Towards a Graduate Company

The cross cutting themes of infrastructure, progression, production and the establishment of a Regional Dance Strategy Group underpins the work of the North West Higher Education Dance Consortium. As a result of a successful application to Arts Council England, a sub group was created to consider the current position of dance in the North West, which includes increasing employment opportunities for graduates and a move towards the development of high quality dance practice, process and production. Retaining regional graduates by providing more sector specific training opportunities for the dance community is a priority and this research suggests a way forward towards a graduate company. In recent years the dance community have engaged in a number of consultations, reports and conferences considering the standard of dance provision in England. It is hoped that this report will add value to 'Mapping Dance' by Susanne Burns (2007), which details the scale of dance provision in the higher education sector with particular reference to how the experience develops employability and entrepreneurial skills in the student dancer. ‘Mapping Dance’ will underpin the key areas of research for the NWHEDC as it serves to highlight the need for the ‘graduate voice’ to be heard when shaping a vision for the future. The report suggests the need to consider graduate progression and the “trajectory of a career in the dance world post graduation”.