The Culture Chain Podcast: Episode 4

This is the fourth episode of a five-part podcast series called The Culture Chain. In these podcasts, recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic, dramaturg Lou Cope hosts a series of conversations with four of the key groups that make up the dance sector’s cultural food chain - namely artists, producers, programmers and funders.

Sheila Creavey, John Opie and Denise Perry

In Episode 4, Lou chats with funders and showcase providers about the challenges facing the sector and how they are addressing some of these obstacles. They discuss topics such as the unpaid labour that goes into applying for arts funding and their attempts to minimise this, driving a more collaborative relationship with artists, and improving diversity within the arts.

These funders and showcase providers are:

Jon Opie

Jon Opie is Deputy Director of Jerwood Arts, an independent funder for UK artists, curators and producers. He leads on grant making and operations. Previously, he was the Administrator for the Independent Theatre Council and Development Manager for Hampstead Theatre. He is also a Trustee of Cardboard Citizens Theatre Company, has a MA in Administration and Cultural Policy from Goldsmiths College, and participated in the Clore Leadership Programme Short Course.

Jerwood Art’s website

Sheila Creevey

At the time of recording the podcast Sheila was Head of Performance at Pavilion Dance South West, leading on programming and artists development. Since 2017, she had also been the Project Director for the UK-wide project Surf The Wave. In April 2020 Sheila started her new job as CEO of Dance Ireland, the representative body for dance in Ireland.

Dance Ireland’s website

Denise Perry

Arts Council England is the National Development Agency for creativity and culture. Working across arts, libraries and museums, Arts Council invests government funding and National Lottery funds locally and nationally to create conditions where creativity and culture can flourish. Denise Perry is the South East Relationship Manager for Dance.

Arts Council England’s website

To listen and subscribe to The Culture Chain episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more, click on this link and choose your favourite podcast provider.

Credits

Hosted by Lou Cope.
Concept and Curation: Lou Cope and Janine Fletcher.
Produced by Janine Fletcher for South East Dance.
Music by Kristian Steffes.

These podcasts were originally created as part of The Red Line sessions, funded via South East Dance and Jerwood Charitable Foundation Dramaturg in Residence programme.