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DTAP Steps Forward

The Dance Training Accreditation Partnership (DTAP), a major national initiative for developing quality standards and building capacity for the teaching of dance in England outside of the formal education sector, is announcing several new developments in its work.

Earlier this year, DTAP was awarded a significant grant by Arts Council England to take its work forward. The grant is currently enabling DTAP to

• Commission Trinity College London to create a new level 6 qualification in Teaching Dance for Children and Young People. The qualification is currently in its pilot stage, prior to being rolled out for delivery from autumn 2010 onwards.
• Create National Occupational Standards (NOS) for teaching dance outside the formal education sector, including investigating the competencies required to teach dance within specialist settings including dance for young people, dance & disability, dance for older people, dance in health, and dance within the criminal justice sector. A broad consultation with specialist advisors across these areas is currently in progress, with the aim that NOS are lodged in autumn 2010.
• Recruit a consultant to research the establishment of a suitable regulatory framework to ensure standards are disseminated and maintained. The consultant will be appointed in December 2009 and deliver their findings in autumn 2010.

DTAP is chaired by former Acting Secretary General of the Arts Council of England, Graham Devlin, with the Foundation for Community Dance and Youth Dance England leading on delivery of key project strands. The work is being overseen by a group of leading national dance organisations including Dance UK, the Association of Dance of the African Diaspora, South Asian Dance Alliance, the Council for Dance Education and Training, and the National Dance Teachers’ Association. Laban and the National Dance Network are also involved as consultative partners.

In addition, DTAP now has its own website (www.dtap.org.uk) where information on its background, management, achievements to date and work in progress are detailed. Anybody interested in receiving news of its work can subscribe to receive updates via the website.

DTAP’s chair, Graham Devlin, says “We are very pleased with our progress so far, and confident that DTAP will have a hugely positive effect on the dance profession in this country, with benefits for those learning and teaching dance at all levels. In taking these next steps, we hope that dance professionals who work outside the formal education sector will be encouraged to  keep track of future developments and take up the opportunities that are being developed ”

A summer 2010 conference is being planned, through which interested parties will be able to find out more about, and feed back on developments. Further information will be announced in early 2010.