Dancefest Annual Report 2007-2008

Dancefest Annual Report 2007 - 2008

Company limited by guarantee no. 4177900 registered in England and Wales. Registered charity number 1092334

Annual Report 2007 - 2008



Chair’s Report 2007/8

2007/8 may come to be seen as the year Dancefest ‘came of age’ and the vision,

hard work and dedication of all concerned finally received recognition in the form

of greatly increased core funding from Arts Council England for the next three years.

The year in question has been the usual mixture of lively and popular community-

based classes, innovative site specific work such as the ‘Ashes to Ashes’

performance at St Swithun’s Church in Worcester and work in schools, providing skills

and expertise that contribute significantly to the educational agenda in the two

counties. There has also been much valuable work behind the scenes in

developing existing partnerships, such as the Worcestershire Dance Promoters, and

new ones such as the link up with the Extended Schools Services leading to the

delivery of classes in new areas in Herefordshire.

The latter part of the year saw the preliminary work undertaken on another large-

scale site-specific performance, this time at Goodrich Castle, renewing the

partnership with English Heritage that produced the spectacularly successful

‘Dreams & Ruin’ project at Witley Court in 2005. The project was given a welcome

boost in December 2007 with the Arts Council backing it with a substantial ‘Grants

for the Arts’ award. Next year’s reports will have a lot more to say about the now

completed project but I am able to reveal that it would indeed turn out to be

another excellent event!

It is with much regret that circumstances led to my decision to stand down as Chair

in January 2008, although after nearly eight years in that position I am sure it was

well overdue for someone else to take the reins! It has been a privilege and

pleasure being Chair during this period and I am proud to have been part of the

success story that is Dancefest. I would like to take this opportunity to thanks all of

the directors who have been on the board with me during this time for their efforts

and support, thanks also to Rose and all her team for their fantastic work and send

my best wishes to my successor, Adele Cope, who will be an excellent Chair and

will, I’m sure, steer Dancefest very ably forward.

With a sound strategy in place for future development through implementation of

many of the recommendations of the Organisation Development Consultancy,

Dancefest is poised to make an even more significant contribution to the arts

landscape of the two counties in the years to come.

John Denton

Chair (April - January 2008)

September 2008



I am delighted to have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of John Denton as

Chair and to be part of Dancefest for the next stage of their journey. My thanks go

to John who has nurtured and guided Dancefest through some crucial stages of

their development in an enviable way.

Over recent months Dancefest have continued to build on the significant vote of

confidence given by the Arts Council. The ongoing implementation of the

organisational development strategy and the consideration of future structures,

support and funding will all help to ensure future success for the organisation.

I am proud to be part of this inspirational organisation and I look forward to working

with Rose, the Dancefest team and all the Directors of the Board over the next year.

Adele Cope

Acting Chair

September 2008

Wired Aerial Theatre



Manager’s Report

The year from April 2007 to March 2008 has seen much welcomed increased support

for Dancefest, demonstrated in several ways:

• demand for work – demonstrated by a thriving community and project

programme

• a positive outcome from the organisational development consultancy that

will guide Dancefest development for the next 3-5 years

• increased core funding from Arts Council England.

These things combine to give confidence that as a development organisation

Dancefest is pursuing a pathway that is appropriate to the community in which we

work.

Working chronologically through the year important highlights have been

• Organisation Development Consultancy

The organisational and fundraising strategy written by Diana Johnson,

was commissioned at a time of rapid development. From small beginnings in

2000 Dancefest had expanded in many ways, and the time was right to

review what had taken place and to look at the organisation’s placement

for the next three to five years. It was a rigorous process that searched

through every area of work and included discussion with members of the arts,

education, local authority and funding bodies. The result is a fair and

practical document that Dancefest will use to inform its revised business plan

for 2008-2011.

• Projects

Dancefest delivered numerous projects during the year. In Herefordshire

Janene Wyatt works each year with four clusters of schools that are part of

the Minster Partnership, whilst in Worcestershire Dancefest leads after schools

projects in the five clusters of schools in the Droitwich and Worcester area.

These projects are supported by the community classes which enable

children to carry on the work they have begun.

A film project celebrated the 10th anniversary of the opening of

Kidderminster’s Art Gallery and Library involved young children, Cuckoos Nest

Theatre Company and elderly participants from The Tulip Tree Day Centre.

Having worked on a schools project to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the

opening of Tenbury Cinema – the performance was cancelled due to the

2,635 people took part in projects resulting in 11,337

attendances



severe flooding that took place in the town. The town’s Pump Rooms were

still affected in September when we were due to start children’s sessions, they

eventually started in January.

A very successful street dance summer school was led by 2FaCeD Dance

Company and Jenny Dunn. It culminated in a curtain raiser for 2 FaCeD’s

performance of State of Matter.

• Dancefest ’07 – two performances at the Swan

Theatre, Worcester

The annual performance that involves a piece by

the majority of community classes is an important

reflection of regular participation. Everyone who

takes part has the opportunity to perform. These

occasions are intensive, hectic and mixed in

quality, but they bring together in one place all the people who take part in

Dancefest classes throughout Herefordshire and Worcestershire. People can

meet and watch each other. Inevitably performances are sold out and the

atmosphere generated by parents and friends is warm, enthusiastic and

supportive – ideal for the community dancer.

• Partnership links

Dancesfest has worked to sustain existing and create new partnership links.

With the site specific project for Goodrich Castle in Herefordshire planned for

July 2008 a huge amount of groundwork was undertaken. The development

of regular classes in Ross on Wye in partnership with Extended Schools

Services provided strong local connections and funding, the longstanding

relationships with the education and outreach department at The

Courtyard, the arts officers at Herefordshire Council and English Heritage were

fundamental to setting up of project. New links were made with Heritage

organisations, the Market towns Initiative.

Dancefest continued to lead Worcestershire Dance Promoters gaining

funding for a marketing consultant to develop a marketing strategy that

could be easily managed by its members. The key outcome has been a

website, www.danceinworcestershire.com, that lists performances and

classes at each of the member venues.

The Worcestershire Dance Forum led by Worcestershire Arts Education brings

together the agencies who are delivering dance in education and is in the

process of creating a dance strategy for the county. This is an interesting

development as it involves the partnership development managers and

1,048 people saw a community performance created by

Dancefest



specialist performing arts schools, extended schools delivery, the aim being to

provide a better, more targeted service.

• Herefordshire Youth Dance Tour 08

Like Dancefest ’07 the annual Herefordshire Youth Dance Tour brings people

together to share the work they have created. Here the focus is on young

people working with professional dance workers from Dancefest and 2 FaCeD

Dance Company in a residency in their school or youth group. The results tour

– this year to John Kyrle High School in Ross on Wye, Whitecross High School in

Hereford and Queen Elizabeth high School in Bromyard. Year on year the

participants and audiences have grown, the result of a strong partnership

between Dancefest, 2 FaCeD Dance and the education department at The

Courtyard. In a very rural county the increasing amount of youth dance

taking place is a tribute to the dance workers and co-ordinators.

• Ashes to Ashes

A site specific performance for a disused Georgian

church in the centre of Worcester. Created by

dance workers and performed by community

groups, including an intergenerational project

and the dance workers themselves. Ashes to

Ashes is another example of Dancefest’s

commitment to using different spaces to generate

ideas for performance and to attract new

audiences.

• Marketing

As the result of a marketing review by staff and board members looking at the

branding of the organisation we had to decide on a strapline to

accompany the Dancefest logo – which you will see is ‘participation,

projects, performance’. This sums up our aims of encouraging people to

dance for fun, to develop skills and creativity, as part of a healthy lifestyle;

to create performance and to play a part in audience development for the

professional programme in the region.

The marketing strategy has resulted in the rebranding of the organisation we

can be seen in the new logo, now reproduced on stationery, the website

and banners

1,027 people went to Dancefest’s community classes resulting in

8,490 at tendances



• Increased funding from Arts Council England

The year ended on a very unexpected high note when Dancefest had

notification that its grant for the next three years was to be doubled. This was

always something that Dancefest had hoped for but had not been led to

expect. The money has been used to improve staff pay and conditions and

bring it into line with similar sized organisations - a return for the huge amount

of work that everyone has contributed.

During the latter part of the year John Denton resigned as Chair of the Board, a

position he had held since 2000. I am very pleased that he remains a director but I

would like to take this opportunity to thank John for his help and guidance during

our formative years. Adele Cope is currently acting Chair and I look forward to

working with her during the forthcoming year.

Dancefest Annual Report 2007-2008

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