Dance Strategy: meeting with the Arts Council

On Friday 9th January 2009, representatives of the dance sector (annually funded companies, the University of Ulster and Dance Resource Base) will discuss the new Dance Strategy with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

There is a further opportunity for members, especially those who could not attend the forum discussion on October 13, to forward their responses to Dance Resource Base, who will represent individual dance professionals at the meeting.

This is your chance to be heard. Please send us your views, comments and queries about the Dance Strategy by Monday 5th January!

Reminder: you can download the strategy from ACNI's website. Hard copies are also available for consultation at Dance Resource Base.

Dance archive

Dance Research Forum Ireland, in partnership with the Arts Council of Ireland and the University of Limerick, are proposing to establish a dance archive for Ireland, based in the Library of the University of Limerick.

Victoria O'Brien, from Dance Research Forum Ireland, is currently carrying out a feasibility report and came to meet us at Dance Resource Base to discuss a potential partnership.

If you have any archival material (programmes, posters, press-clippings, videos...) which could be copied or even donated to either the archive in Limerick or to the Resource room at Dance Resource Base, please get in touch!

The Creative Blueprint launch

On Thursday 30 October, Dance Resource Base attended the Creative Blueprint launch, as part of the Belfast Festival at Queen's. The Creative Blueprint is the plan of Creative & Cultural Skills to meet the training and business needs of the sector in Northern Ireland.

New initiatives like Creative Apprenticeships, Creative Choices website, an industry bespoke leadership programme and the UK Design Skills Alliance were presented.

For more information visit www.creative-choices.co.uk/blueprint or come to the resource room at Dance Resource Base.

Cultural Olympiad

Dance Resource Base was invited to take part in a discussion about the Cultural Olympiad, organised by the Foundation for Community Dance in London. The first meeting took place on Monday 6 October at The Place in London. Most of the important dance organisations in the UK participated. It was agreed that the dance sector would put together a proposition for a signature project, and try to add dance to the 10 existing signature projects.

The second meeting took place on Tuesday 21 October at Akademi in London. A smaller group of organisations gathered and discussed the proposition further.

University of Ulster and Random Dance performance

The University of Ulster worked with Random Dance to present a performance on Saturday 18, before Wayne McGregor's Entity at the Waterfront hall. The performance took place in the Green Room, and Sandie Fisher, the University's Artist in Residence, kindly invited Dance Resource Base to say a few words about what we do.

AGM and Dance Strategy forum

Dance Resource Base first Annual General Meeting took place on Monday 13 October, and was followed by a forum on the Dance Strategy of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

The three leading dance companies of Northern Ireland (Dance United Northern Ireland, Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company and Maiden Voyage Dance Company) attended the meeting, as well as individual artists and tutors.

It was the start of a discussion which we are hoping to continue! When asked how Dance Resource Base could improve its services to the dance community, the participants talked about the lack of opportunities to meet. It was agreed that Dance Resource Base will organise a monthly informal meeting for its members.