The European Dance Network (EDN) initiated the #DanceAndWellBeing campaign from November 2020 to February 2021 as a response to the many restrictions during Covid-19 and the disastrous impact of the virus on people’s lives.
Through this campaign, EDN started to collect sectoral data on the contribution of dance to good health and well-being and identified key resources focusing on the role of the arts in addressing the relevant UN Sustainable Development Goal. Through the many activities co-organised with its members, EDN has acted to address the essential role of dance in our societies as well as to highlight artistic practices and sectoral needs, envisioning a renewed dance ecosystem after a period of crisis.
The past year, and the grassroots initiatives it has spurred across Europe, have reinforced our belief in the role of dance in maintaining our physical and mental well-being. The global pandemic, its management by authorities across Europe, and the concrete impacts on health and mental/physical well-being made clear the necessity of investigating this topic. Looking at the value-driven approaches becoming predominant across Europe, in the network as well as in the dance ecosystem at large, we see that artists and dance professionals’ practices are increasingly shaped by the notion of ‘care’. Moreover, stakeholders, including policymakers, have an increasing awareness of the potential contribution of the arts and culture sector to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
