Siobhan Davies RePlay

Project objectives

• To create an accessible digital archive of Siobhan Davies Dance, freely available to all on-line, with appropriate controls in place;
• To significantly enhance the quality, range and availability of materials offered to researchers in dance and related fields;
• To develop original scholarly materials for the archive that develops from the synthesis of existing and new materials;
• To draw from and build on new directions/initiatives in digital production to present dance resources in new ways;
• To provide models to show how the scholarly application of Davies’ material could be applied to the work of other choreographers.

Research impact

As the first major digital dance archive of its kind Siobhan Davies RePlay has benefitted those within the dance, performance and archiving communities, including students, researchers, artist practitioners, teachers and arts professionals. Whatley and her project team continue to be invited to speak about the archive and the work involved in its creation at national and international arts events. The project and the research that has flowed from it, have been influential in developing other digital archiving projects in dance and performance; within and beyond the UK, having had significant cultural, economic and educational impact.

Much work has been undertaken by the research team in IP, copyright and licences for distributing performing arts audio-visual material online. These processes have assisted others working with content which is collectively ‘authored’, or when the owners of the content cannot be easily traced, by providing information and models of good practice. These research outcomes have thus offered both direct and indirect economic benefits at international levels. The research has enhanced cultural life by developing audiences and making dance more accessible and easier to understand, it has enabled British contemporary dance to be exported internationally in a new way. The research has influenced national and international organisations such as Arts Council England, who mention that the archive influenced the strategic development of the Arts Council’s own web-based project called “The Space” – in partnership with the BBC. User numbers far outstrip audience numbers for live dance performances, thereby increasing public engagement with dance.