Youth council JUST IT
Youth council “just it“ – young voices in dance
A first exchange between dancers from 15 to 25 years, initiated by Aktion Tanz – Bundesverband Tanz in Bildung und Gesellschaft e.V. and in cooperation with Dachverband Tanz in the frame of Tanztreffen der Jugend in Berlin, took place September 23, 2018.
The eight foundation members derive from dance projects and young companies everywhere in the country. They act in diverse contexts and feel at home in different dance styles. Ranging from project participants, high school graduates and students of dance, theater studies and teaching to young dancers of the freelancing scene and dance teachers, who make their first experiences in teaching: the board of the council is just as colorful as the young dance landscape in Germany.
The first conversation made already clear what this would be all about: the young people want to exchange, share experiences and issues, they want to contribute their opinions and create and foster the dance landscape. The forum is open for further members and will grow and shape through regular meetings.
With the invitation Aktion Tanz aimed at creating a young board that can advise initiatives and associations from the direct view of young dance professionals. Decisions and discussions of topics that concern young people, the active inclusion of the latter and their opinion is of paramount importance.
For the next meetings the young board had already decided to meet in different places each time in order to initiate conversations and to inspire. Hence, they would like to define the topics that move young people in the field of dance and culture and to find out on which level there is a need for action.
The founders have already determined two main points: elaborating an intensive exchange as well as a fusion of dance styles in order to dismantle boarders and fears of contact. Moreover, there is the need of a blanket solution for affordable dance classes and education opportunities so the access to dance becomes generally possible for all children and adolescents.
Not only do they receive support from Aktion Tanz and Dachverband Tanz Deutschland but also from dance institutions and festivals of their region, where they have already been invited to occasions. Thus, a platform is provided where discussion of and with young people can be developed on a national level.
It would be great for the future when having relevant topics discussed to have young voices expressed more often and to invite young representatives to events about dance and education policy.
The group JUST IT can be reached from now on via justit@aktiontanz.de, a facebook and instagram page are in process as well.