ADVOCACY
We advocate to government on behalf of our members and the wider dance community to better understand the needs of the dance sector as an industry, to improve conditions and to promote the essential role dance plays in Australian lives.
Ausdance Submission - National Cultural Policy Consultation 2026
Earlier this year the sector was invited to help shape the next National Cultural Policy. Ausdance National made a comprehensive submission which is now publicly available.
Our submission offers a clear, evidence‑driven picture of the sector and the reforms needed to support dance across Australia. It’s a powerful snapshot of where we are now and what’s required next. The dominant mode of engagement is not watching — it is doing. Policy focused on audiences as ticket-buyers misses the vast majority of how dance operates in Australian life.
Here are some key excerpts and we encourage you to explore the full report in the link below.
Why Dance Must Be at the Centre of Cultural Policy
"Dance is not a discretionary luxury... Every dollar invested in dance returns many times its value to the health system, aged care, education and community."
Dance is one of Australia's most widely practised cultural activities — yet remains structurally underfunded. The submission calls for a shift from funding outputs to investing in ecosystems.
The Sector's Scale—and Its Fragility
"Australia's dance sector is one of the most widely participated cultural activities in the country, yet it remains structurally underinvested and increasingly precarious."
With more than 961,000 regular participants, dance is a national force — but the infrastructure supporting it is thin, uneven and often inaccessible.
Dance as Social Infrastructure
“Practitioners see dance as social infrastructure, not merely an artform.”
Survey respondents overwhelmingly identified Education (~86%), Health (~74%) and Community Services (~46%) as priority areas for cross‑portfolio collaboration.
The Evidence is Unambiguous
“Dance reduces the $5.4 billion annual cost of falls. It counters the $2.7 billion annual cost of loneliness.”
Peer‑reviewed research shows dance improves physical health, mental wellbeing, cognitive function, social connection and cultural identity across the lifespan.
The Space Crisis
"Only one in three respondents have consistent, affordable access to rehearsal or creation space".
Safe, affordable spaces are the backbone of dance practice — and right now, most practitioners simply don’t have access to them.
Creation Is the Work
"Creation is about 90% of our work... There would be no performance if it wasn't for valued, funded creation time."
The submission argues for explicit investment in creation, not just performance — recognising the full cycle of artistic labour.
PAPTO Tax Reform
"Ausdance supports a Performing Arts and Exhibitions Production Tax Offset (PAPTO) modelled on the UK's permanent cultural tax reliefs."
The UK reliefs are credited with unlocking productions, sustaining jobs and stimulating regional activity. Australia has no equivalent for live performing arts.
A Call for Structural Reform
“It is time for policy to reflect what Australians already know and live.”
Ausdance outlines 32 recommendations across First Nations leadership, infrastructure, workforce conditions, creation funding, data strategy, tax reform and cross‑portfolio collaboration.
Read the Full Submission
The full Ausdance National submission provides detailed evidence, sector insights and policy recommendations that could reshape the future of dance in Australia.
Ausdance Submission to the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee - Inquiry into the National Cultural Policy
October 2025
Late last year Ausdance made this submission on behalf of the national Ausdance network of State and Territory organisations. Australia’s dance ecosystem—artists, educators, Cultural dance leaders, companies, studios, festivals, community organisations and allied health partners—across metropolitan, regional and remote Australia.
We welcomed the Committee’s targeted interest in (a) tax reform and productivity, and (b) emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI).
Our positions are grounded in prior Ausdance submissions (national, state and territory), sector research on valuing the arts, First Nations consultations, and lived experiences of dance professionals, workers, practitioners and small businesses. The Ausdance national network also applauds and supports ANA’s (A New Approach) “Imagine 2035” call for a National Arts, Culture & Creativity Plan and urges its adoption alongside the National Cultural Policy. Such a plan should include a Strategy-on-a-Page, clear outcomes and measurements, and be underpinned by ongoing collaborations across levels of government (federal, state, territory, local) and with First Nations leadership.
In recognising culture’s role in addressing major societal challenges (inequality, health, climate, social isolation, cohesion), we recommend policy settings and funding programs explicitly allow for arts responses with social / environmental purpose, not only economic outputs.
Prepared for Australian Dance Council, Ausdance Inc (National)
Contact: Julie Englefield Email: julie.englefield@ausdance.org.au Tel. 0426296050
WITH
Australian Dance Council, Ausdance (ACT) Inc
Australian Dance Council, Ausdance (QLD) Inc
Australian Dance Council, Ausdance (SA) Inc
Australian Dance Council, Ausdance (VIC) Inc
Australian Dance Council, Ausdance (WA) Inc
Ausdance Submission to the National Office of Child Safety
February 2025
The national Ausdance network has made a landmark submission for dance to the National Office for Child Safety in response to its Child Safety Annual Reporting Framework consultation paper.
It is not possible to overstate the urgency expressed by Ausdance members to comprehensively address the issue of child safety. The overwhelming response of the dance sector – following substantial consultation over more than four years – is that it should be better regulated so the safety of children in organisations is improved.
The national Ausdance network has championed ‘Safe Dance’ since 1990. Currently, improving safety in dance environments, particularly for children, is a key priority for the network.
The National Office for Child Safety’s proposed child safety annual reporting framework aims to encourage and support organisations through capability building to implement good practice child safety policies and processes to embed cultures that prioritise the best interests of all children.
The national framework operates in addition to state-based Child Safe Standards regulatory requirements.
Investing in Dance: A Call for Federal Budget Action
February 2025
The Ausdance network is calling on the federal government to recognise the vital role dance plays in the nation’s health, economy, and cultural identity by making meaningful investments in the 2025 federal budget.
In Australia, 573,726 adults and 387,617 children participate regularly in dance activities. According to Fitness Australia, dance is the third most popular form of recreational activity. It is a part of everyday Australians’ lives, and the diversity and impact of its sectors and industry practice needs recognition in all new arts policies.
Ausdance is asking for the 2025 federal budget to support:
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First Nations Dance Leadership – Direct investment in long-term workforce capacity for First Nations dance practitioners, leaders, and communities.
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Safety in Dance – Support Ausdance to introduce nationally consistent child safety regulations in dance workplaces, update best practice guidelines and provide more professional development, working towards a more regulated industry.
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Stronger Arts Education – Ensure schools are properly resourced to teach the arts curriculum and urgently reverse unfair university fee increases for arts and humanities courses.
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Fairer Pay and Workplace Protections – Address wage disparities in dance employment and invest in services and resources that support arts employers to meet their workplace health, safety and pay obligations.
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Affordable and Accessible Venues – Reassess government venue pricing to support sustainable independent dance practice and production viability.
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Dance and Wellbeing – Expand dance programs for vulnerable and ageing Australians, leveraging evidence-based research into arts and health.
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Data-Driven Investment – Support research and data collection to measure the social, cultural, and economic value of the arts.
The Ausdance network are urging the government to reverse years of under investment that have left the sector struggling to meet demand. If we want to see a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable dance sector, investment must be a priority in this budget.
National Dance Gathering Report
2023
Sixty dance leaders and independent artists from small to medium companies and organisations across Australia attended the National Dance Gathering held at Queensland Ballet premises in Brisbane at the end of 2023, facilitated by Ausdance Queensland in partnership with Ausdance National.
A report was produced by Julie Englefield, Director Ausdance Queensland where all opinions and feedback was documented.
The report addresses the key needs and issues of the professional dance sector in response to the National Cultural Policy and serves as advocacy to Creative Australia who also supported its publication.