• Independent Dance Management Network

    An independent dance producing network offering shared knowledge, professional development & training, advocacy and more
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What We Offer

Professional Training

We offer a wide range of training workshops at introductory, general and experienced levels, and our workshops are livestreamed and offered as online study.

 

 

Peer Knowledge & Sharing

As a community of producers and self-producing artists, we share advice, resources, knowledge & tips and assist each other when needed.

 

 

Network Events

We will be holding regular events open to all, including roundtable discussion events and producer counselling afternoons.

 

 

Advocacy & Research

As an independent body, we aim to advocate on behalf of independent dance artists and the wider independent dance sector, using evidence-based research.

 

 

A GFA Support Group

We're planning to set up a support group to support people during the GFA-writing process, with coworking, advice and a supportive community.

A Producing Network

We are an active network of independent dance producers and self-producing dance artists. If you need producing assistance or solidarity, you've come to the right place!

 

 

Discussion Group

We have an active discussion group for sharing news, industry updates, jobs, funding news and more.

 

 

Professional Development

We offer action learning sets for producers, and we offer our members personal development plans, including mentoring, coaching, shadowing, placements and buddying.

 

 

Industry Memberships

We offer our members the benefits of other leading industry memberships (see below for list), through our own memberships and agreements with each.

 

 

1-to-1 Producer Support

Our producers are available for informal advice, 1-to-1 consultations and for adhoc support and work.

Our Corporate Memberships

IDMN offers its members membership benefits of each of the following organisations, including Equity's Industry Information Service

Our Membership

We have tailored our membership to meet the needs of independent dance producers and self-producing artists, and we offer a range of one-year and trial memberships. 

To find out more about what our membership offers, please visit here, and if you'd like to join us, please visit here.

If you are looking for a producer and don't know who to approach, then please email us at [email protected] and it'll be forwarded to all our members.

And if you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]

  

IDMN is supported by

AFP  panda new  poetry wordmark  sw  id   rambert fcd   theatre bristol
 the place  yd  dc  DanceEast 512x500  dance4 logo  pdsw  South East dance logo1  cdf logo

Professional Development

At the heart of IDMN is the professional development of artists and producers to ensure a strong and effective workforce for the sector.

The IDMN TRAINING PROGRAMME of one-day intensive workshops is open to members and non-members and is suitable for artists as well as producers, both freelance or from within organisations.

Our courses provide a unique opportunity to learn something new and develop practical skills, whilst sharing experiences and discussing case studies with peers. Group learning and development is fed by the essential mix of artists, producers and project managers whom attend our sessions and the interaction that is fostered amongst attendees.

 

    "Thank you IDMN: very engaging and experienced leaders opening up an interesting debate. Very stimulating and I have come away with a lot more ideas, knowledge and feeling very inspired!"
    IDMN Training Participant 2013

    'Thanks to the wonderful training received through IDMN I was able to embark on a new career (from a dancer to a manager)'
    Isabel Tamen, Executive Director, Richard Alston Dance Company

    'Attending the day has refocused my mind in order to be pro-active.'

    "It was fascinating to have such an interactive group feeding the session as was the experience sharing that came from that."

    'The session was of immediate relevance and extremely good value'

    "The small group was useful as we could really get to know one anothers ideas. It was great and I really enjoyed the afternoon."

    'A really great day - informative and a relaxed feel... it has really helped me think practically about how I might move forward'

    IDMN Training participants 2011-2013

About Us

Established in 2002, the Independent Dance Management Network (formerly the Independent Dance Manager’s Network) is a forum for existing and new independent arts managers, artists, administrators, producers, promoters, programmers, consultants and agents working across the subsidised and commercial arts sectors in the UK. We are a member-run network that works to develop the sector through networking events, information-sharing, advocacy, change making and occasional training.  We are committed to supporting the development of dance in all its forms through the principles of good management. 

Previously, IDMN has led a number of sector debates (including at British Dance Editions in 2006, 2008, 2010) and played an active role in the production of the Independent Dance Managers' Review and an Independent Dance Managers' Audit of Services.  Working Groups have investigated specific issues and made recommendations with regard to appraisal guidelines, a generic job description and appropriate fee structures for Independent Dance Managers (IDMs).

The membership has grown recently to reflect how Independents are now working within a broad range of contexts. Previously the network was made up of individuals who worked for small-scale dance companies within a management capacity.  However, as the landscape has developed over the past few years membership has been extended to those working across a range of areas within dance; as well as operating in a management capacity for small scale dance companies and artists, some members now also work as programmers, consultants, agents and dance development workers across the performing arts sector.  This wider breadth of skills and experience has enabled the network to stay well connected to the whole industry and representative of the nature of freelance work that makes up a significant part of the sector.

After a transition period in early 2017 of being led by an Executive Committee, IDMN is now run by Chantal Guevara as Chair, and we look forward to spending the coming year helping IDMN to become more proactive and vocal within our industry. We have recently been awarded funding by Arts Funding & Philanthropy for a series of fundraising workshops for experienced producers, and we are awaiting the outcome of our recent organisational development GFA application. 

 

"While I was working as a freelance dance manager I valued my IDMN membership very much. The opportunity to exchange with other members, many of whom had a lot of experience and shared it generously, was great support." - Gitta Wigro, IDMN member 2007-2008

Resources

We're very slowly starting to update this website, and we've now added a video gallery where you can view archives of our talks and events, which you can visit here.

we've also now added some reports written by IDMN members in the early days of IDMN, as well as some funding-specific data for your reference. Those can be viewed and downloaded from here. 

The Network