The Instep Research Team began to fund suitable projects in XXXX. WE have been able to fund projects across a wide spectrum of clog and step dance related activities, from research to seed funding for stage performances. Details of concluded projects which we have funded to date are outlined below.
Development of Signing Performance Piece
Development of a dance and music performance linking percussive dance and signing, and if further funding was forthcoming to present the piece to schools and festivals. The outputs of the dance piece with associated music and a clog dictionary with subtitles were produced and can be viewed via this link. (2021, Sophie Crawford, £3,000)
FolkLincs
Funding clog dance classes for youn people in the FolkLincs area, including tutor fees, and the purchase of boards and clogs.. Clog sessions began in January 2022a tHenderson Primary School, Lincolnshire, utilising the clogs and boards purchased. (2021, Carol Dawson, £3,000)
Footwork
Funding for development work and rehearsal to lead to a CD and subsequent stage performance linking new music composed especially for the works with various styles of clog and step dance. The DC was released in late 2021 and the show presented at UK festivals including the Sidmouth Folk Festival in 2022. (2021, Lewis Wood, £3,000)
East Anglian Traditional Music Trust
Funding to allow step dancing events to be held at the annual EATMT days in Suffolk, covering two years of the events. After the first year, COVID intervened and the second event was postyponed until 2022 when it was successfully held. (2019, EATMT, £2,000).
Publication of Stepping On
In 2019 a conference was held at Cecil Sharp House, London, focussing on stepping in dance, jointly hosted by the IRT, the EFSSS and the Historical Dance Society. The papers were subsequently published in Bennett, T. (ed.), Stepping On, London 2023. An IRT bursary provided partial funding for the publication. (2022, Toby Bennett, £xxxx)
The publication is available form the EFDSS.