to create, perform, participate in and enjoy dance. We aim to ensure that everyone in Scotland has reasonable access to these opportunities and that they are encouraged to become involved, whether as participants, performers or audiences.
In pursuing this vision, based on principles of quality, diversity and access, we will seek to encourage collaboration and to work in partnership with other agencies and organisations.
Future Strategy
The Scottish Arts Council is in the process of devising a five-year development plan for its support for dance in Scotland. This is being done through wide consultation with organisations and people involved in dance in Scotland.
The dance sector in Scotland is naturally going through a period of change and growth, which offers many exciting opportunities. Council aims to discuss the way forward for dance at the end of the year. The strategy will take account of the aspirations and plans of all those involved in professional dance in Scotland. It will also seek to ensure increased quality and range of dance performance, improved geographical, physical, social and cultural access for performers, participants and audiences, and greater opportunities for all.
From discussions so far, the aims of the strategy would include:
· Ensuring that audiences throughout Scotland have the opportunity to experience and enjoy dance
· Ensuring that everyone who wants to has the opportunity to learn and participate in dance
· Developing the infrastructure for production and performance
· Encouraging an environment which values and supports professional development
· Supporting the above aims through the development of information services and advocacy Budget
The Scottish Arts Council’s support for dance in 2001-2002 from funds voted by the Scottish Parliament is £3.5m. Dance organisations have also succeeded in securing £10m of National Lottery Funding for a range of projects over the five years since its introduction, including £5.4m to Dance Base and £2.3m to The Space at Dundee College. Full details are attached in Appendix. 1.
Dance across Scotland
Scottish Ballet Scottish Ballet is the largest dance company in Scotland and one of only six large- scale companies in the UK. It is an independent company with its own Board, currently in receipt for 2001-02 of £2.8m of funding from the Scottish Arts Council (78% of the dance budget).
On 15 August Scottish Ballet announced a broad framework for future development which aims to continue its evolution as a modern classical company. Once Scottish Ballet’s consultation on this proposal is complete, it will present a detailed three-year business plan later in the autumn to the Scottish Arts Council. The Council will consider Scottish Ballet’s plans in the context of the development of the Council’s strategy for the future of dance in Scotland, which should be finalised by the end of the year.
Scottish Dance Theatre This contemporary company has a core of eight dancers with a growing reputation for quality work. Based in Dundee, SDT regularly tours throughout Scotland and also to England, with accompanying educational programmes. It received an increase of 23% in revenue funding this year alone, with an extra award of £69,000 to develop dancers’ and choreographers’ skills and a £600,000 lottery grant in July for a new dance studio within Dundee Rep.
X Factor A small-scale dance company, based in Edinburgh, that currently produces one show a year and tours Scotland. The company is developing its education work, particularly with young people.
New Moves International NMI promotes an annual festival of international contemporary dance and performance art in Glasgow.
Dance Base The world-class facilities at Scotland’s first National Centre for Dance, in Edinburgh, provide opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate in dance. In addition to a community programme featuring 75 classes each week, Dance Base also offers space, facilities and support for the professional dance sector. It is a place where work can be developed and presented before being toured nationally. Scottish Youth Dance This is a national development agency which aims to get more young people involved in dance. It is working actively in areas such as health, education and social inclusion.
Venues and Promoters There is a growing network across Scotland of venues presenting dance. At least a dozen are presenting dance on a regular basis with a further 12 or so poised for future development to satisfy the growing audience demand for dance.
Traditional Dance There is a thriving scene in traditional dance. The Scottish Arts Council aims to increase opportunities for people to participate in all forms of Scottish traditional dance and is working with a number of organisations, including the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing, Scottish Official Highland Dancing Association, the Scottish Traditions of Dance Trust. This area has been given an extra boost with some additional funding from the Scottish Executive as a result of the priority given to traditional arts within the National Cultural Strategy developed by the Scottish Executive last year.
Dance Artists-in-Residence The Scottish Arts Council is working with local authority partners to fund and develop a network of Dance Artists-in-Residence throughout Scotland. Their role is to develop and support dance in their local authority areas, mainly getting people actively involved in dance but also working with local venues to develop dance programming. There are currently 17 posts covering Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen, Borders, Clackmannanshire (2), Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Shetland, Stirling/Falkirk, West Lothian. New posts are being developed for Fife and Perth & Kinross.
Dance Centres In addition to Dance Base, the Scottish Arts Council is seeking to develop a network of dance centres in the key population centres in Scotland, including City Moves in Aberdeen, The Space in Dundee, and Dance House in Glasgow. Discussions are underway with local partners in Inverness to explore the possibility of establishing a dance centre in Scotland’s fifth city.
Scottish Ballet
The role of the Scottish Arts Council is stated above: broadly, it is to foster an environment in which all kinds of high quality dance can flourish, encouraging opportunities for people across Scotland to create, perform, participate in and enjoy dance. The Scottish Arts Council has responsibility for many different kinds of dance, for ensuring artistic excellence, and for developing facilities to encourage greater participation in dance. Its relationship with Scottish Ballet is an extremely important part of that, but clearly represents only one element of a much larger dance sector. Scottish Ballet, as stated above, is a large-scale dance company, one of only six in the UK. It is an independent company with its own Board, currently in receipt for 2001-02 of £2.8m of funding from the Scottish Arts Council to tour throughout Scotland and undertake associated educational work.
On 15 August 2001 Scottish Ballet announced an outline proposal for a new direction for the company. Prior to the announcement, the Scottish Ballet Board and Senior Management consulted the Scottish Arts Council on the broad outlines of its proposal. The Scottish Arts Council looks forward to receiving later this autumn Scottish Ballet’s detailed three-year business plan which will be scrutinised by the Dance Committee and by Council before funding decisions for 2002-03 onwards are made. Nothing has yet been decided and any decision will be made in the context of the Scottish Arts Council’s new five-year strategy for dance in Scotland, when that is finalised later this year.
The Council broadly welcomed the outline proposal for the following reasons:
- Scottish Ballet has expressed the wish to explore a range of options for the future and proposes a broad framework for continuing Scottish Ballet’s development as a modern classical ballet company. In line with good business practice, the Scottish Arts Council encourages all the companies it funds to think creatively about the future.
- Scottish Ballet undertook to consult widely with the dance community, venues and stakeholders on its proposal before developing detailed plans.
- The Scottish Ballet proposal is a further development of a process which has been evolving over several years. Scottish Ballet has indicated that it will continue to employ 36 dancers who will be rigorously trained in classical ballet technique.
- Scottish Ballet has stated that it will seek to develop a broad repertoire which will include work by the Artistic Director, as well as that of other choreographers working in the modern classical style. It is likely that the Company would still produce the smaller classics.
- Scottish Ballet has not presented the large-scale traditional classics – for example, Swan Lake – for many years. The Scottish Arts Council is, however, concerned that audiences in Scotland should have access to the full range of ballet. We look forward to seeing Scottish Ballet’s detailed plans for achieving this through the development of a touring consortium with the large-scale presenting theatres (Theatre Royal in Glasgow, His Majesty’s in Aberdeen, Edinburgh Festival Theatre and Eden Court Theatre in Inverness). Such a consortium could bring the best large-scale traditional ballet from around the world to Scotland.
- The Company has indicated that it will work in partnership with providers of dance education in Scotland to create a rung on the training ladder for young Scottish dancers, to help strengthen tertiary-level classical dance training in Scotland and to offer greater career development opportunities for dancers and choreographers. Scottish Ballet aims to expand its already highly successful programme of dance education activity for the public across Scotland.
- The Scottish Arts Council seeks to ensure that Scottish Ballet’s proposed changes will have no adverse impact on other dance companies in Scotland or on the choice of programme available to Scottish audiences.
- The Scottish Arts Council is also working to ensure that Scottish Ballet has a dynamic and sustainable future as part of a thriving dance scene in Scotland. We believe that the best of traditional ballet must and can be maintained and developed for the benefit of present and future audiences.
Enc: Appendix 1: Scottish Arts Council’s Dance Budgets 1999-2002
Appendix 2: Scottish Arts Council Dance Committee: Artform Committees and Panels are established by Council to advise and assist it in the exercise of its functions. They advise Council on artform policy, budgets and on all matters relating to the artform. Council also delegates to Committee the authority to agree project and scheme grants.
Committees are chaired by Council members and number between six and twelve members, meeting approximately five times a year. Committee members are appointed by Council for three years, renewable for a further two years.
SCOTTISH ARTS COUNCIL Appendix 1 DANCE BUDGET
Financial Year 1999/2000 2000/2001 2001/2002
Producing Companies: Scottish Ballet 2,451,180 2,528,376 2,791,585 Scottish Dance Theatre 180,000 210,000 258,000 X Factor 25,000 25,000 30,000
National Development Organisations: Scottish Youth Dance 14,000 35,000 35,000 Scottish Traditions of Dance Trust 30,000 30,000 30,000 (+£30,000 NCS)
Dance Centres: Dance Base (Edinburgh) 93,250 91,000 113,000 City Moves (Aberdeen) 19,800 14,000 40,500 Dance House (Glasgow) 5,000 10,000 12,000 Dundee College/The Space 0 0 5,000
New Moves International 73,000 91,782 100,382
Projects/Touring 65,850 66,000 76,000 Professional 18,150 15,658 23,210 training/development Venues/promoters 37,160 35,000 34,000 Dance Artists in Residence 8,000 27,000 18,000 Traditional Dance scheme 10,000 10,600 10,000 Anatomy Performance Company 25,000 0 0 Traditional Dance development 60,000 (NCS)
TOTAL FOR YEAR 3,055,390 3,189,416 3,636,677
Excludes lottery funding and funding from other sources
Appendix 2
SCOTTISH ARTS COUNCIL DANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS & Dance Department Staff September 2001
DANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Joanna Baker, Chair Joanna’s career has gone from her first position as a Box Office Assistant at the National Theatre in London, to working on the marketing of the ballet and opera tour and now her current position of Marketing and Public Affairs Director with Edinburgh International Festival. Joanna also assists the Festival Director in planning the dance programme for the Festival. She was previously Head of Marketing and Press for Welsh National Opera (1989-1992) and Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet (1984-1989).
She has been a regular attender at classical ballet and contemporary dance events in the UK as well as overseas and has specific expertise in marketing and audience development.
Sheila Allan Sheila trained at the School of Drama, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow University and Post Graduate Teacher Training at Jordanhill College of Education, Glasgow.
From 1979, she worked extensively in educational drama, including special education needs and in youth and community theatre. Since 1987, she has been employed at Dundee College developing dance and theatre training and the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance.
Sheila is currently Team Leader of Dance and Theatre at Dundee College and is also a member of the Board of Directors of Dundee Rep; Convenor – Drama Assessment Panel, Scottish Qualification Authority; a member of SQA Creative Arts Advisory Group and the Dundee College representative in the Dundee Dance Partnership.
Alex Craig Alex trained originally in drama at Queen Margaret College in Edinburgh before becoming a dance workshop presenter with Scottish Ballet Workshop. Subsequent training in dance followed at the Universite Populaire in Paris and at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Centre in New York.
Alex was a member of the Victor Upshaw Jazz Dance Company in Paris and thereafter danced for 15 years in commercial and musical theatre in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Holland, Spain, Portugal and France.
He then enjoyed several years as a freelance choreographer, teacher and dance artist. Alex accepted a lecturing position at Edinburgh's Telford College in 1993 and is now the Programme Team Leader for Dance.
Alex is also in the process of completing an MEd in Dance at Edinburgh University
Pia Walker Pia has a keen interest in Scottish traditional artforms and has been involved in dance throughout her life. She teaches Scottish Country Dancing, is a member of the Executive Council and is also on the Marketing and Public Relations sub- committee of the Royal Scottish Country Dancing Society.
Pia is also a committee member of Dance Scotland.
Colin Marr Following his previous positions as Hall Manager at Queen's Hall, Edinburgh (1988-1992) and Theatre Manager at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh (1992-1997), Colin has been director of Eden Court Theatre, Inverness since 1997.
Colin's experience of dance is as a promoter and on average he presents each year six contemporary companies, two weeks of Scottish Ballet and one or two other companies (Northern Ballet, Ballet Imaginaire, Gala Dance Evenings etc.)
Colin is also a board member of Plan B.
Val Munro Val is a graduate of Dunfermline College of Physical Education and Jordanhill College of Education and was a Lecturer in Physical Education at Jordanhill College. From 1985 until 1997 she was Dance Tutor for primary schools firstly in Glasgow and then in Aberdeen where she was the Chairperson of the Dance Around Company.
She is now a freelance voice and movement teacher and singer, Director of Voice Moves and Joint Director of the Feel Good Factory (a Health at Work and a Move to Learn initiative for young people).
Mats Melin Swedish-born Traditional Dancer and Researcher Mats Melin is based in Angus and has worked extensively in Sutherland, the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland promoting Scottish traditional dance.
Mats has a vast knowledge of all aspects of the Scottish traditional dance scene, but specialises in Step dancing and the old social dances such as the Scotch reels and quadrilles. He has worked both with traditional and contemporary artists in Scotland.
Mats has taught and performed primarily in Scotland, but also in Canada, the USA, and New Zealand.
Between 1998 and March 2001 he was working as the Traditional Dance Development Officer for the Angus District on behalf of the Scottish Traditions of Dance Trust.
Kristin Johnson Kristin is a graduate of the Benesh Institute and trained in New York at the Harkness Ballet and danced professionally with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Milwaukee Ballet Company and Twyla Tharp.
As a Choreologist Kristin has worked for English National Ballet and before that for Scottish Ballet for nearly 13 years, where she also had the opportunity to choreograph several pieces. She has taught ballet and jazz in the USA, Dominican Republic, Switzerland and the United Kingdom and has worked with the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Paris Opera Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Fort Worth Dallas Ballet, amongst others.
She is currently working as a free-lance Benesh Notator, Rehearsal Director and Dance Teacher.
Winifred Jamieson Winifred trained at the London Contemporary Dance School and obtained a BA (Hons) Dance before studying at the Laban Centre with Transitions Dance Company.
She was a founder member of Dundee Rep Dance Company (now Scottish Dance Theatre) and was Artistic Director of Moving East Dance Company in Cambridgeshire for three years. She was Artistic Director of Scottish Youth Dance from 1995-1998 and has worked as a freelance choreographer and teacher for many years.
She is currently lecturer and course team leader for the HND Dance Artists’ course at Edinburgh's Telford College.
Roanne Dods Roanne trained as a solicitor and worked as a lawyer in Edinburgh for six years before undertaking an MA in Dance Studies at the Laban Centre London. She has been Artistic Director of suddenlylastsummer dance company since 1991 and has written about dance for Animated, the Evening News and Dance Theatre Journal. After her MA, she was part of the team at the Laban Centre, London which helped to raise the funds to build the new Laban Centre development by Herzog and de Meuron in Deptford.
She is now Director of the Jerwood Charitable Foundation where she runs a number of national projects in the visual and performing arts, including the Jerwood Painting Prize, Jerwood Applied Arts Prize and Jerwood Choreography Awards. She is a Director of the Jerwood Space in Southwark and is Chair of X Factor Dance Company.
Margaret O’Connor Margaret studied History of Art, Design and Film in Sheffield and has an MA in Film Studies. She worked in the arts funding sector as Head of Published and Broadcast Arts (Northern Arts) and European Officer (Scottish Film Council) before becoming Cultural Services Manager for East Lothian Council in 1995.
Her current post includes overseeing the management of the Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh which now includes a dance programme presenting dance from Scotland and elsewhere. Margaret has worked with the arts team at East Lothian Council to devise its Arts Strategy, which includes a focus on dance development. Margaret has a particular interest in dance for camera and other multi-media dance projects and has a longstanding interest in live art.
Jane Howie A graduate of the London School of Contemporary Dance, Jane has been performing, choreographing and teaching extensively for almost 11 years. Jane has danced for many companies including the Yolande Snaith Theatre Dance Company, the Kosh, Emilyn Claid, Dundee Rep, Jeremy James (Dance Productions) and most recently Bedlam Dance. Jane conceived, co-directed and choreographed the successful Running on Empty for TAG Theatre Company.
Jane is Artistic Director of her own Edinburgh-based company Fight or Flight Dance Theatre. She also works frequently in theatre as a movement director and as a choreographer for the commercial theatre. Jane is currently Chair of Dance Scotland. DANCE DEPARTMENT STAFF
Cindy Sughrue, Head of Dance Cindy studied at Boston University and the University of Sheffield and holds a PhD in Dance. Appointed as Senior Performing Arts Officer at SAC in 1997, Cindy previously was the General Manager of Edinburgh’s Dance Base (1994- 1997) where she was responsible for strategic planning and development, programme management, finance and marketing, as well as initiating plans for the new dance centre in the Grassmarket. During this time, she was also the Scottish representative to the British Dance Network and an external professional adviser to the MA/MEd in Dance at Moray House Institute/Heriot-Watt University.
Patricia Eckersley, Dance Officer Patricia was a Member of the Scottish Council for Dance (1982-85). She was a performer with Expo Dance Company and Catalyst Theatre Company (1981-87) and established Dance Chance Edinburgh, dance teaching and workshops for adults and young people (1979-88). Patricia joined SAC as Dance Officer in 1988. She has been involved in teaching dance to older people for some years and now also teaches dance at Haddington Infants School.
Judy Savin, Dance Officer Judy has danced as a hobby throughout her life. She studied at Moray House Institute in Edinburgh and has an MSc in Cultural Policy and Management. Judy previously worked as Director of Scottish Youth Dance (1997-2001).
Becky Ballantyne, SAC Dance Secretary Becky joined SAC in April 2001 following a career in insurance. Becky has a wide interest in all artforms.
Laura Munro, Administrative Assistant Before joining SAC in August 2001, Laura obtained an HNC in Administration & Information Management. She has a great interest in dance, having danced as a hobby for many years.
September 2001