Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre

Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre
Name	Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre
Abbreviation	CDMT
Formation	1969
Type	Performing arts membership body
Headquarters	London
Region served	United Kingdom

Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre is a UK-based membership organisation that represents professional and vocational providers in performing arts including ballet, contemporary dance, drama, and musical theatre. It engages with national bodies, examining boards, schools and theatres to promote standards and advocate policy across the performing arts sector. The organisation maintains links with examination boards, funding agencies, training conservatoires and employer bodies to influence practice and regulation within the cultural landscape.

History

The organisation emerged amid debates involving institutions such as the Royal Opera House, Sadler's Wells Theatre, Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland during the late 1960s alongside campaigns by figures associated with Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Margot Fonteyn, Jerome Robbins, Dame Ninette de Valois, and institutions like the Royal Ballet School. It developed relationships with funding bodies including Arts Council England, Scottish Arts Council, Arts Council of Wales and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport while interacting with regulatory agencies such as Ofsted and standards organisations associated with Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Over decades it connected with a wide range of companies and festivals including English National Opera, Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Cheltenham Festival to respond to sectoral shifts driven by policy from the Council of Europe and initiatives informed by reports from organisations like the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Structure and Governance

The council’s governance mirrored models used by organisations such as Arts Council England, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, University of the Arts London and professional bodies like the Musician's Union and Equity (trade union). Its board and executive teams often liaised with leaders drawn from conservatoires like Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, training providers such as Northern School of Contemporary Dance and employers including English National Ballet, Rambert, Scottish Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Legal and operational frameworks referenced guidance from entities such as Charity Commission for England and Wales, Companies House, Information Commissioner's Office, and funding compliance with Big Lottery Fund. Committee structures reflected panels seen at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and BIMM while membership services echoed those of British Council and UK Theatre.

Accreditation and Quality Assurance

The council developed accreditation frameworks comparable to standards used by examining boards like Trinity College London, London College of Music, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. It coordinated with inspection regimes such as Ofsted and quality benchmarks promoted by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, and referenced vocational routes connected to agencies including Skills Funding Agency and Education and Skills Funding Agency. Accreditation processes aligned with practices at establishments like Elmhurst Ballet School, Arts Educational Schools London and syllabi from bodies like International Dance Teachers Association and ISTD.

Membership and Affiliates

Membership encompassed a wide spectrum of institutions and companies including conservatoires (for example, Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music), independent schools such as ArtsEd, specialist colleges including LIPA, and companies like Royal Shakespeare Company, National Youth Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, English Touring Opera, Northern Ballet and Birmingham Opera Company. Affiliates included examination boards such as Trinity College London, professional bodies like Equity (trade union), unions such as the Musicians' Union, and funding partners including Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund. International links mirrored collaborations with organisations such as UNESCO, European Dancehouse Network and conservatoires like Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music and Manhattan School of Music.

Examinations and Awards

The council oversaw or endorsed examination frameworks and awards alongside examining bodies such as ABRSM, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, Trinity College London, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and International Dance Teachers Association. Awards and recognition programmes referenced national prizes and platforms like the Laurence Olivier Awards, Evening Standard Theatre Awards, UK Theatre Awards, Critics' Circle Theatre Awards and regional initiatives such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Awards. It liaised with national competitions and bursary schemes associated with D’Oyly Carte Trust, Wolfson Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation and fellowship programmes similar to those offered by the Clore Leadership Programme.

Training, Education and Professional Development

The council promoted vocational training models found at Royal Ballet School, Rambert School, Central School of Speech and Drama, Rose Bruford College, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Professional development programmes incorporated guest tutors and partnerships with artists and companies such as Matthew Bourne, Akram Khan Company, Complicite, National Youth Music Theatre, Compagnie Rambert and choreographers from New Adventures. It worked with apprenticeship schemes and traineeships linked to initiatives by Department for Education, conservatoire networks like Conservatoires UK, and CPD providers analogous to ArtsEd Professional Training.

Impact and Advocacy on the Performing Arts Sector

Through advocacy, the council engaged with policymakers and funders including Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Arts Council England, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to influence funding, inspection and workforce development affecting organisations such as National Theatre, Royal Opera House, English National Ballet, Royal Shakespeare Company and touring venues like The Lowry and Curve Theatre. It contributed to sector-wide debates alongside think tanks and research bodies such as the Institute for Public Policy Research, Nesta, Cultural Learning Alliance and What Next? while partnering with education agencies including Ofsted and Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education to shape curricula, safeguarding and access initiatives referenced by conservatoires like Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and community organisations such as Tricycle Theatre.

Category:Performing arts in the United Kingdom