Achievements
Indepen-dance is an established and highly respected company with a unique place within the dance community in Scotland. Sustaining a regular programme of dance for people with learning and physical disabilities, their care workers, alongside professional dancers and musicians – currently, we have over 300 people attending our classes each week.
Our key achievements over the years
1996
Indepen-Dance is Founded
Indepen-dance was founded in 1996 by Karen Anderson on the principle of access, participation and inclusion. Karen was Dancer in Residence for Strathclyde Regional Council (as a job share with Jamie Armstrong) and worked on a project named “Disintegration”, bringing together young people with and without disabilities to dance.
The outcome was an overwhelming success and prompted Karen to set up a weekly dance class specifically aimed at people with learning disabilities at the then Strathclyde Arts Centre.
2000
Touring Begins
Indepen-dance begins touring Internationally, visiting Germany, Italy, Spain, France & Canada to name but a few.
2005
Special Olympics
Dancers from Indepen-dance perform in the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics.
2009
Disability Employment
Employment of registered eligible disabled administrator, 3 disabled dance assistants, 2 disabled dance artists and 1 disabled admin support who we currently fund as employees.
2010
Commonwealth Games, Dheli
Two of our dancers [one disabled and one non-disabled] perform at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010.
2013
Edinburgh International Festival
June – Indepen-dance 4 performs at the launch of the Scottish Government’s Disability Strategy, Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
August – Performance by Indepen-dance 4 at Dance Base’s “Head’s Up” programme, Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh International Festival.
2014
Government Funding
Receiving Government funding to employ a General Manager and a National Dance Worker.
2015
Lifetime Fellowship from the Society of Performing Arts
One of our disabled Dance Artist received a Lifetime Fellowship from the Society of Performing Arts, in partnership with the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability and the Royal Society of Arts
2016
International Festival of Inclusive Dance
Successful production of 2nd Gathered Together – International Festival of Inclusive Dance, Tramway, 2016 with increased audiences, participants and media coverage.
2018
Best Dance Performer Award
Dance Artist, Hayley Earlam becomes the winner of The Sunday Herald Culture Awards 2018 for Best Dance Performer. Hayley has toured extensively with Indepen-dance4, with diverse works by Stop Gap, Christine Devaney (Curious Seed), Ramesh Meyyappan, George Adams, Laura Jones, Anna Newall and Marc Brew in collaboration with Scottish Ballet.