FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2012
CONTACT: Laura Henning
PHONE: 202.833.1717 x107
Dance/USA receives $1.748 million to continue innovative pilot program
Washington, DC – Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, announced that it has received a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to renew Engaging Dance Audiences (EDA), the first national funding program and related study of audience engagement practices focused specifically on the art form of dance. Through this three-year, $1,748,000 award Dance/USA members will again benefit through direct funding and professional development.
EDA was conceived in 2008 to significantly increase the dance field’s capacity to engage audiences by researching, implementing and documenting effective and forward-thinking practices, and sharing them with the field. In this second round of EDA, two components will advance the dance field’s effectiveness in audience engagement: professional development, to share methods from Round One, followed by a regranting initiative that will fund members to adapt and implement these methods in their own organizations and communities.
“Sharing what we learned during Round One with our members and the field at large will increase our collective capacity to engage current and new audiences,” said Amy Fitterer, executive director of Dance/USA. “Dance/USA is honored to be given this opportunity to disseminate learning throughout the dance field, and support our members in enhancing these practices with their own knowledge and insight. We are deeply grateful to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for their continued support of this vital project.”
“The first round of Engaging Dance Audiences was an inspiring success, supporting exemplary projects and generating important research for the entire field,” said Ben Cameron, Program Director for the Arts at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. “We are delighted to support a second round of this important work, in which the lessons of the first round can be refined and expanded for the benefit of dance companies and artists across the country.”
EDA’s two components are designed to foster learning and practice in audience engagement. First, Dance/USA will host Learning Exchanges in the spring and summer of 2012, to take place first in New York on May 13 and then in San Francisco on June 27 in conjunction with Dance/USA’s 2012 Annual Conference. Members and others from the field will be encouraged to attend one of these free events in order to learn about audience engagement methods but also to begin shaping ideas for their own application to Round Two, if they choose to apply. During these all-day exchanges among peers, grantees from Round One will be on hand to share the results of their projects, and guide attendees in
adapting methods for their own audiences and communities. Dance/USA will also provide limited travel Engaging Dance Audiences Receives Renewed Support Dance/USA receives $1.748 million to continue innovative pilot program subsidies for its members to attend. Then, a second round of grants will be awarded to Dance/USA members to adapt the ideas from Round One to members’ own organizations and communities.
After an application deadline in the fall of 2012, up to 35 grants at $20,000-$40,000 will be given. Additionally, in an effort to acknowledge the costs of implementing new projects, the grants will be augmented with general operating support of about one-third of the grant amount. Professional Development for members and grantees will continue over the succeeding 18 months, both online and at conferences.
“The leadership and commitment of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation will substantially increase the national dance field’s capacity in audience engagement, which in turn positions us to strengthen our connections with communities across the country. Providing the dance industry with the opportunity to adapt what was learned will be invaluable. We appreciate the continued confidence in Dance/USA through this renewed grant,” said Ruby Lockhart, executive director of Garth Fagan Dance based in Rochester, and chair of Dance/USA’s Board of Trustees.
Visit the Dance/USA website to learn more about EDA.
The EDA Project Manager for the current year is Suzanne Callahan, founder of Callahan Consulting for the Arts, who managed Round One of EDA as well as other re-granting programs for Dance/USA. Kellee Edusei, Dance/USA’s director of member services, begins this year as the EDA program associate and will manage EDA in subsequent years. Rory MacPherson, principal at Trudel | MacPherson and formerly of the Wallace Foundation, will serve as an advisor and facilitator.
About the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (www.ddcf.org) is to improve the quality of people’s lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and the prevention of child maltreatment, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke’s properties.
About Dance/USA
Celebrating 30 years of dance – Established in 1982, Dance/USA is the national service organization for the professional dance field, serving over 460 ballet, modern, ethnic, jazz and tap companies, dance service and presenting organizations, individuals and related organizations. Dance/USA sustains and advances professional dance by addressing the needs, concerns, and interests of artists, administrators and organizations. By providing services and national leadership, Dance/USA enhances the infrastructure for dance creation, education and dissemination. Learn more about Dance/USA and our branch offices by visiting: www.danceusa.org.
