Dance Umbrella has announced a significant funding award from Arts Council England, supported by the National Lottery and the British Council, for its ambitious Diversifying Curatorial Stewardship (DCS) programme.
The multi-year initiative, running from 2026 to 2028, aims to transform curatorial leadership in dance by creating new pathways for underrepresented voices across the UK and internationally.
DCS responds to longstanding gaps in the sector, particularly the lack of visible and supported career routes for curators from Black and Brown Global Majority backgrounds, as well as predominantly female-identifying and non-binary practitioners.
The programme will focus on widening access to curatorial roles, rethinking how curation is practised, and expanding who has influence over artistic programming and cultural narratives.
Dance Umbrella’s Artistic Director and Co-CEO 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.”
He added: “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.”
The programme will be delivered through several strands, including a national and international steering group, a professional development pipeline for emerging curators, and a sector-wide advocacy campaign.
Opportunities within the scheme include guest curator roles, fellowships, residencies and international research visits, with partners such as FABRIC, DanceEast and The Lowry helping to shape and deliver the initiative.
An international strand supported by the British Council will also connect UK-based curators with global networks, including research visits to festivals and hosting international delegations at Dance Umbrella events.
Through its combined activity, DCS aims to create long-term change by supporting individual practitioners, influencing organisational practices and building a more representative and inclusive curatorial landscape.
Dance Umbrella’s full 2026 festival programme, including the announcement of this year’s Guest Curator, will be revealed on 16 June.
More information can be found here
