Despite its power to inspire and connect communities, dance is frequently overshadowed by other art forms, struggling with limited funding, political indifference, and structural fragility. Yet, across Europe, dance organisations are uniting, innovating, and advocating for change. Representing dance development organisations in Europe, EDN’s role is to get local voices to resonate on a continental scale.

Challenges & Common Threats: Dance Against the Odds

From Helsinki to Bucharest, the dance community faces a common struggle: invisibility and marginalisation. Unlike theatre or music, dance often lacks public discourse and media coverage. This has real-world consequences, from limited funding opportunities to dismissive political narratives. All over Europe, shifts in political priorities have led to budget cuts, exposing the financial instability and lack of stable infrastructure for dance.

Compounding this is structural fragility, driven by project-based funding that undermines long-term sustainability. The shortage of suitable spaces for dance activities hampers artistic growth. Meanwhile, the fragmented nature of the cultural sector hinders coalition building, making it difficult for dance organisations to form impactful advocacy alliances.

Political dynamics also play a significant role. When political narratives undervalue dance, it affects funding policies and public support. And even when dance advocates manage to reach politicians, communication barriers often limit engagement. As a result, advocacy efforts tend to be reactive rather than strategic, short-lived rather than long-term.

Effective Advocacy: Turning Movement into Momentum

Despite these challenges, dance organisations are finding impactful ways to advocate for change. A key strategy is collaboration and networking. By partnering with international networks, other cultural sectors, and local stakeholders, dance advocates amplify their voices. In fact, building alliances across art forms—especially on shared issues like sustainability—has proven particularly effective.

Empowering artists is another crucial step. Through professional development and education on rights, peer learning, and advocacy techniques, artists are proactive in shaping the future of their sector. Storytelling is emerging as a powerful advocacy tool. By crafting narratives that resonate with diverse audiences, advocates are bridging communication gaps. One particularly effective tactic? Engaging policymakers in community-engaged dance practices allows them to experience the art form firsthand.

Data-driven advocacy also plays a crucial role. Holistic data measurement can showcase dance’s value-driven approach to cultural participation. Meanwhile, cultural activism and localised narratives help advocates adapt their messaging to different political landscapes, enhancing their influence.

To sustain momentum, dance organisations are fostering solidarity and community engagement. By building coalitions within and beyond the cultural sector, they are organising joint campaigns and mobilising public support, creating a unified voice for policy change.

Trans-Local & European Advocacy: EDN’s Role in Connecting the Voices of Dance

EDN plays a crucial role in connecting local dance advocacy with European policy narratives. Through its publications and reports, EDN provides a comprehensive overview of the dance sector, sparking essential local discussions. Yet, bridging the gap between European advocacy and local impact remains a challenge. To address this, EDN is enhancing its collaborative tools for small group exchanges and webinars, empowering members to share knowledge and develop tailored advocacy strategies.

EDN also plays a strategic role in EU policymaking, representing the dance sector’s input at a European level. Its solidarity actions during political or economic crises offer crucial support to local organisations.

Future Directions & Recommendations: Moving Forward Together

As dance organisations look to the future, the call for a more interconnected advocacy approach is growing louder. By balancing local realities with European solidarity, the sector can build a stronger, more unified voice. This includes creating targeted events to foster deeper connections with the dance community and highlight dance’s societal value.

Cross-sector collaboration is key to amplifying impact. Dance advocates can influence policy beyond traditional channels by forming alliances with other cultural movements and mobilising the artistic communities, audiences and citizens.

Combining data with storytelling will enhance advocacy effectiveness. By presenting research through visually compelling narratives, advocates can better engage both local and European stakeholders. To support this, public administrators can develop practical advocacy tools and workshops, equipping their communities to navigate challenges at every level.

The future of dance advocacy lies in solidarity and shared values. By organising events where members, policy officers and policymakers can connect directly, EDN can strengthen local and EU advocacy efforts. Highlighting dance’s impact on education, health, and communities will further showcase the sector’s value.

The dance sector holds a unique capacity to build meaning through an embodied experience. In its community-engaged settings, dance opens up pluralistic spaces for encounters among diverse citizens. Dance requires specific conditions to thrive and to hold space for participatory experimentation. These conditions include sustainable funding, equitable working conditions, and dedicated infrastructure. By advocating strategically, building cross-sector alliances, and connecting local voices with European influence, dance can secure its place as a vital and valued art form.

Dance is movement, and it is also a movement—a movement for visibility, for value, and for change. As this advocacy journey continues, one thing is clear: the future of dance in Europe is being choreographed today.

This summary gathers key insights, strategies, and challenges from discussions on local advocacy in the dance sector. These conversations took place during EDN’s online Network Meeting on 27 and 28 January 2025, bringing together representatives from dance development organisations across Europe. Through their shared experiences and expertise, representatives of local dance communities shed light on the evolving landscape of dance advocacy.

Key Takeaways

This report is brought to you by Embodied Transformations, EDN’s EU-funded network project. It connects contemporary dance professionals, organisations, and communities across Europe to foster a stable and interdependent dance ecosystem.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.