AMA is delighted to announce the launch of “Danse et mobilités en Afrique.” Authored by Virginie Dupray, this new publication focuses on the unique challenges and stakes of mobility in the field of dance in Africa. Featuring in-depth analysis, case studies and practical tips and tools, this publication inaugurates a new series focusing on mobility in the different artistic disciplines. It is based on interviews conducted with 27 dancers, choreographers and cultural operators working in Africa and beyond in 2021 and 2022.
By focusing on the specific challenges of mobility in a single artistic discipline, this publication inaugurates a new series of publications in AMA’s research program. The program was launched in 2011 in the aim of contributing to the development of knowledge, initiatives, and policies to enhance mobility within the continent. Until 2022, it had two main streams:
- Regional studies, which document and analyze the infrastructure and obstacles to mobility in the various African regions. AMA has so far commissioned five regional studies: two focused on East Africa (performing arts – 2011, visual arts – 2015); one focused on Central Africa (2015); one focused on North Africa (2019); and, most recently, one focused on West Africa (2021).
- Funding guides for cultural mobility to/from/in Africa. AMA has been producing these guides since 2015, with coordination from On the Move and support from various funders. The latest edition of the guide, published in 2020, lists 183 funding opportunities. It was produced with the support of the French Institute.
Building on the success of these initiatives, AMA is pleased to launch a new series of publications focusing on mobility in the various artistic disciplines in Africa. These publications will aim to offer a range of practical, accessible and up-to-date information, analysis and advice, based on the expertise of leaders in their respective disciplines, in the aim of: 1) filling information gaps resulting from inadequate information-sharing/dissemination and training infrastructures, and 2) reinforcing existing dynamics in the continent’s various artistic sectors. These publications are primarily geared toward cultural operators on the African continent, as well as artists.
By choosing to focus its first publication on the field of dance, AMA is looking into a discipline that is particularly dynamic in Africa. Indeed, AMA’s statistics have revealed a particularly high level of mobility among African dancers since the fund was established in 2005. Nevertheless, the sector is plagued by a number of challenges, questions, and issues that inevitably have an impact on mobility and circulation: for example, the divergence between the traditional and the contemporary; the polarities between the local and the international; to name but a few. The publication “Danse et mobilités en Afrique“ sheds light on these issues and their implications for the mobility of dance practitioners in Africa. This information will help guide future initiatives aimed at strengthening mobility in the field of dance.
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