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YDE - Onwards & Upwards!

22/03/09

BARBARA FOLLETT MP TO OPEN YOUTH DANCE ENGLAND CONFERENCE, ONWARDS & UPWARDS!

Youth Dance England (YDE), the national organisation that champions dance for all children and young people, is delighted to announce that Barbara Follett MP, Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism, is to open Onwards & Upwards!, which takes place at The Mermaid Conference and Events Centre on 2nd and 3rd April 2009.

Barbara Follett MP said of her presence at the Conference “I am delighted to be able to attend the Youth Dance England Conference, especially as it will give me a chance to see how things have progressed in the year since the publication of Tony Hall’s Review of the quality and provision of dance in this country. Youth Dance England has a pivotal role in the development of a national youth dance strategy and I look forward to discussing this with them at the Conference. We have a great dance tradition in Britain and are renowned for our innovative, boundary breaking approach thanks to organisations like Youth Dance England.”

Onwards & Upwards! focuses on the growing importance and popularity of dance both as an art form and physical activity and the subsequent recognition YDE has been awarded by the government to encourage and promote dance activity both in and out of school contexts.

YDE is at the forefront of developing opportunities in youth dance on a national scale. The Conference sets out to address these opportunities and will have a specific focus on the impact dance makes on young people’s health and wellbeing, how YDE is working to increase partnerships that can deliver dance to all children and young people from all backgrounds and abilities, and how to evolve a greater offering of dance genres within youth dance settings.

Linda Jasper, Director, YDE stated today ‘We are delighted that Barbara Follett MP has agreed to open Youth Dance England's national Conference Onwards & Upwards! With her department's support, young people across the country now have many more opportunities to take part in dance as both participants and viewers. This Conference will bring together the professionals and young delegates who are making these opportunities happen, to discuss how we make the most of the government's investment of £5.5million, awarded to YDE in 2008, to build a secure future for young people's dance.”

Special guests at Onwards & Upwards! include: Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England; Tony Hall, Chief Executive, Royal Opera House; Wayne McGregor, Artistic Director, Random Dance and Youth Dance Champion; Kymberlee Jay, Choreographer and Patron, Youth Dance England.

Notes on Youth Dance England
Youth Dance England is the national organisation that champions dance for children and young people. We work to ensure that dance is available to all, both in and out of school settings. Through a shared vision with the national youth dance network and other partners, our aim is to increase access, raise standards and improve progression routes.

www.yde.org.uk

 

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