3. ORGANISATIONS & GROUPS

This strand of the research focused on organisations and groups operating across Liverpool that play a role in the dance ecology. This included dance-specific organisations and groups, as well as those working more broadly across arts and culture, recognising their importance in commissioning, presenting work, supporting artist development and shaping opportunities for dance in the city.

The research explored experiences of funding, programming, collaboration and the strategic direction of dance within the wider cultural landscape. It sought to understand how organisations are currently operating, where they feel supported or constrained, and what is needed to strengthen the conditions for dance to thrive.

Overall, responses highlight a sector working with limited resources and under significant pressure. Many organisations described ongoing funding constraints that affect their ability to plan, programme and invest in long-term development. This has a direct impact on the range and consistency of work being produced, as well as on capacity to reach new audiences and communities.

A recurring theme was fragmentation. Respondents spoke about a lack of structural support and shared strategic direction, a situation that many felt had intensified following the closure of Merseyside Dance Initiative (latterly known as Together). Without a coordinating body or clear framework, collaboration between organisations is often informal and dependent on personal relationships rather than sustained systems.

There was strong support for a new lead dance organisation to advocate for and champion dance in Liverpool City Region and North West. Many respondents spoke about the void now being strongly felt, and emphasised that strategic leadership and coordination should not fall on individual artists and practitioners, nor be assumed by other organisations without the remit, capacity or resource to fulfil that role.

Additionally, there was broad support for the idea of high-quality new dance facilities in the future. Respondents highlighted the potential for such facilities to raise the profile of dance, attract companies to the city region, and provide flexible, well-equipped space that meets the needs of artists and practitioners. Many noted that existing arts venues often lack the capacity to offer regular, free or subsidised rehearsal and development space, or to present small and mid-scale work, due to their own programming commitments and/or venue sizes. A dedicated venue focused on this scale of work could create more opportunities for local artists and companies, attract regional, national and international work, and generate income to reinvest in strategic dance programmes and audience development.

Taken together, responses from organisations and groups point to the need for clearer leadership, better coordination and more sustainable support, alongside approaches that are inclusive, transparent and rooted in the realities of the sector.