Inspiration Day

MONDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2024

RICH MIX, LONDON, E1 6LA

10am-5pm (arrival from 9.30am, drinks reception & networking 5-6pm)

An impactful and memorable day of conversations, focussed on career development for dancers. For all those working in the dance sector.

With brilliant speakers, informative panel discussions, extraordinary personal stories, valuable networking opportunities and a market-place of industry experts – served-up alongside delicious food and pop-up creative offerings to fuel our conversations – we challenge you not to be motivated and inspired!

The day will be relevant to dancers (of all genres and at any career stage) and anyone who works with performing artists, including Producers, Artistic Directors and Educators.

THE EVENT PROGRAMME

Keynote Speaker
Nandita Shankardass (Performing Artist, Clore Emerging Leader Alumni)

Taking charge of your career
The career ladder is a dead concept.
How do dancers develop and juggle portfolio careers?
How do dancers’ skills and qualities position them to successfully move into different professions and industries?

Featuring:
Leigh Thomas (Global marketing & technology executive, previously VP at Meta and MD at Saatchi & Saatchi) plus former dancers now working in different industries:

Joel Gläfke (Sport & performance psychology lecturer / consultant)
Judy Leering (Financial Consultant)
Brandon O’Dell (Director, Omscholing Dansers)
Neil Skidmore (Director, JSO Productions, event organisers)

Making the most of career breaks
How can dancers develop their career and skill-set whilst not dancing?
e.g. when injured, caring or between projects.

Featuring: Professor Angela Pickard (Professor of Dance Education, Canterbury Christ Church University) plus dancers sharing their experiences:

Avatâra Ayuso (Artistic Director, Ava Dance Company)
Jon Beney (Co-Artistic Director, Tenfoot Dance Company)

Changemakers and Leadership
How does dancing prepare people to be good leaders and to influence change?
What does it take, or even mean, to be a leader in today’s society?

Featuring: Hilary Carty (Executive Director, Clore Leadership) in conversation with Vanessa Lefrancois (Executive Director, Dancers’ Career Development) plus former dancers in leadership positions, including:

Laura Jones (Co-Artistic Director, Stopgap Dance Company)
Niquelle LaTouche (Head of Academy Breakin’ Convention)
Anthony Missen (Co-Artistic Director, Company Chameleon)
Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE (Joint Assistant Director of Culture and Creativity, London Borough of Haringey / Freelance Creative Consultant)

Future proofing your career
What are the skills dancers will need to succeed in the future?
Talking employability, adaptability and upskilling.

Featuring:

Liz Dimmock (CEO & Founder, Moving Ahead)
Skills Builder Partnership
Steve White-Cooper (Founder, add-victor)

Creative offerings…

Ava Dance Company – ANGEL VR (award-winning virtual reality experience)
Akeim Toussaint Buck (Artistic Director, Toussaint To Move) – film: Reckoning
Kavya Iyer Ramalingam (Seeta Patel Dance) – dance solo
Francesca Miles (Dancer, Creative Producer & DJ) – dance solo & DJ set

Industry market-place and networking

Catering
Oitij-Jo Collective

How to Book

In-person ticket, attending as an individual (e.g. as a freelancer)
£30
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In person ticket, attending on behalf of an organisation (e.g. as an employee)
£45
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Online ticket, join us virtually
£15
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Free tickets and travel bursaries

We have a small number of free in-person tickets for individuals who are in receipt of Universal Credit. These will be offered on a first-come first-served basis, to those who are eligible.

We can also offer some travel bursaries to help with costs, for those traveling from outside London for whom travel costs would be a barrier to attending. DCD has a limited budget for this, so please only request if travel costs would stop you from attending.

If you are traveling from inside London and cannot use public transport due to access needs, please let us know.

To enquire about free tickets and/or support with travel costs, please email dancers@thedcd.org.uk putting INSPIRATION EVENT in the email header.

NB: Please do not proceed with purchasing your ticket if you are requesting a free ticket and/or can only attend if you receive a travel bursary. We will need to review your request prior to you making your booking.

Venue information – including access and how to get there.

For updates, please follow DCD on social media or sign up to receive our enewsletter.

As DCD comes to the end of its 50^th year, during which time it has awarded retraining grants to over 2,500 dancers, this day will help us identify how we can work strategically with partners in and beyond the dance sector to help realise the career potential of every former dancer. We will share the learnings and wisdom of those we’ve supported, and discover how dancers can adapt and enhance their employability

Please join us to consider, progress and celebrate the boundless potential of our dance community.

The Inspiration Day forms part of DCD’s 50^th Anniversary programme and follows Inspiration Events held recently in Leeds, Swindon and Birmingham, in partnership with Yorkshire Dance, Swindon Dance, The Jam Festival and Sampad. This Event is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

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