Dance Umbrella Secures Funding for 'Diversifying Curatorial Stewardship' Program

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The multi-year initiative aims to widen curatorial pathways for Black, Brown, and non-binary dance practitioners in the UK.

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Dance Umbrella has announced a major funding award from Arts Council England supported by National Lottery and the British Council for its Diversifying Curatorial Stewardship (DCS) programme.

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DCS is Dance Umbrella's major multi‑year initiative (2026–2028) designed to transform curatorial leadership within the UK and international dance ecology. The project responds to a clearly evidenced sector gap: the absence of visible, supported career pathways for curators — particularly Black/Brown Global Majority, predominantly female‑identifying and non-binary practitioners — and the resulting lack of diversity within those who shape artistic programmes, narratives and decision‑making.

DCS aims to create structural, long‑term change by widening who curates, how curation is practiced, and who has access to networks, resources and influence. The programme builds on Dance Umbrella's sector‑facing research (2023/24), which identified five recurring barriers to diverse curatorial leadership: lack of pathways, undervaluing of lived experience, unequal access to networks, freelance precarity, and limited spaces for honest dialogue about power and representation.

Artistic Director and Co-CEO of Dance Umbrella Freddie Opoku-Addaie said: ‘This next chapter for Dance Umbrella is not just about who we see on stage, but also about who gets to shape and decide what we see on stage. Curators play a vital role in framing artistic and cultural discourse: what gets programmed ultimately influences the art form itself, and the wider cultural landscape both locally and globally.

‘Having worked as an independent dance artist for over 20 years, I've had several key opportunities to develop my curatorial practice, and those experiences were critical in enabling me to be in the room and part of the conversation that led to my current role at Dance Umbrella. I know first-hand how important an intervention like DCS can be.

Working diligently with our partners this programme is not only about investing in a new generation of curatorial voices; it is about challenging inherited models, opening up equitable power dynamics, and inviting new perspectives into what 21st-century global artistic and cultural discourse can and should be.'

DCS is delivered through three interlinked mechanisms:

1. A National & International Steering Group

A network of partners—FABRIC, DanceEast, The Lowry, Aerowaves,—co‑invests in, shapes and tests new models of curatorial leadership.

2. A Professional Development Pipeline

A structured pathway for emerging curators includes: Guest Curator roles embedded in DU Festivals 2026–28, with guest curations presented at partner venues in 2027+2028; Curatorial Fellowships within DU's annual festival cycle (first in 2027, second in 2028); 2 annual residencies ('27 hosted by Dance East & '28 by Fabric) that develop skills around curation with mentoring, restorative care and an on-going development plan (with budget), 10 places per residency and International research visits for Guest Curators and Curatorial Fellows, e.g. African Dance Biennale (Senegal), and Aerowaves Start Up and Spring Forward (Ireland/Netherlands). The Guest Curator for 2026 is further supported by Backstage Trust.

This pipeline creates multiple entry points for early‑stage curators with different practices and levels of experience.

3. A Sector‑Facing Advocacy Campaign

The programme shares learning widely through: Panels, convenings and symposiums; think pieces, recorded conversations, case studies, digital content and international dissemination. This work aims to shift sector culture, influence programming practices, and build momentum for non‑hierarchical, inclusive leadership models.

4. International Focus (British Council‑supported strand)

Across 2026–27, DCS includes a dedicated ODA (Official Development Assistance)‑focused curatorial track, in partnership with the British Council. Key components include: International research and festival visits (e.g., Senegal, Cape Verde, Mozambique); hosting ODA visiting artist delegations at DU Festivals and ODA‑focused programming within DU Festivals 2026 & 2027. This international dimension strengthens global connections, broadens artistic influence, and supports more nuanced contextualisation of International Artists in UK settings.

Through its combined strands, DCS intends to deliver:

For individuals: Clear, resourced pathways into curatorial leadership; increased skills and experience, access to networks, and visibility and access to international contexts and cross‑cultural dialogue.

For organisations: Internal shifts in curatorial models, recruitment, decision‑making and leadership practices and stronger relationships with diverse practitioners and global partners.

For the sector: A more diverse and representative curatorial community; new non‑hierarchical approaches to programming; shared learning that influences long‑term cultural policy and practice and stronger UK–international connections.

For audiences: A wider, more globally representative dance canon and more relevant, welcoming and culturally reflective programming.

Diversifying Curatorial Stewardship is a major systemic‑change programme designed to reimagine who curates dance, how curatorial power is held, and how diverse perspectives can shape the future of the artform.

Through a combination of structured development pathways, international collaboration, organisational change work and sector advocacy, DCS seeks to create long‑lasting impact, ensuring the dance ecology becomes more equitable, connected, imaginative and representative.

Dance Umbrella 2026 full festival programme announcement, including this year's Guest Curator, will be on 16 June.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/Dance-Umbrella-Reveals-Funding-to-Launch-Diversifying-Curatorial-Stewardship-Programme-20260520)._