CDA in collaboration with Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and Serendipity
Primary academic supervisor: Kate Elswit
Secondary academic supervisor: Tia Monique Uzor
Collaborative Partner lead contact: Pawlet Brookes

This Collaborative Doctoral project between Central and Serendipity produces the first comprehensive study of the impact of Arts Council policy on the careers of Black women in the subsidised dance sector from 1985–2020. While Arts Council funding is often used as background context in studies of Black British dance, the project both develops a systematic overview and presents 15 case studies of Black women dance artists that engage the entanglements between performance and cultural power. Plotting the artistic outcomes and career trajectories of Black women against key Arts Council policy and reports will enable the student to critically interrogate the impact of intersectional oppression within dance historically and its legacies today. Thus, the project will generate alternative historical narratives of women who have been overlooked by British Dance. Working with the project partner Serendipity, the research will develop educational resources for dance students and audiences, and policy recommendations that will be published and presented to the Arts Council. The studentship will bring cultural industry, Arts policy and critical theory into dialogue and will enable the project partner Serendipity to better advocate for the next generation of arts funding for Black British women.
For queries specific to the project, please contact project supervisor Kate Elswit on kate.elswit@cssd.ac.uk