INCLUSIVE TRAINING – FOCUS GROUP CALL OUT

The Inclusive Training Partnership is a collaboration between Phoenix Dance Theatre, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Northern Ballet and MeshDance. The organisations have come together to identify a need around increasing the workforce & strengthening skills of dance artists working in inclusive participatory settings.

We are aiming to provide paid placement training opportunities for new dance facilitators (with a view to provide opportunity for emerging, neurodiverse & disabled artists) and upskill the wider dance work force of Leeds.

The organisations are currently in the stages of planning and applying for funding and wish to consult/ connect with recent graduates, alumni and emerging artists / artists interested in inclusive practice (based in or local to Leeds/ West Yorkshire), to better understand the interest of locally based artists in this area of work & to get a better understanding as to the value & need of the potential opportunity.

Training placement opportunities would look to be a yearlong and provide experience working with four companies, in different areas of inclusive dance practice. There will also be two larger scale training days, open to all, where dance artists can develop and build upon their practice. The training will be delivered by the four companies. Our aim is to provide a unique opportunity for artists to develop skills in this area, developing the workforce. Long term, this can increase the quality and amount of accessible provision on offer in our region. The programme will provide examples of best practice, support artists through practical experience, and foster strong inclusive practice partnerships across West Yorkshire and beyond.

We are looking for 10-15 emerging artists, alumni & artists interested in inclusive practice, to come together for a focus group on Tuesday 5 March at 6.30pm-7.15pm. This focus group will help inform the partnership and the future inclusive training placement/ opportunities created by the 4 organisations.

We are ideally looking for artists who:

• Have an interest in working inclusively (you do not need current experience of working within inclusive settings)
• Are interested in upskilling / skills development around inclusive practice/ best models of practice
• Are based in / around Leeds & plan to stay based in the locality

If interested in attending the focus group, please contact Jade.Aitchison@nscd.ac.uk by Thursday 29 February.

Any questions please contact Jade Aitchison – Learning & Participation Co-ordinator at NSCD – Jade.Aitchison@nscd.ac.uk 0113 219 3005