'Strictly' Inclusive: Policy Brief
Project team
Collaborators
BBC
Deaf Cultural Centre
People Dancing
UK Equality Dance Council
One Dance UK
Paradance UK
Total value
£8000
Duration
December 2022 - July 2023
Project overview
This project expands on the outcomes of the ‘Strictly’ Inclusive: Co-creating the Past, Present and Future project by developing a policy brief aiming to enhance the diversity of programmes, such as Strictly Come Dancing. This project includes meeting with stakeholders from a range of organisations, including People Dancing (the Foundation for Community Dance), the BBC, local D/deaf and disabled communities, and LGBT+ organisations. This will be to ensure that the policy brief is not only informed by a breadth of stakeholders, but also to focus on the core issues and key headlines prevalent to these communities. Team attendance at the Dance All-Party Parliamentary Group, to present the work (negotiated through our relationship with One Dance UK as the liaison organisation for the APPG), will help inform the brief and receive feedback from stakeholders. We will also hold a dissemination event with partner organisations invited to attend and present ideas in response to the policy brief.
Project objectives
This project aims to synthesise the findings from the original ‘Strictly’ Inclusive project and outline recommendations for diversifying and increasing representation on dance TV programmes in the UK and raising the profile of dance as an inclusive activity for all. This engages with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport priorities, including ‘encouraging participation, sustaining excellence and promoting Britain, and supporting our media’ (DCMS 2022), as well as supporting future strategic planning for the BBC.
Impact statement
This project is an exciting opportunity to build upon the relationship established with the BBC through the ‘Strictly’ Inclusive project (and other partner organisations) and to produce a high-quality, impactful policy brief that will be used to inform policy makers as to the value of more representative and inclusive dance activity for public audiences.
By meeting with partner organisations we are focusing on lived experience and situated knowledge of those who belong to the communities Strictly wants to represent and include through its programming. Sharing this research at the All Party Parliamentary Group for Dance, on national and local radio shows and by attending conference events, helps us in raising the visibility and impact of this work through wider engagement and influence.
Outputs
- Policy Brief document
- Policy Brief film
- Discussing the project on local radio stations:
- BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Radio
- BBC 5Live
- BBC Scotland
- BBC Local (Beds, Bucks and Herts)
- BBC Three Counties Radio
