It's been a difficult and challenging year for the Australian dance community, and at Ausdance National we've been very aware of those companies, independent artists and community groups that have suffered so much in some parts of the country. Cancellations, loss of jobs and disruption to practice have created enormous challenges for half the country, with the other half – although protected from Covid-19 – suffering from isolation and disruption of a different kind.
Nevertheless, there have been some inspiring responses to these challenges, which we acknowledge and celebrate.
In June Ausdance National elected a strong and committed working board that has continuedt to deliver on national representation for dance in several ways. It has –
- Reassessed the Australian Dance Awards, with an announcement to be made in January about their future.
- Formed a Diversity and Inclusion task force, chaired by Marilyn Miller, to assist our board with a review of its policies and procedures, and provide support for other dance organisations wishing to take similar action. This will be a major part of our work in 2022.
- Worked closely with ArtsPeak colleagues to develop a pre-Budget submission and key messaging for the Federal election in 2022.
- Re-formed the Tertiary Dance Council of Australia (TDCA), with Prof. Sue Street facilitating 13 institutions that offer dance as a major course of study.
- Completed an analysis of a TDCA questionnaire that reveals the current status of professional dance training, and distributed it to various decision makers including the Arts Minister, the Shadow Arts Minister, the Department of Communications and the Arts, and the Australia Council.
- Worked with our World Dance Alliance colleagues on plans for the next Global Summit in Hong Kong in June 2022, and on the publication of Asia-Pacific Channels and the Journal of Emerging Dance Scholarship (JEDS).
- As with our earlier Safe Dance research, supported the Ausdance network in the development of Child Safe policies and teacher accreditation, both important steps in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of young students.
- Through our dance education subcommittee and the National Advocates for Arts Education (NAAE), provided feedback to ACARA on the new Examples of Knowledge and Skills (EoKS) in the revised Australian Curriculum: The Arts.
- Held regular meetings with State/Territory Ausdances to help harmonise our programs and enhance communication.
Thanks to all Ausdance members Australia-wide for your support – we are really looking forward to planning some serious advocacy for dance in collaboration with our ArtsPeak colleagues in 2022, particularly in the context of a Federal election.
We'd be pleased to receive your donation to assist us to continue this work (it's tax deductible), and we wish everyone a happy new year in 2022.