Beyond Barriers in Dance
Barriers to Progression & Employment in Dance for Disabled People research
Welcome
Beyond Barriers in Dance is a campaign and website dedicated to The Working Group' commissioned research titled Barriers to Progression & Employment in Dance for Disabled People funded by Arts Council England and delivered by researchers Dr Imogen Aujla, Dr Louisa Petts and Dr Kate Marsh.
Barriers to Progression & Employment in Dance for Disabled People is a research study evidencing the barriers that disabled people experience when working in dance and one that aims to initiate wider discussions and actions across the dance sector to better support the progression and employment of disabled people, at all levels who work in the dance sector.
The pages on this website share information about The Working Group and why this research was commissioned, who the researchers are, and how you can sign up to our mailing list to learn about our future plans. There is a page called reports and resources where you can read, watch, listen and digest the findings from the research published in June 2025. The reports are accompanied by audio, audio description and BSL recordings. If you require large print, or support to access the findings, please get in touch.
The Working Group would like to make the following statement to accompany the launch of the report
The Working Group
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A statement from The Working Group
We are delighted to announce the published reports of the research: Barriers to Progression & Employment in Dance for Disabled People.
Thank you to everyone involved in reaching this milestone: the researchers, the steering group, participants, organisations, designers, access support services, animators, and Arts Council England for providing the funds to make this all possible.
In 2023 Candoco Dance Company, Corali, People Dancing, Stopgap Dance Company and TIN Arts came together as co-collaborators in a shared enquiry to challenge ourselves and others to increase and sustain the presence and representation of Disabled people in the dance workforce and its leadership. In 2024 we told you “We mean business”.
We cannot ignore that this research is being published at a time when our communities are feeling vulnerable to the threats of cuts to support such as Access to Work and Personal Independence Payments. We are cooperating with industry peers on campaigns to oppose these changes. (More on this and how you can be an ally in this work here)
Now that we all have this evidence and knowledge from the research, we will enter a new phase.
As we all digest and reflect on the findings, here’s our intentions and our call to join with us to make the changes we all want actioned within our dance sector.
1. Discuss, reflect, interrogate and listen. We will take time to reflect and interrogate the learnings from this research. We will do this through discussions together and also within our organisations listening to our teams and communities. We will discuss what are the quick wins we can achieve within our resources and what are the longer-term strategies we need to implement, and who do we need to bring with us in this endeavour. We ask you all to join us in initiating your own discussions and period of listening. To be brave and bold in what we can imagine together. We will share some questions below that you might find useful to aid you in these reflections and conversations within your own organisations and communities.
2 Share the research. Keep talking to the sector, our partners and organisations who haven’t yet engaged with the research. Make sure it cannot be missed by anyone who is working in our dance sector, especially those with gatekeeping powers or influence for change.
Questions
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Who are your co-collaborators in making a change?
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What individually or collectively can you bring or do to implement actions?
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What are your identified needs to better support disabled people in the profession?
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How can your learning and knowledge be shared?
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On reading the report, what comes up for you? Or what is your main takeaway?
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Notice: who is present for this discussion and who isn’t? Is there something that can be done to make this conversation as equitable as possible and representative in your allyship?
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Don’t forget to celebrate the fact that you are engaging in this conversation and what you have already done to make your workplace more equitable.
To read, listen and watch the reports, please visit our reports and resources page.
The Working Group
16 June 2025