ANNUAL REVIEW ANNUAL REVIEW 2020 - 2021 2020 - 2021
Summer Dance School, 2020. Image from film by Ravi Deepres
East London Youth Dance Company. Image from film by Nice One Films
INTRODUCTION How do you begin to assess a year like 2020-21? Due to the COVID pandemic, it was and still is a very difficult and precarious time for the arts. As we know, many arts organisations lost staff and had to completely shut down. We were incredibly fortunate to be able to retain our staff team and keep chipping away. Much of the work we do is based around building up resilience and mental wellbeing in young people and artists. Throughout the year the effect of this focus really shone through as our team, participants and artists showed incredible resilience in the face of adversity. We survived, we adapted, we came together online, and we created new communities and different ways of working. We ended up more than just chipping away, and as this report shows, we achieved a huge amount in very trying circumstances. From a performance with the BBC Singers to online activity including dance battles, a dance festival, careers advice events, and hundreds of online dance classes. Like the rest of the cultural sector, our commitment to our communities and the arts never wavered. Behind the scenes, we also continued to secure a new permanent home for East London Dance. I am especially proud, as I step away from the organisation after 18 years and make way for new leadership from the wonderful Tia Hassan and Kate Scanlan, that through robust planning, listening to our communities and the secured legacy of The Talent House, we have laid strong foundations for an exciting, creative and resilient next chapter for the organisation. Polly Risbridger, Outgoing Chief Executive & Artistic Director, East London Dance
OUR REACH 2020-2021
13,389 Audiences
16 Performances & Events
13,389 Video Views Broadcast & Online
2,145
525
60%
Participants
Workshops & Classes
Free Activity
105
9
61
Artists Employed
Artists Commissioned
Artists & Producers Mentored
OUR LOCALLY ROOTED DANCE ENGAGEMENT The pandemic meant that all our activity moved online but that did not stop us fully engaging with our participants across a number of programmes. Despite moving online, our youth dance programme retained 84% of the participant numbers recorded the previous year with in-person classes. Furthermore, levels of engagement across the two years were identical, with each participant averaging 14 sessions per year. What was also incredibly encouraging is that a third of this year’s participants were joining us for the first time, meaning that by going online, we managed to engage new participants we may have never otherwise reached! A number of our programmes gave participants the opportunity to create dance films that spoke to their hopes and concerns. Summer Dance School participants worked with Lily Dettmer from Studio Wayne McGregor to explore identity; the East London Youth Dance Company delved into themes around the Black Lives Matter movement and unity with Jade Hackett from ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company; participants from On The Move showed what creativity means to them; and our company of older people Leap of Faith explored first impressions, taking inspiration from work by Luca Silvestrini’s Protein. They can all be viewed on our YouTube channel. Moving online also allowed us to offer regular resilience coaching to all our youth participants and introduce a wide range of guest dance artists and companies such as BirdGang Ltd for them to learn from.
On The Move “What I really like about East London Dance is the community and how friendly everyone is” On The Move Participant “When I’m feeling quite annoyed or frustrated, dance normally makes me feel better because I can express my feelings without actually saying anything” On The Move Participant “These sessions were truly needed in these unusual times. The dance sessions helped my daughter to connect with other children within her age group and gave her more confidence entering the outside world again. She had fun and got lots of exercise which is great.” Parent of On The Move Participant
East London Youth Dance Company “I feel more clear in my mind [after the class], all the negative things have gone.” ELYDC Company Member
Leap of Faith Dancing stAGE, 2010 - Photo by Carmen Klammer
“At the end of filming, I felt on such a high… as if I was back to normal instead of being locked in. Especially for myself because I'm isolating it was such a lift. It took me to a different level, how to cope with everything that's going on.” Leap of Faith Company Member 74% of our participants were of ethnically diverse heritage and 6% were Disabled people
Summer Dance School, 2020. Image from film by Ravi Deepres
On The Move Participants, 2021 Photo by Chris O'Donovan
PARTICIPANT PROFILE - JOELLA Joella first joined East London Dance in the spring of 2020 at the age of 10, attending our On The Move dance programme funded by HeadStart Newham. “She wanted something multicultural and also feasible financially, so I couldn’t believe it was free” Joella’s Mum The pandemic meant Joella’s only experience of East London Dance for her first year was digital. This didn’t put her off though, as she attended a total of 48 sessions. “Dance made me want to get out and exercise more, it’s like a fun way of exercising. I can just be free... [The coaching] made me think more and be more brave, and have more passion in what I am doing” Joella Although she couldn't meet her class mates in-person she still made good friends. “I have experienced lots of styles and it’s fun to work with On The Move ... Everyone from the friends, to the teachers have supported me” Joella Plus, being online allowed Joella to share the experience with her family as her five younger siblings watched her dance. “Everyone is helping her get ready. Someone will bring the water, ask her if she wants a snack, we’re all part of it. Dad’s listening to the tunes. Everyone is just involved, and it’s just positive the whole atmosphere” Joella’s Mum Although Joella has always enjoyed dancing these were her first ever dance classes. She has grown her skills and confidence to the extent that when she recently took part in our summer dance school at English National Ballet’s new home, ENB were so impressed they invited her back to take part in their own summer school.
Joella at ENB, 2021
East London Youth Dance Company. Images from film by Nice One Films
OUR TALENT INCUBATION Through the challenges of the pandemic, we signposted artists and producers to available funding and resources, provide them with access to networks, and through training days continued teaching the skills required to succeed in the industry and in life. With new criteria announced for Arts Council funding of smaller projects, we invited Arts Council to come and talk through the changes with local independent dance artists and producers. We then followed this up with three funding application advice sessions. The cohort of our year-long Fi.ELD (future innovators) programme excelled themselves when given the opportunity to produce an online event, creating an interactive, online multi-arts festival exploring the concept of family. In June 2020, as part of a consortium of sector partners, we invited 12 incredible creatives to join the first cohort of We Move, a programme designed to cultivate and develop diverse hip hop dance theatre leaders and decision makers who will go on to change the arts and culture sector. The programme offers essential producing and industry skills, one-to-one mentoring and coaching, plus the chance to pitch for professional development bursaries and paid work secondments in the arts sector. The year also saw the completion of a dance facilitation programme that trained dance artists to upskill schoolteachers with minimal dance experience in the skills needed to confidently teach dance to their pupils. It culminated in Dance Literacy, a programme that saw dance artists and teachers work together with school pupils combining literacy and dance to explore themes such as Windrush and climate change.
Advice Sessions “The support we have had from East London Dance over the years has been absolutely invaluable and we would not be where we are without it.” Arts Council England Funding Advice Session Participant
We Move “Amazing incredible opportunity which I am so grateful for, I am being pushed out of my comfort zone and the learning is real” We Move Cohort Member “The opportunity for paid employment in such an inspiring organisation is priceless at the best of times but in a pandemic it’s off the scale” We Move Cohort Member
The Fi.ELD “The training during the Fi.ELD has provided all those things that I did not learn or get guidance with, in my previous training. Without the Fi.ELD my confidence, knowledge and skill set would be very different and I would not be this ready to start a career in the creative industry” The Fi.ELD Cohort Member “My previous training was very artistic, so it was really great to have dedicated focussed training on production and logistics, but most importantly the opportunity to use our training in a real-life scenario, with real money and real contracts and learn on the job” The Fi.ELD Cohort Member
MESA Festival - ScreenShare, 2020. Image from film Hygge by Ana Garcia Delgado
ARTIST PROFILE - JOSH FRANKLIN We’ve been big fans of the work done by New Movementz Founder and Artistic Director, Josh Franklin, over the past decade and more. So much so that we've historically supported New Movementz to host their annual under 18s dance battle event (the UK’s biggest). This year as our classes went digital, we invited Josh to share his years of dance knowledge and experience with our young participants, through regular online classes. With Josh’s guidance and encouragement they learned the skills and confidence needed to grab the spotlight and battle each other at an end of year, winnertakes-all online battle event. "I've thoroughly enjoyed teaching and collaborating with young dance artists, working on improving their battling skills. To see the confidence some of them brought to the table or gained during the process was amazing!" Josh Josh was also one of a 12-strong cohort of hip hop dance creatives and producers who took part in We Move - a year-long leadership development programme in partnership with Boy Blue, Breakin’ Convention, East London Dance, University of East London and ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company, tailored to the needs of hip hop creatives looking to raise their game and elevate the art form to the next level. "Taking part in We Move gave me the opportunity to connect with other leaders in the industry and to take the initiative in learning more to further my development." Josh
Josh Franklin. Photo by Tom Bowen
New Movementz, 2019. Photo by Rory James
OUR ROLE AS A CREATIVE PRODUCER Everything we produced during the pandemic focused on, or was led by, the artists and participants that we work with. We were thrilled to produce a collaboration between Krump artist Duwane Taylor, alongside dancers Jonadette Carpio and Viviana Rocha, and The BBC Singers. The BBC Radio 3 concert, to music by Veljo Tormis, was streamed online. Our future innovators produced an epic online festival of podcasts, dance film screenings, installations, talks and interactive activities, bringing together 65 artists, 833 participants and 3000 audience members across 21 countries in an exploration and celebration of family. A number of them then went on to co-produce RISE, a two-day interactive career and networking event for students, graduates and early career artists. Codesigned with alumni of China Plate’s Young Producers and One Dance UK’s Dance Ambassadors, the event aimed to explore and support routes into the creative sector. As well as the numerous short films created with our participants, we also produced an online dance battle event for them to build their confidence, sharpen their performance skills and express themselves under the spotlight in a competitive but supportive environment. It was an incredible experience with professional judges and dancing avatars, created by young people from our dance and technology project VR Dance; everyone is looking forward to being able to repeat the event inperson!
MESA Festival “Blood + Water is a wonderfully personal, intimate and immersive experience that deserves to be explored and for its voices to be heard… thoughtfully constructed, mesmerising and unexpected.” MESA Festival - Blood + Water Audience Member “I felt that the event was inclusive and represented diverse views. Panellists were open and frank about their experiences and the facilitator managed the interaction well.” MESA Festival - Mothxrhood Panel Talk Audience Member
RISE Careers Event “I particularly enjoyed the sense of reassurance that pervaded the whole event regarding building a career in the arts industry and the feeling of not having to be perfect and know everything all the time.” RISE Delegate “The RISE event was brilliant, exactly what I needed after an extended period of unemployment. I felt more motivated than ever after attending the event and it provided me with a lot of practical advice and tips with regards to my career and networking.” RISE Delegate “The fact that the event was online gave me the opportunity to attend. It would not have been possible otherwise.” RISE Delegate
BBC Radio 3 Concert with BBC Singers, 2020. Image from BBC footage
Dancing Avatars created by participants of VR Dance, 2021
DANCE PARTNERSHIP & LEADERSHIP We couldn’t do what we do as an organisation without partnership. It is fundamental to our working practice, from our organisational networks, such as Dance Cluster East, the UK Dance Network and the Dance Learning and Participation Network; to our Talent House partner UD; to programme partners such as Sadler’s Wells, Studio Wayne McGregor, BirdGang Ltd, Werkflow, Boy Blue, Breakin’ Convention and ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company; to the artists and participants that we co-design our programmes with. Through our youth panel, and programmes such as City Leaders, The Fi.ELD and We Move, we are giving current and future leaders skills and experience needed to be the voice of their generation and shape the arts and culture of our future. This year our partnerships have been even more vital to our ongoing mission than ever. In the wake of George Floyd's murder, and the subsequent renewed urgency behind the Black Lives Matter movement, we have been doing a lot of listening to our communities and exploring the most proactive and effective ways that we can be an antiracist organisation. Our partnerships also helped us come together as a sector. We co-founded an Executive Directors action learning set and network for mid-scale dance organisations to share knowledge, skills and ideas to navigate the extreme difficulties of the pandemic. We also joined the national cohort programme Change Creation led by People Make it Work to support our substantial organisational change as we prepare to move into The Talent House.
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW 2020-21 Income Arts Council England
£245,833
(16%)
Personal Donations
£8,485
(1%)
Cultural Recovery Fund & £147,288 Furlough Grants (Covid 19) Local Authority Programme £210,400 Grants & Contracts Other Programme Grants & Income £208,548
(10%)
Earned Income
£14,801
(3%)
Capital Project Grants
£666,802
(44%)
Total Income
£1,502,157
(14%) (14%)
Expenditure Raising Funds
£52,864
(5%)
Artist Development
£131,354
(13%)
Performance & Events
£101,379
(10%)
Children & Young People
£274,748
(27%)
Adults & Older People
£51,965
(5%)
Capital Project (Assets)
£393,159
(39%)
Total Expenditure
£1,005, 469*
The information above is an excerpt from the audited accounts for the year ending 31 March 2021. Full audited accounts and Trustees' Report can be obtained from East London Dance or Companies House. *Unspent income is formally ring-fenced for programme and capital project costs in 2021-22.
MESA Festival - ScreenShare, 2020. Image from film Pānchtātvā by Mohika Shankar
East London Dance The Talent House 3 Sugar House Lane London E15 2QS office@eastlondondance.org eastlondondance.org @EastLondonDance /east.london.dance /east.l.dance /EastLondonDancetv Charity no. 1053735 Company registration no. 3167185