Crowdfunder Artist Support Fund

We are thrilled to announce that we were successful in raising £12,000 from our recent Crowdfunder! This includes a £5000 donation from The Mayor or London’s Back to Business Fund, which will go to support adapting how we run our studios, and will go to support the business to make COVID-19-related adaptations. The £7000 of public donations and Gift Aid will go directly to artists through no-strings-attached bursaries and studio space.

After careful thought, and influenced by the recent survey of Members, conversations at the recent Members Meeting, and with Staff and Board, we will be approaching the allocation of the £5600 for CDS Members through a self-selection process which prioritises Members who have been gravely affected by COVID-19.

All those who apply for support will be invited to be part of an online group conversation, so that the group may decide together how to distribute the funds amongst themselves. We believe that artists know best what they need, and in line with the Membership’s communal ethos, this is a tangible way that CDS can invite artists to take the lead.

As the dance sector begins to reckon with the ways it excludes independent artists from decision making processes and resources, now is perfect timing to take a fresh look at our practices. This Member-directed process can be seen as an invaluable first experiment, as we explore how CDS might move towards more openness in management, governance and Member democracy. You can read more about this process, how it was reached, and how CDS Members can apply in the document below.

Crowdfunder Artist Support Fund Information / Click to Download
Deadline – End of Monday 17th October