Ausdance National Announcement

Ausdance members vote to maintain Ausdance National, Australia’s dance advocacy organisation

by Ausdance published on 9 December 2019

Following the announcement by the National Council of the Australian Dance Council – Ausdance Incorporated (Ausdance National) that the organisation would be wound up, an alternative option to maintain the organisation was proposed to the board by members of the Association. The motion was accepted by the membership at a Special General Meeting on 4 December 2019.

The membership agreed that the incoming Board would:

  • Maintain the Association as a legal entity, and its Register of Cultural Organisations status.

  • Establish a permanent and culturally diverse Executive and Board at the next Annual General Meeting, and provide ongoing board mentoring.

  • Establish a viable future for the Association with the support and cooperation of the Ausdance network, supporting but outsourcing core projects such as the Australian Dance Awards and the National Dance Forum.

  • Ensure the financial security of the Association in support of its limited activities and identify any future opportunities for financial support.

  • Build on Ausdance National’s advocacy role and its networking capabilities in collaboration with the Ausdance network, and with professional artists, companies, education and research communities.

  • Maintain the Association’s unique website as an information, publishing and research platform.

  • Continue to administer the Keith Bain and Peggy van Praagh bequests.

The interim board thanks the outgoing board for its endeavours in this difficult environment of arts funding and support, and notes its considerable achievements.

We thank the Ausdance network and its members for allowing us this opportunity to renew Ausdance National as an organisation that has supported dance for over four decades.

Ausdance WA’s Gabrielle Sullivan said: ‘There’s strength in the network that will support Ausdance National and continue the long history of collegiality that has existed since 1977.’

We acknowledge that the current health of the Australian dance ecology is in crisis and needs attention, and we will seek to identify and implement new and improved ways of realising our mission to ‘educate, inspire and support the dance community in reaching its potential as a dynamic force within local, national and international communities’.

The following interim board members were elected:

  • President: Paul Summers (Vic)

  • Vice President: Julie Dyson (ACT)

  • Vice President: Lizzie Vilmanis (Qld)

  • Treasurer: Tamara McKee (ACT)

  • Director: Cathy Adamek (SA)

  • Director: Sebastien Ananian-Cooper (SA)

Paul is an Honorary Life Member of the Association with decades of experience as an arts administrator and as a former office bearer for national and state Ausdances. He is especially well known in the small to medium and independent dance sector, and is looking forward to once again serving the Australian dance community in his capacity as interim National President.

Please direct any media inquiries to:

Paul Summers
M. 0417925292
Email Paul

View the original announcement on the Ausdance website here

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