Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices – EDI Informed Practice

The Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices is an international academic journal published twice a year by Coventry University’s Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE). First published in 2009, the Journal targets scholars and practitioners focusing on the relationship between dance and somatic practices, and the influence of research and teaching on the wider performing arts. Features within the publication include visual essays, interviews with leading practitioners, book reviews, and conference reports.

The team behind the Journal also convene the International Dance and Somatic Practices Conference. The event invites practitioners, dance artists and scholars to share and discuss their explorations in the field of somatic-informed movement practices. In recent years, the conference has taken place both online and in-person to tackle access limitations ranging from physical ability to geographical location. The team also offers bursaries to some conference attendees with barriers to access.

We interviewed Emma Meehan, Associate Professor in Dance at C-DaRE and Eugenia Kim, an independent artist researcher and member of the Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices editorial team. Both represent the Journal and the EDI working group that has been developed to address equity and diversity at the conference events and beyond.

Can you tell us more about the motivations behind forming your EDI working group?

Emma: The aim of the group is really to explore different strands of EDI, what's important to different group members, and what's relevant to the Journal. Then, think about the actions we can take out of that, such as leading the recruitment of new board members and making sure we're welcoming people from underrepresented groups to the conference. The next step we've been taking is setting up an EDI blog to attract different authors and readers and improve the reach of the Journal.

Eugenia: So, I came to know the Journal as a student, and what I often encountered were people who were either new to the Journal or early in their creative careers looking at me and asking themselves, 'How do I get in there? How do I get through the gate?'. Either they didn't see someone like themselves, or they thought maybe they weren't educated enough. So, I see the EDI working group as helping to extend a welcoming, helping hand.

I would also add that what's not so visible is that the work of the EDI working group has now started to influence what goes on with the publication itself. So, in terms of how to handle a sensitive case or topic, for example, and identifying a potential [EDI] issue with an article submission.

Can you tell us more about how the conference has developed?

Emma: From the previous conference, we looked at the demographics, the feedback and quite broadly at different groups who maybe weren't engaging. Once we started to dig deeper, we were really surprised at some of the groups that felt they couldn't attend unless we supported them. Even retired people who we hadn't thought about, for example, who just didn't have the income to come along. So, we developed a bursary scheme where if somebody felt underrepresented or had barriers to participating, they could apply, and we would try to support them.

Eugenia: I think the last conference really shook up who's helping to organise the event because we did have a number of the EDI working group members involved in actively welcoming people, chairing things, etc. I hadn't seen that in previous versions of this conference.

Can you hone in on the essential things you've done to make the conference more accessible?

Emma: Firstly, there are the practical things we did. Then there are the things you can do related to policy and the more feeling-based things. [The conference] has to create an environment that people feel welcome in and like they belong there—that is the thing to try and really capture.

In terms of the practical things, we have quiet spaces where people who are disabled, neurodivergent or chronically ill can just lie down, have space, relax, and just be away from people if they need time to refresh. People seem to really appreciate that.

The bursaries were a massive thing and what I think has probably made the biggest difference. We had an open bursary call so we were able to support a lot of people either with online fee waivers or in-person fee waivers. Some people got accommodation and a contribution to travel as well. We also have welcome ambassadors, which people really appreciate.

Because we now do hybrid conferences, that has its own challenges, so we created presentation guidelines that cover access issues like fonts, the way you speak, visual descriptions and all of that kind of stuff. Eugenia also developed a kind of code of conduct, covering things like speaking from an ‘I’ position and not speaking about a group as if they're all the same. It's all about prompting people to pause and reflect on the way they're acting at the conference.

Eugenia: We're very big on attribution, so I want to mention that a number of our ideas were also inspired by one of the founding working group members who has now stepped down, EE Balcos, Professor in Dance at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. We did take a lot of time to look at what other groups and events were doing well and borrowed from that research. I'd like to think that everything that was done was ultimately to make people feel included and welcome.

In your view, what makes your approach successful?

Emma: I think it's because we have our working group, and we spend so long having conversations. It might seem like time wasted, or that we're not acting, but actually, we learn a lot from the people in the group who have very different positions, backgrounds, and points of view. It builds confidence as well. I also think willingness to act is what makes it successful—so you have the conversations, but you don't just hold onto that. You have to keep an eye out for opportunities and then really commit to doing it.

Eugenia: I think the diversity of our working group was also key, and I don't just mean age or race, etc. We also have trusted figures, like Emma, which I think is very important. Then, we have people on the ground who can collect information in real time about trends, etc. We also didn’t always agree as a group on everything. The value this brings is that if we're going to introduce a massive change, we have an idea ahead of time of the kind of reaction it could generate and maybe how to make it feel safer for everybody. It's diversity in a slightly different way, but I think that is really important.

For the Journal itself, the conference has made the editorial team more self-aware about how to continue their work beyond the event. So, because of the conference, we were able to recruit different types of board members, and we're now seeing some very interesting topics on our EDI blog that perhaps wouldn't have been submitted if there had not been such a sense of openness and safety to go beyond traditional ideas.

How have you measured the impact of your effort?

Emma: One thing is just observing who turns up and whether or not it's different from the last time. Then, through the bursary applications we got direct feedback from people who spoke to us or emailed after the conference. We also shared an evaluation form, which we used to ask questions about what resources people found useful, what they accessed or used, and if they felt the presentations were diverse and whether or not they felt like they belonged and were welcomed—things like that.

What challenges, barriers or limitations have you encountered around the conference?

Emma: I think a big one for me was time resources. We're also ambitious and it took a lot of care so there was an emotional workload too. There's a certain sense of responsibility to be a helpful, approachable contact person because we've created this space that we've said is welcoming. You need to show up.

I'm so proud of what we did—but do I think we could realistically do the same thing again? I don't know. We'd have to really think about our capacity, so that's a big barrier. I think another challenge is getting buy-in from people, especially at a time when there are cuts across the sector. People might ask, 'Well, is a conference that important?'. However, I believe a conference is a space where you can actually create that environment for people to come together and expand what the Journal can do and who it's for. So, lobbying for the value of conferences at a difficult time would be a challenge.

Eugenia: When we were organising the last conference, I realised that we had focused so much on the attendees that we had forgotten that members of the committees, organisers, etc., may also need accommodations. So, one challenge is considering the capacity of the people who are making things happen.

The second challenge is a common one but I think it's also about the shades of EDI. So, for example, I mainly come from a very American background and experience, and I've had to learn that the approach to EDI in America is not necessarily the same in other parts of the world, including the UK. But then even within the UK, as I talk to different attendees, different people want different approaches. These are important things we still need to figure out how to navigate properly and nothing in any of the resources we had looked at would have prepared me for some of the conversations I had. [The conference] was quite a wake-up call.

What key advice or learning would you share with other organisations considering delivering similar initiatives?

Emma: As I mentioned, we did the event hybrid so we had an online host who would keep an eye on the comments. If you're not just delivering a talk, if it's a workshop, for example, you really need to have thought about how to include the people at home and that the sound is right. So, there's the technical and practical sides to that.

Then, with international participants, it's important to slow down and take time to explain things because we often have a very fast or colloquial way of speaking. That's really important and something we still need to work on. Also, get information early on about people's access needs so you can put things in place.

If you can get funding, bursaries make a massive difference to people, even if it's just a fee waiver.

Eugenia: So, there are a few things. One is realising that there will be a lot of battle against traditions and sentimental attachment, which can impede implementation. Not everybody will view all EDI needs as equally important and needing to prioritise but be transparent about your prioritisation. For example, after the conference, somebody said that it wasn't suitable for neurodivergent people. It's important to be transparent about what more you could have done to accommodate to this extent and do your best within your confines. 

Finally, realise how important sympathetic listening is. Not everybody necessarily needs a solution, sometimes they just want to be heard.

To learn more about the work happening at Coventry University, visit the C-DaRE website or click here to read the latest edition (and archive editions) of the Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices.

You can also access the journal’s blog called ‘Sharing the Floor’, including a post on the conference here.

Explore more case studies today at diversity.wearecreative.uk/case-studies.