Friday 3 February 2012

Dancescape in 2012

Staffing and key activity
As from Thursday 9th February 2012, Sarah Jassal (Sub Regional Dance Development Officer and Dancescape project manager) will be on maternity leave and will return at the beginning of August 2012.

Cathryn Goodwin has been contracted as a Project Manager on a freelance basis to manage Dancescape’s project commitments through to the summer. Cathryn will be working 2 days per week to specifically work on the following projects:

Movin’ On Up dance careers event – Saturday 24 March, 12-4pm at Stratford-upon-Avon College
Outdoor Dance Programme (led by DanceXchange) – bringing ‘Spill – a playground of dance’ to parks in Coventry, Chelmsley Wood, Solihull, Kenilworth and Warwick, and ‘Breathe the Beat’ roadshows to Leamington and Solihull
Boys Dancing (led by Warwick Arts Centre) – managing a team of Apprentices who are working alongside professional male dance artists across the region to develop their dance leadership skills whilst creating The Quiet Man Suite, a suite of 6 films, with groups of boys and young men
Dancescape enews – keeping the sector and audiences informed of opportunities to take part and see dance in the sub region throughout the Spring and Summer
Rugby Youth Dance Company – supporting the company’s leaders and members in a range of activity, including their part in Godiva Awakes, the large scale Cultural Olympiad project led by Imagineer Productions
Supporting the realisation of a number of other projects such as Motionhouse’s The Voyage/Quest, Sampad’s Moving Earth, Dance Sansaar’s Lawk Naach and SMBC’s Neighbourhood Sports’ JumpTG.

Cathryn will be based at Solihull Arts Complex on Wednesdays until the end of July and can be contacted by email, dancescape@solihull.gov.uk (active from 9 February), or by phone on 0121 704 6747. Cathryn’s other working day will be more flexible in order to attend meetings etc.

Dancescape closure
It’s with great regret that in addition to giving advance warning of lots of exciting opportunities for dance in 2012, we also have to announce the end of Dancescape in August 2012.

Project funding has always been an issue for the long term security and development of Dancescape as an externally funded project, and the Dancescape Management Group have explored a number of different models and options over the last 7 years in order to secure Dancescape’s future with the aspiration of developing Dancescape into an organisation. Therefore, as we have been unable to secure funding for long term sustainability and development, the project will come to an end.

If you have any questions or comments about the end of Dancescape, please contact Cathryn Goodwin initially who will forward them to Dancescape Management Group members.

Dancescape legacy
We’re very proud of Dancescape’s achievements since the project was set up in 2005; especially of the development of a unique ethos and approach to career and professional development for young people, young leaders and emerging and professional artists. Therefore, when Sarah Jassal returns for one month in August it will be to create a Dancescape legacy document that we hope will chart Dancescape’s own journey over the last 7 years, celebrate its key achievements and projects and handover its ethos through a set of case studies, so that anyone working in the sector can benefit from its approach and values.

There will be an event in Autumn 2012 where you will be invited to celebrate Dancescape with Sarah Jassal, Dancescape Management Group members, partners and funders, and take away your copy of the legacy document.

If you would like to contribute to the Dancescape legacy document with your thoughts on how Dancescape has contributed to the dance sector over the past 7 years, or how it has supported your career or involvement in dance, we’d love to hear from you. Please send any contributions or comments to sjassal@solihull.gov.uk.

And finally…..
2012 is set to be an exciting and memorable year for Dancescape, as we see the finale of all our projects and the end of Dancescape itself. Dancescape and Dance Box enews, Facebook pages and blogs will continue to keep the dance community up to date with news and opportunities along with performances, workshops and special events, and all of those opportunities that the 2012 Dancing for the Games climax will bring – plenty of opportunity to keep dancing and make 2012 a memorable year for everyone!

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Sarah Jassal
Sub Regional Dance Development Officer
Solihull MBC

0121 704 6747
sjassal@solihull.gov.uk

Dancescape - developing dance in Coventry, Solihull & Warwickshire

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