Big News for FRONTLINEdance!

We’ve been given a conditional offer to be one of Arts Council Englands’ National Portfolio Organisations for 2023 to 2026.

Responses from our Chair Yael Owen-Mckenna and Artistic Director Rachael Lines;

‘During the past 21 years FRONTLINEdance has been working tirelessly with our community of dancers, supporters, advocates, volunteers and champions. Through this work we have been able to offer inclusive opportunities for people to dance, to be creative and to engage with performances as both audiences and participants.

We have also supported other organisations to ensure their work is inclusive and accessible for everyone to enjoy.The vision of the company continues to be realised through the leadership and dedication of our Artistic Director, Rachael Lines and her team of artists and staff. In addition the board past and present, has been key in supporting and driving forward the company’s ambitions. I would like to thank the Board for their support and contributions during this intense application period. There have been triumphs celebrated and challenges faced, always with courage and integrity and always aligned to the vision of FRONTLINEdance.

As Chair of the board I’m beyond proud to learn FRONTLINEdance has been successful in our bid to join the Arts Council Investment Portfolio in 2023-26. The work that has contributed to our successful application has been immense and we are incredibly excited to begin our journey of planning for the future. We will continue to seek new and exciting opportunities, partnerships and people so that our work can thrive, develop and grow across the next 21 years with everyone in our community and beyond.

Congratulations FRONTLINEdance!’

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‘This year we, along with 1,700 arts organisations in England, applied for Arts Council England’s 2023-26 Investment Programme. We applied as we believe the work that we do everyday fits with the aims of Arts Council’s ‘Let’s Create’ strategy. FRONTLINEdance also need the investment, continuity, security, and increased capacity to sustain our current and future offer. We have ambitions to fulfil the dreams that we’ve had for the last 21 years which have not yet been realised. We want to continue to offer exciting and needed creative and artistic activity in our community, and support others in making their organisations accessible and inclusive to all.

On the 4th November 2022, we received the wonderful news that Arts Council England offered FRONTLINEdance (along with 990 others nationally) investment from the ‘2023-26 Investment Programmes for National Portfolio Organisations (NPO)’.

This is the best 21st Birthday present!

Thank you so much to those who have played a part in the FRONTLINEdance story so far. You’ve kept the company going for twenty-one years on a shoestring! I feel incredibly lucky to be Artistic Director of FRONTLINEdance. I feel really proud of what we have achieved over the years and excited about our future. I am truly grateful for all the people I get to meet and work with every day, and being surrounded by great board members, peers, allies, advocates, ambassadors, facilitators, performers, participants, and audiences.‘

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The funding will start in April 2023 meaning FRONTLINEdance will be able to extend and develop what we already do, offer new opportunities and grow as an organisation. More information will be shared nearer the time. For now we have some amazing projects, workshops, performances and training to deliver!