SHARING SPACE COMMITMENT
GATHER UP is an artist led project, offering a programme of dance activity, with a focus on contemporary dance and choreographic practices, to nurture and invigorate the existing and developing practices of dance artists in Bristol and beyond.
We consider the sharing of spaces to be a collective and individual responsibility.
We have drawn up this Sharing Space Commitment to support everyone that we work with and all participants in our activities to actively take part in ongoing inquiry into how each of us meet with and can celebrate differences.
We hope GATHER UP activities can be a part of this careful work.
We invite everyone who engages with our programme to uphold what is stated in this Sharing Space Commitment: to value and practice anti-discrimination, inclusivity and access, freedom of expression, respect and consent.
We commit to anti-discrimination.
We do not welcome or tolerate racist, colourist, ableist, xenophobic, fascist, pro-violence, transphobic, homophobic, biphobic, misogynist, sexist, classist, ageist, fatphobic nor any other hostile, divisive, oppressive or discriminatory language or behaviour in our programme of activities.
Freedom of Expression
We believe that freedom of expression is fundamental.
We encourage everyone to be aware of the intention, as well as the impact of your words and physical language.
Where debates arise from taking part in any of our activities, we welcome conversation, with the belief that such discussion is integral to the experience of dance, of being in community, and the development of dance and choreographic practices.
The views of people we contract to work with or the views of participants in our programmes may not represent the views of the GATHER UP team and project ethos.
Anti-Racism
We encourage everyone in the team, everyone that we contract to deliver work for GATHER UP and all participants to actively engage with anti-racism and anti-racist practice.
We acknowledge that this work will not be the same for all and will be shaped by our particular backgrounds and experiences.
Inclusivity & Access
We commit to supporting disabled, neurodivergent and dancers living with long-term conditions to access our programme of dance development activities.
We subscribe to The Social Model of Disability, acknowledging that some people experience disabling barriers in our society and in dance development contexts across the world. We understand that dismantling these barriers is not the responsibility of strategically undervalued and unsupported individuals or groups or people.
We will use the terms ‘disabled people’ or ‘disabled artists’ to refer to dancers who experience disabling barriers and who identify as such.
We empower artists to identify their own needs. We encourage everyone to take part as they need to, adapt as they need to, give space to what they need.
We recognise rest as a vital practice in dance and anti-ableist practice. Everyone has permission to rest in the studio or leave the space for a break.
We encourage artists that we contract to deliver parts of our programme to engage with anti-ableist dance and choreographic practices and to provide different approaches into dancing and working together.
We commit to hosting activity in venue locations that have the option of a quiet space, step-free access and are suitable for different mobility access.
Respecting Difference and Growth
We respect where everyone is dancing from and what they are dancing with. We don’t need to know or reveal everything to be able to dance and share space together.
There is no one pathway into dancing. There is no one way to be a dancer. We continue to respect and believe this.
We understand that practice enables growth. We welcome different dance practices in our programmes and we welcome different practices of dancing when we share space.
We support everyone, of all genders and identity expressions. We will respect each other's choice of name, pronouns and the terminology that they would like to be associated with and be identified by. We are aware that our identities are growing and can change in time. If we are unsure, we will respectfully ask.
Dancing Together
During our activities, we remind all participants of their own agency in choosing, at any time, to opt in or opt out, to say 'no', to adapt an offer made, as and when it is needed.
There is no expectation or requirement for everyone to be in physical agreement at all times.
We ask all facilitators and participants to be respectful of the start and end time of our activities, though we understand that flexible timings are occasionally needed.
Our programme of activity is not designed nor delivered as a therapeutic service, though we understand and respect that dance is vital to everyone's wellbeing.
Working with Touch
We invite everyone to establish communication that involves enthusiastic, rolling consent.
We respect that each participant’s involvement can change through the duration of an exercise or session.
We invite everyone to deter from moving and working from a place of ‘knowing what is best’ for someone else’s body.
We are not inviting an approach of ‘fixing’ or ‘working on’ the person we are dancing with. Manipulative, threatening or coercive physical contact is not welcome.
We do not invite or engage with sexual physical contact in the spaces that we host.
Activity Locations
We welcome everyone to be at home in the locations where our activities are hosted.
We invite everyone to respect and leave the venue locations as you would wish to find them, to protect these spaces as shared resources for other people in Bristol.
Climate Crisis
We understand that the Climate Crisis is happening because of injustices towards specific, strategically undervalued groups of people across the world. We acknowledge that these injustices will be present in the spaces that we share. We commit to resist the continuation of these injustices. We commit to collectively sharing space to practice dancing together, to model change, and work towards climate reparations.
We commit to learning, to giving attention, to examining what we think we know, to staying curious and to moving with generosity, openness and kindness, as we hold and share space for dancing.
We are aware that currently GATHER UP's offer is not wholly inclusive.
We will continue to interrogate how we can improve inclusivity and accessibility in our spaces, and be transparent about our limitations.
We welcome any suggestions of how we could support your needs.
We anticipate that, on occasion, choices will be made that do not meet the standards and expectations that are stated in this Sharing Spaces Commitment. When this occurs, we will learn, be proactive with reparative work and in the future, be informed about what we can do differently when sharing space together.
If you would like to talk about an experience, have any feedback, suggestions or challenges, please contact us directly here: info.gatherup@gmail.com
If you would like to submit a complaint, please use this form.
WHAT LEaD US HERE:
GATHER UP was built on a pilot of morning classes led by Laila Diallo and Lisa May Thomas in 2016-2017. Held originally at Dance Space, then at the University of Bristol's Student Union, these classes were then supported by Coexist at Hamilton House.
Since 2019, GATHER UP has offered a programme of dance activity that has included: a weekly Monday morning class led by Bristol-based artists Ania Varez, Anna Kaszuba, Annie Kelleher, Batel Magen, Beth Powlesland, Bryn Thomas, Crystal Zilwood, Helena Webb, Joshua Ben-Tovim, Katherine Hall, Kip Johnson, Laura Dannequin, Laila Diallo, Linzy Nanakorn, Lisa May Thomas, Roseanna Anderson and Tara Silverthorn; full-day movement & choreographic workshops led by visiting artists Adam Benjamin, Akeim Toussaint Buck, Annie Edwards, Annie Hannauaer, Anushiye Yarnell, Charlie Morrissey, Jane Mason, Jo Fong, Seke Chimutengwende, Katye Coe & Rosemary Lee; a Library of People with Sarah Kingswell, Katy Noakes, Laura Dannequin, Helen Wilson, Dr. Jess McCormack, Jo Bannon, Katherine Hall, Katie Keeler and Deepraj Singh sharing their knowledge.
This project has been delivered in collaboration with Trinity Centre, Bristol Old Vic, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Circomedia and funded by Arts Council England, Bristol City Council(Originators Fund), Bristol Dance Future and the Abderrahim Crackmay Charitable Settlement.
Privacy policy
GATHER UP is committed to protecting your privacy. When we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified, the information collection processes are in accordance with this privacy statement.
The data we collect from you is an important function in realising the goals of GATHER UP, namely to provide a programme of activity which offers professional dance artists space for development and sharing of dance practices. We will draw on collected data when reporting to our partners who are financially subsidising this project. It will help us to understand who is accessing this activity and to learn about how we can develop our programme in the future.
Whenever you provide personal information to us, we are legally obliged to use this information in accordance with all laws concerning the protection of personal information including the UK Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) from 25 May 2018.
In disclosing your personal information you agree to the collection, storage and processing of your information by us. We will only share your information with third parties in order to provide the services that you have requested such as when you consent to signing up to our mailing list or when you complete a booking or feedback form.
We collect personal data from you when you sign up to join our mailing list, book to attend a morning class, workshop, open practice session, contribute through a feedback form or join discussion forums and social gatherings in person.
We ask you to provide us with details such as name and email address — many fields on our booking or feedback forms are optional but certain fields are mandatory. We use MailChimp, Bookwhen, Squarespace and Google Drive to store any collected data, subscriptions and bookings. If you want to end your subscription to our newsletter you will find an unsubscribe link at the bottom.
We will always retain your personal information in accordance with law and regulation and never retain your information for longer than is necessary.
The information we hold about you will be accurate and up to date. You can contact us to check this information and we will delete or correct them promptly at your request.
We will keep to your current communications preferences. If you have any questions, would like to change your communication preferences or opt out of communications click ‘unsubscribe’ when shown or contact us on: info.gatherup@gmail.com