Join us for an engaging webinar exploring how we can increase the number of Deaf, Disabled, and neurodivergent leaders in the dance industry
Image description: On the right, dancers Monique and Jannick in the studio. Monique, a short statured Black female dancer, arches to the side in her dance wheelchair, she raises her right arm, palm up and twists her right should to the back. Behind her, Jannick, a white standing dancer with short brown hair and stubble, curves his body around Monique, almost mimicking a snooker pose, one arm raise behind the other extending forward, creating a shelter for Monique. His face partially hidden by Monique as he looks to his feet. On the left, the a logo for Future Leaders.
Envisioning a future with Disabled leaders!
Tickets are now available for our upcoming webinar exploring how hiring practices, workflows, and support systems can create a more equitable working environment.
We’ll draw on our experience from the pilot of Stopgap’s Future Leaders program, and discuss ways to elevate Deaf, Disabled, and neurodivergent voices, and transform organisations to foster inclusive leadership in dance.
Let’s shake things up and reimagine the future together!
Webinar Details
Date: Wednesday 19 March, 2025
Time: 11am-1.30pm
Location: Online, via Zoom
Cost: Free
Webinar agenda
We’ll centre the webinar around two key discussions:
- Creating Pathways for Disabled Leadership
- Sustaining Disabled Leadership
Sarah Pickthall, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion specialist, will host the ‘Creating Pathways for Disabled Leadership session. Together we will explore how organisational systems can be designed to better support and elevate Disabled leaders. With insights from Future Leader Annie-Rose Grantham and Stopgap’s Co-Artistic Director Lucy Bennett, we’ll discuss the benefits of inclusive hiring and welcoming more Disabled leaders, and the structural changes organisations can implement to create more leadership opportunities for Disabled professionals.
After a short break, Louise Wildish, experienced Producer, Director and previous Head of Inclusion at People Dancing will host the second session, ‘Sustaining Disabled Leadership”. Here we will focus on systems that effectively support the leadership growth of Disabled artists and professionals. With insights from Future Leader Monique Dior Jarrett and Stopgap’s Co-Artistic Director Laura Jones, we’ll discuss which strategies and structures have been most successful in supporting leadership development. This session will provide valuable perspectives on how organisations can create more inclusive pathways for Disabled artists to progress into leadership roles.
Dance film premiere
After the webinar, we will share a short dance film produced by the Future Leaders.
Fierce Grace explores the sacred power of shared movement. In the quiet reverence of the church, both Disabled and non-disabled dancers come together to reimagine and reshape the iconography of the past. As the beat builds, they break free, losing themselves in the revelation of a new spirituality. One dancer, however, seems trapped by the judgment of onlookers, torn between purity and self-expression.
Through touch, connection, and collective motion, Fierce Grace celebrates unity, revealing the profound beauty of dancing as one.
What is Future Leaders
A 12-month paid leadership development programme designed to elevate and empower mid-career arts professionals.
Participants gain hands-on experience working alongside a diverse network of peers and mentors, broadening their perspectives while exploring their leadership potential. The programme fosters a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for growth, collaboration, and innovation.
Find out more about the programme