Hello to all dance practitioners  who have recently completed or are trying to complete studies during this year.

My name is Jacky Lansley and I have been working as a dance practitioner for well over 4 decades. While dance has been my main focus I have worked within the different worlds of Independent/New Dance,  community arts, performance /live art, theatre, visual art, film and academia. This broader landscape has influenced my work as a choreographer, performer, teacher and writer, giving me cross art form strategies and skills that have enabled me to survive as an artist, and I do encourage all of you to LOOK FOR INSPIRATION BEYOND DANCE (as well as delving deeply into it).

This moment is very challenging and it has changed our experience of time in so many ways. Many of you will have courses/training on hold, or have had to adapt to study online. Lockdown is scary and negative for all and many of us have been extremely stretched and exhausted as we struggle to adapt to virtual work or find ourselves in very different and demanding personal/domestic situations. The word ‘lockdown’ can, though, perhaps suggest the idea of pause, stop, hold - and could potentially be a time to reflect on: WHAT DO I KNOW - AND WHAT DO I STILL NEED TO LEARN?

Dance education, particularly at university level, emerged in the UK in the 70s/80s, and was very influenced by the more ‘alternative’ fields of  New Dance, Community Dance, Physical Theatre, Fringe Theatre, Live Art, Performance Art etc. However the last few decades have not seen the creation of jobs or sustainable contexts  that dance and performance graduates can join, when leaving the  safety of study and training.  There is now an assumption  that many will have to create their own structure, company or space in order to make and participate in innovative, progressive work - or just to be able to work! This is not practical for many, or indeed emotionally or financially  possible - not everyone can be an independent warrior, and why should they be? We should all have access to the resources we need to make our work and contribute to society; a fellow artist recently said to me WE HAVE A RIGHT TO EXIST!

There are some very important questions  about why we have arrived in this situation (i.e conservative type governments not wanting to support and nurture radicals?) and this pandemic  has revealed that many  thousands of freelance artists from all disciplines are really struggling. It has also provoked a powerful activism and freelancers  are beginning to find a collective voice to identify issues of exploitation and inequality. Many dance practitioners are part of this movement.

I have often reflected that I was very lucky that my early work was sustained by the radical 70s which was all about collective action and togetherness, in the face of oppression of many groups, including artists. There was an understanding that the challenges were too big to face alone.

I would like to suggest that however difficult this moment is,  it presents you as emerging dance practitioners -  who by chance have converged with this pandemic -  the chance to understand that you are part of a diverse, intergenerational community of people with the appropriate creative and leadership skills to contribute towards, no less, saving  the planet and humanity. The world is going to need rational people who are risk takers, with courage and expansive imaginative, cognitive, physical and emotional skills  - LIKE YOU.

Reflecting  on my own experience and early career memories I would like to offer the following to all of you who are beginning your journey (or returning to it):

• Be brave about making choices - though try and be clear about why you are making them. Sometimes emotional distress, whether historical or present time, can get in the way of best thinking. I have always tried  to find a safe space to explore personal feelings, if possible before one makes critical choices.

• Aim to be and remain collaborative and collective, even if you choose to work as a solo artist seek out a support network and community. I have found that working collaboratively has supported me to find my individual voice and strength as an artist - either by working solo within a supportive community context,  or through close collaboration with other artists. I emphasise this, as you may have already found,  artists are not well supported in our society. It may seem to many that being an artist is a lucky, wonderful thing to be - but often this idea is confused with celebrity, glamour and fame - and does not reflect the reality of most working artists, many of whom are freelancers (from choice or not), who have to work very hard to sustain their practice.

•  There will be times when you need to focus on the practical and pragmatic in order to survive (funding applications, taking jobs not related to your practice etc.). However try and remember that  YOUR MAIN RESOURCE IS YOUR CREATIVITY - allow it to sustain you. 

• You will need to keep learning from others and you may seek out opinions about your work - but remember you are your best, most useful critic. You know most about the material you are researching, developing and making (it took me quite a long time to understand this).

•  Whatever happens KEEP GOING, the world needs you.

With hope and warmest wishes to all of you

Jacky 🌹