The Instep Research Team (IRT) has a bursary fund to support UK-based projects relating to the objects of IRT.
“To promote, maintain, improve, develop and advance public education by the encouragement of the arts of clog and step dancing through research and by the holding of workshops, conferences, events and demonstrations to encourage people to participate in the said arts.”
We welcome ideas for bursary projects at any time which can be sent to bursaries@insteprt.co.uk for informal feedback, however formal applications will be invited at regular intervals.
The latest round of bursary expressions of interest closed at the end of April 2023 resulting in the awards outlined below.
IRT Bursary Awards 2023
In 2023 the InstepRT assessment panel approved bursary funding for four projects. Full details under Current Projects below:
Annette Collins. Researching Irish step dancer, Frankie Roddie.
Fiona Johnson.
Jenny Read. Dartmoor Step Dance: Fusion with Street Dance.
Simon Harmer. Researching the Sailor’s Hornpipe from Mobberley, Cheshire.
Current Projects.
ClogNet Lancashire
A project to train primary school teachers to teach clog dancing in their schools. Devastated by Covid, two of the ClogNet schools appear to have dropped out of the project but it is hoped that the remaining two will be able to resume their clogging sessions in 2024. However a further school who are desperate to be part of the ClogNet project will be starting their ClogNet training in January 2024. (2019, Alex Fisher, £3,000)
Glossop Clog Project
This project aims to provide a combination of research, performance and education, including searching for information about local clog traditions. It is ongoing, with the first section culminating in a video showing the development of steps danced to 3/2 hornpipes. The education element was heavily impacted by Covid, but is now up and running. (2019, Grace Smith, £3,000)
ClogNet Cumbria
As with ClogNet Lancashire, a project to train primary school teachers to teach clog dancing in their schools. Unfortunately also badly affected by Covid by Covid, One of the ClogNet schools appear to have dropped out of the project but it is hoped that the one will be able to resume their clogging sessions in 2024. (2019, Furness Clog Dancers, £3,000)
An Archive for Pat Tracey
The collection and collation of the biographical details and steps of Pat Tracey, and then notation of her steps in Newcastle Notation, to be published on the Instep website. The researchers are working with Pat's family to sort, digitise and make available Pat's extensive collection. The digitisation is almost complete and cataloguing has begun It is hoped that this project will enhance Pat's autobiographical account, The Making of a Tradition. East Lancashire Clog Dancing, published in 2022. (2021, Alex Fisher, Nickie Dailey and Chris Metherell, £3,000)
Frankie Roddy
The Instep bursary supports research into Irish step dancer Frankie Roddy (d.2004) from Derry whose repertoire included both named step sets (for example The King of the Fairies) as well as a number of hornpipe steps which, surprisingly, he called Lancashire dancing. The project involves interviewing pupils, recording the steps and producing teaching videos. (Awarded 2023, Annette Collins, £3,000)
Mobberley Sailor's Hornpipe
A Sailor's Hornpipe has been part of the May Day festivities at Mobberley, Cheshire for about a hundred years. This project seeks to record both the dance and its background history from the current tradition-bearer, Joy Parkes. (2023, Simon Harmer, £500)
Completed Projects.
As projects which have been the subject of Instep bursaries are completed, full details are posted on our website. Find out more by going to the projects page where all projects are listed and full details can be accessed.