People Dancing Brochure

People Dancing is a three year programme of activity aimed at encouraging mass participation in dance and dance related activity across the West Midlands. People Dancing is funded by Legacy Trust UK, Arts Council England West Midlands and Advantage West Midlands.

Take a look inside to find out how to get involved … and get people dancing!

Contents 03 introduction 04 what’s it all about? 08 who can take part? 12 get involved! 14 your proposal 16 the process 18 what we can commission 20 if your proposal is successful Sonia Sabri Company. Photo by Simon Richardson.

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Want to get People Dancing? So do we! Part of the region’s plans for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, this exciting programme provides the opportunity to bring West Midlands communities together, from all backgrounds and neighbourhoods, to celebrate the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by getting local people moving.

People Dancing is looking to commission a broad and diverse range of dance and dance related activity across the region, and we are asking organisations or collectives of individuals with strong links to their community to use their creative ideas and energy to develop innovative approaches to extending opportunities to more people.

The challenge for this programme is to encourage more people to take up dance and dance related activity so that it becomes part of their lives, resulting in them feeling fit and well in both mind and body and having fun.

We are looking for a mix of large, high impact projects designed specifically to respond to local needs. Engaging young people in the design and development of the activities is an integral part of the programme.

People Dancing is aimed at everybody of all ages, backgrounds, skills and abilities. Whether you’re a professional dance organisation, local dance school, sports group combining sport and dance, or a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher or student working in partnership with others, you can get involved … and get more people dancing.

This booklet will give you further information about the programme, what will be commissioned and how you can get involved.

Can you help us create a lasting 2012 legacy for the region? Let’s dance! ≥

People Dancing is funded by Legacy Trust UK, Arts Council England West Midlands and Advantage West Midlands.

what’s it all about?

It’s about inspiring more people to dance. Within the People Dancing programme dance has a very broad definition incorporating dance within communities and dance and movement-related activities within sport, as well as dance as an art form. Building on the rich and diverse dance infrastructure that exists in the West Midlands region, People Dancing aims to get people dancing by investing in the following areas:

1 Dance at grass roots level Supporting collaborative programmes from

dance companies, leaders, sports clubs or community groups to develop dance at grass roots level and encourage people to take up dance and dance related activity locally.

Young people from across the West Midlands joined together for a BIG DANCE performance at the launch of the Cultural Olympiad in the West Midlands.

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2 Flexible dance stage A portable dance stage will be available for use by communities across the West Midlands to enable mass community dance to take place.

3 Dance leadership Developing the capacity and skills of dance

leaders in the region, encouraging leaders of dance and dance related activity to work with new and existing partners in fresh ways to build their own capacity, knowledge and understanding about dance and of others.

4 Site-specific dance participation Taking dance to places where dance is rarely seen – large-scale, mass participation dance events in unusual and unexpected places.

5 Marketing and digital archive  Ensuring that the public is better informed about the opportunities for them to dance in the West Midlands. A portal for information on all aspects of dance, recording dance experiences from the People Dancing programme. Commissions will initially be available against strands 1, 3 and 4, above.

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what’s it all about?

The minimum value of a commission is £30,000, and the maximum is £100,000 (with flexibility for exceptional partnerships which can deliver very wide impact). Commissions are only available to non-commercial organisations. The total budget available for dance and dance related activity across the West Midlands over the life of the People Dancing programme is £2.61m. Of this, £1.67m is allocated for dance at grass roots level, £190,000 for dance leadership and £750,000 for site-specific dance participation. Projects spanning any time period from a one-off event to a three year programme of activities are eligible to bid for the commissions.

To be considered for a commission you need to show how your proposal meets the following aims:

Working innovatively with a wide and diverse range of people, taking dance into local communities/neighbourhoods. Providing a legacy beyond the life of your activity. Working creatively by making new partnerships and developing those that already exist. Ensuring that your proposal has local relevance and is based on need. Considering the minimum and maximum value of commissions, ensuring that your proposal is realistic and feasible. Bringing in other funds from your own resources, partnership funding or other funding bids.

Motionhouse Dance Theatre workshop.

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Realising the overarching values and principles for all West Midlands 2012 programmes: Including and involving young people in the design and delivery of your work; Developing international links; Using digital media in your work and its dissemination. 07

who can take part?

Whether you’re a professional dance organisation, local dance school, sports group combining sport and dance, or a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher or student working in partnership with others – People Dancing is for …

International Dance Festival Birmingham. Photo by Brian Slater.

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who can take part?

The aim of this programme is to commission dance and dance related activity from a wide range of organisations and collectives throughout the West Midlands. From ballet to break dancing, cheerleading to cha cha, the only criteria is that your activity gets more people in the West Midlands dancing and active.

You can apply if: You are a non-commercial body or collective of individuals who use culture and/or sport in your work. Bodies need to demonstrate in what ways they are not-for-profit. Your proposal will mainly benefit people living in the West Midlands. Your proposal is for a single activity or a range of related activities. You can complete your activity and undertake all project expenditure by 31 December 2012. The organisation or collaborative partnership submitting the proposal will be the same organisation or partnership that will be responsible for the delivery of the project, including managing the budget.

Trace by Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company.

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Working with young people/vulnerable adults: Organisations planning activity which includes working with young people and/or vulnerable adults must have a protection policy, and all staff and/or volunteers working with vulnerable adults and/or young people must have Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance.

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get involved!

People Dancing is an open and flexible programme which you, and the communities you work with, can help to shape. Applying for a People Dancing commission is really simple and straightforward; there is no application form to fill in, just follow the 5 steps below:

1 Read this booklet carefully It provides important information on how to prepare and submit your proposal.

2 Write a proposal You need to tell us about your project by

submitting a maximum 2,000 word proposal; p14 gives clear instructions on what to include.

3 Include relevant further information Y  ou can submit images, video and sound

files, as evidence of your previous work and your aspirations for the project. Please note that we are unable to return these materials.

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Fearless by Motionhouse Dance Theatre. Photo by Roy Peters.

4 Seek some free advice You can request help to shape and develop

your proposal, simply contact us by emailing [email protected] for support and guidance.

5 Please send your proposal to: People Dancing Arts Council England West Midlands 82 Granville Street Birmingham B1 2LH

Or email to: [email protected]

Please see p17 for submission dates. For future rounds it will be possible to bid online, but this is not currently available.

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your proposal

You need to submit a proposal outlining the activity you would like us to commission, please use the checklist below to ensure you provide the information required: State clearly who the applicant is, along with contact details. Include information about your project: what you are aiming to achieve; how you plan to do it; who will be involved in delivering the project; and the benefits that it will bring you/your organisation and the People Dancing programme. Provide evidence of need for the project and list any partners who have been engaged in its development or who will be involved in delivery. Demonstrate your track record of successful delivery. Include details about the people your project will reach. You should tell us how your project will affect the people who will experience it. Explain how you intend to engage young people in the planning and delivery of the project.

Tell us about other resources from your own funds, partner contributions or funding you have applied for for this project, and the progress of those applications with timescales for any outstanding decisions.

Your proposal will be assessed against the following criteria: Strong evidence of need. The project is well planned and organised. The budget is realistic and represents good value for money.

Clearly state how long the activity will run for and timelines for starting and finishing the project, with key milestones.

The extent to which other resources have been identified to support the delivery of the proposal.

I ndicate the key risks which may hinder

The extent to which the project meets any or all of the aims set out on p7.

delivery of the project and how these will be overcome.

Explain how you will evaluate your activity. The proposal should not be more than 2,000 words long (excluding supporting information). Additional supporting information can be provided, e.g. images, video, sound files. Please note that these materials cannot be returned.

Who will benefit from the commission, will the beneficiaries be a wide and diverse range of people? The demonstration of the creation of partnerships which extend benefit and add value to the programme. The extent to which you/your organisation have a track record in the successful delivery of projects.

There will be a legacy of learning for you/your organisation and the local communities involved with your project. Your project actively engages with young people. Projects are expected to involve young people not only as recipients and audiences, but as contributors to the design and delivery of the programme where appropriate. Your project shows a commitment to inventive marketing and communications practice (including digital media). The extent to which sustainability has been considered once the funding finishes. Relevant policies in place. You/your organisation is keen to apply for your project to be part of the Cultural Olympiad.

Include a clear, balanced budget (this means your income and your expenditure must be the same and include how much you are requesting from the People Dancing programme). You should show how you have worked out the costs in your budget.

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the process

Proposal submission and timelines. The programme runs for 3 years: 2009/2010, 2010/2011 and 2011/2012. Proposals need to be submitted by the following deadlines each year:

8th May and 6th November 2009 9th April and 3rd September 2010 4th February and 8th July 2011 You will receive an email or letter acknowledging your proposal within 10 working days of us receiving it. Following receipt of your proposal it will usually take 6 weeks to let you know the decision. Sometimes it will be necessary for us to contact you to clarify some of the information before the decision is made.

Dancefest Street. Photo by Kate Brookes.

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Support is available to help you shape your proposal through surgeries held around the region. To find out when the next surgery will be held in your area and to book a place please email [email protected]

If successful, we will send you an agreement for you to sign and return, and will ask you to provide us with the details of your bank or building society so that the commissioning monies can be paid into your account by BACS. You will also receive an information pack which includes:

Details of how we will work together. How you should monitor your project and measure its impact. When and how you will be paid. How to meet the publicity requirements of the programme. Confirmation of the project costs we cannot fund. Agreement signatories must be at least 18 years old. We operate a complaints procedure. If your proposal is rejected and you disagree with the reasons for this you should contact [email protected] in the first instance.

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what we can commission (and what we can’t)

Examples of costs we can fund include:

Some of the things we cannot fund include:

Artistic costs

Projects which start within two months of the deadline for which the proposal is being submitted. Projects should start at least two months beyond the deadline date to allow for decision-making and project start-up (three months if you also plan to apply for Arts Council England Grants for the Arts funds to support your project).

Community/young people engagement Staffing Materials/equipment Venue hire Marketing and publicity

Projects that provide no benefit to the people of the West Midlands.

CRB checks

Recoverable VAT

Training costs

Commercial bodies

For further guidance on what we can and cannot fund 181 please contact [email protected]

Red by Sonia Sabri Company. Photo by Roy Peters.

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if your proposal is successful

Post-award requirements. Publicity and logos

Monitoring

You/your organisation will be required to meet the publicity requirements of the programme, including displaying the programme logos and/or using some generic wording on all of your publicity materials for your project.

All successful projects will be required to undertake some simple information gathering in order to monitor progress, improve the programme and measure long term impact. Guidance on how to capture the information will be provided.

The Cultural Olympiad

How we will treat the information that you share with us: Any information which you provide to us will be handled in full compliance with the Data Protection Act (1998). Please see www.ico.gov.uk for further information.

To become part of the official four year London 2012 Cultural Olympiad programme, your project or event will need to go through an application process to obtain the official 2012 Inspire Mark, after you have raised finances for your project. Please note that the funding for your project must be compatible with London 2012’s ability to raise funding from its commercial partners. Your project must be wholly funded or likely to be funded from 1) public sector sources; 2) private individuals; 3) commercial sources that are not in material and direct competition with London 2012 partners. Please visit www.london2012.com for more information on the Cultural Olympiad.

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Ensemble by Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company.

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what next?

Please send your proposal to:

People Dancing Arts Council England West Midlands 82 Granville Street Birmingham B1 2LH Or email it to:

[email protected] You will receive an email or letter acknowledging your proposal within 10 working days of us receiving it. Contact us for any further information: [email protected]

Dancefest Breakdance. Photo by Poppy Marriott.

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This document can be provided in alternative languages or alternative formats. Please contact: [email protected] 23