Dance Umbrella is pleased to be working in partnership with the British Council on a new two-year collaboration as part of our wider Diversifying Curatorial Stewardship (DCS) programme.
Spanning the 2026 and 2027 festival editions, this partnership will support new curatorial leadership, deepen international exchange, and create meaningful opportunities for dance practitioners working in countries in the Global South. At its heart is a shared commitment – exploring how work is programmed, who curates and whose voices shape the future of the dance and wider arts sector.
In 2023, the British Council supported Dance Umbrella's presentation of HATCHED ENSEMBLE by South African dance artist Mamela Nyamza, across four nights on the Barbican theatre main stage. Photo credit Mark Wessels.
Diversifying Curatorial Stewardship
The Diversifying Curatorial Stewardship programme, planned to start in 2026, is Dance Umbrella’s long-term commitment to addressing structural imbalances in representation and leadership across dance. The programme is designed to:
- Nurture emerging talent and sustainable career pathways for under-represented artists
- Widen curatorial leadership, particularly for Global Majority practitioners
- Model non-hierarchical, collaborative approaches to programming
- Contribute to long-term, systemic change in the sector
Through our partnership with the British Council, this work is internationally connected, drawing on global networks to support research, dialogue and artistic exchange.
What the partnership will support
Across two festival editions, the partnership will see sustained investment in artists from the Global South in Dance Umbrella’s festivals, alongside professional development opportunities for curators and artists.
Alongside this, the programme will bring international artists and delegates to the UK, while enabling Dance Umbrella and guest curators to connect directly with artists, festivals and curatorial voices in Global South countries.
Year One: 2026
The 2026 programme will focus on research, relationship-building and co-curation. Dance Umbrella will undertake research visits to the African Dance Biennale at École des Sables in Senegal, supported by the British Council, including hosting a think tank with artists and curators to seed ideas for future collaboration.
Dance Umbrella Festival 2026 will also welcome a Visiting Artist Delegation and feature an Artist Panel or presentation, co-curated by Dance Umbrella and international partners, shaped by conversations taking place across these research visits.
Year Two: 2027
An emerging curator will be supported to travel to encounter work, meet artists and develop curatorial ideas, with potential connections including Cape Verde and Mozambique.
A second Visiting Artist Delegation will also be hosted during the 2027 festival, further strengthening international exchange and dialogue.
Why this matters
This partnership aims to shift how dance is presented, contextualised and valued in the UK by investing in curatorial leadership and artistic work. It creates space for multiple perspectives, shared authority and long-term relationships rather than extractive or one-off international programming.
Through research visits, artist delegations, public events, digital content and shared learning, the collaboration will contribute to a more nuanced understanding of global dance practices and build sustainable connections between the UK, and artists in the Global South that extend beyond the life of the programme.