Placemaking Week 2024

Experiencing live dance creates powerful, embodied moments for learning and reflection, whether that is encountering a performance in public space or engaging in a movement practice. Dance leaders all over the world have been harnessing that power to shape the social and physical character of their cities, attracting and engaging new audiences along the way. After Covid-19 exacerbated funding issues for a field that has been historically neglected, many of these individual artists and companies have been innovating new, nimble models on shoestring budgets that center artist agency, effective community engagement, and broad economic impact. Many have brought their performances and programs out of theaters and directly into nontraditional and unexpected locations, frequently challenging how audiences regard public spaces and the way people move through them. Join Bella Stenvall (dancer and arts and culture researcher at AEA Consulting) and the a range of dance leaders for a discussion about what dance can bring to placemaking. This session will consider questions such as: How can we better embed dance into placemaking conversations? To what capacities are dance organizations currently involved in placemaking across diverse geographies? How are dancers and dance-makers serving as activators, disruptors, enhancers (intentionally or unintentionally) of public spaces? What tools do dance organizations need to expand their mission into placemaking, and what are the benefits? How can cities, planners, and public leaders better advocate for dance as a placemaking tool in their policies?