Archives Funding Coalition

The Dance/USA Archives Funding Coalition is a group of dance artists, archivists, administrators, and other dance workers who value the importance of dance archives and seek to advocate for increased access to funding for dance artists, companies, and organizations.

The group’s projects and initiatives include:  

• A set of talking points for artists and arts workers to advocate with funders, donors, and their communities about the importance of archives.
• Video testimonials or “impact stories” from artists and communities whose lives and work have been touched by a dance archives project.
• An active, growing listing of grants and funding sources we are aware of that fund dance archives projects.
  • Please submit any additions or edits to this list by filling out this form!

The coalition uplifts and affirms the importance of archives in the quest for a more equitable dance field. Living Archives represent the past, present, and future life of artists and cultural practitioners around the globe. To fund and support dance archiving is to affirm that dance practices are a vital piece of humanity. 

Historically, resources have not been put towards the preservation of marginalized groups and their cultures. The historical record is full of gaps, but the future historical record need not be. As we create and share dance and strive to preserve the artistic and cultural practices of humankind, let us also resource the documentation, preservation, and access to our diverse cultural legacy.

For more information, contact group members Ellen Kamoe (ellen.kamoe@nullgmail.com) and Tom Clareson (Tom.Clareson@nulllyrasis.org).