Investment Programme

Summary

The Dance Hub Birmingham (DHB) Strategic Investment Programme ran from 2022 to 2023, with three open calls.

DHB sought to grow a true partnership spirit, building on decades of dance achievement in Birmingham and the wider region, and positioning this as a globally significant area for dance.

The Investment Programme aimed to invest in a diverse range of projects that make dance a vibrant and resilient contributor to the artistic and economic life of Birmingham and the West Midlands, achieving significant long-term benefits.

Proposals were required to bring together multiple partners in order to make a significant step change for the sector.

Proposals that sought to make an intervention across more than one of our investment priority areas are actively encouraged.

The four investment priorities were:

Cross-cutting themes:  Diversity and representation, along with Artform and Sector research.

Selected Projects

Please visit here for full details of the original brief. For summaries of the selected projects visit here

Findings & Themes

Thinking Practice was commissioned by Dance Hub Birmingham Steering Group to produce an evaluation of the Investment Programme. The following headline summary of findings and themes is structured around our four central evaluation questions, and themes emerging. It also relates to the investment priorities set out by Dance Hub Birmingham:

 

 

Impact on the dance ecology

  • Growing collaborative connections: more dialogue, trust and connectivity
  • Strengthened connections across scale helping to level hierarchies 
  • Skills and Practitioner Development in response to market need

 

Added value

  • Seven investments with a total investment of £281,295 into projects amounting to £512,899.
  • Significant match support of 45.1% of predicted expenditure
  • Partnerships, collective leadership and learning emerging via multiple groups
  • Projects have enhanced profile for Birmingham as a centre for dance

 

Enablers and barriers to change

  • Enablers: investment, partnership focus, rigour, time and space
  • Barriers to change: lack of investment-readiness, lack of capacity, lack of space, capacity constraints, a challenging external environment

 

Opportunities for the future

  • Potential for a useful cluster with co-investing partners and paying customers
  • Investment in the ecology as well as constituent parts
  • Shared resources, collective working, spaces – increasing but more needed
  • Steering group modelling culture change – from competition to collaboration

 

Building Creative Resilience

  • A stronger story of dance in Birmingham emerging, and potential to do more
  • Networks have been built that have enhanced diversity and inclusion
  • Confidence leading to action and models for inclusion and sustainability and to potential for a Growth and Development Framework

 

“With investment from DHB, Sampad has been able to support our creative aspirations, championing the fresh, dynamic and relevant nature of intercultural work. We’re proud to be taking exciting steps forward in our dance careers.”

Vidya Patel, dance artist, on About the Elephant

“DHB funding has enabled me to research and investigate new methods of reaching new audiences both online and in real life settings. In focussing on discovering new audiences, I have made a step-change in my own choreographic practice and crafting.”

Jamaal Burkmar, Extended Play

“DHB funds enabled us to create our first group piece Torus. This trust and investment were vital in giving us the time and resources to make this big step, and in attracting other funders, co-commissioners and international collaborators.”

Rudi Cole and Júlia Robert Parés, Humanhood

“DHB funding has allowed me to reflect on my role as a leader. This has informed the way I communicate and understand communication styles, and has changed my approach as a Director, as a Choreographer, as a Dancer and as a Teacher.”

Laura Vanhulle, Vanhulle Dance Theatre

“DHB investment has supported me in building long-lasting relationships with festival promoters, directors and fellow makers, as well as creating new and exciting partnerships with other arts organisations for the development of current and future work.”

Johnny Autin, Autin Dance Theatre

“Navigate, our Black Choreographers Project funded by DHB, has been a real-life demonstration of the importance of cultural exchange. It has opened doors for artists and given them a purpose and starting point for a conversation they haven’t had before.”

Gail and Ian Parmel, ACE dance and music

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