Bath Dance has announced that it’s been awarded £67,044 through Arts Council England’s grants to build on the success of its first two years and take its programme to August 2016.
Bath Dance aims to make B&NES a place where dance inspires and thrives. Thanks to this funding, Bath Dance can make it even easier for people of all ages and ability to access dance as makers, participants and audience members.
Over the next two years, Bath Dance will focus on sharing information, offering support to dancers and dance organisations and co-producing exciting dance events that would otherwise not be seen in B&NES.
This includes hosting the prestigious South West Regional Youth Dance Platform at the new University of Bath, Centre for the Arts in 2016.
Lisa Lort, Creative Producer for Bath Dance, said: “We are excited to be working again with Arts Council England and in partnership with ICIA, University of Bath to continue to support the development of dance in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES).”
Phil Gibby, Area Director, South West, Arts Council England, added: “Bath Dance has made a significant impact on the dance sector, both in Bath and in the wider south west region, in a relatively short time.
“This award of £67,044 through the National Lottery funded Grants for the arts scheme will support them in continuing to develop future talent and deliver inspirational dance activities for everyone to enjoy.”
John Struthers, Director for ICIA, University of Bath said: “We are extremely pleased with this funding and thankful to Arts Council England for their continued support and investment in Bath Dance, a significant achievement in the current funding climate and towards the next phase of dance development here in B&NES.”
Bath Dance was established in 2011 and is hosted by ICIA, University of Bath.
Recent successes include presenting Protein Dance’s (In)visible Dancing in Southgate Street to an audience of over 10,000 people in June 2014 and Bath DanScape, an exhibition in public spaces across Bath showcasing local dancers in local landscapes from Jane Austen Dancers to Somerset Morris and B&NES Youth Dance Group in 2013.
One of these photographs can still be seen in the waiting room on Platform 1 of Bath Spa train station.