| History | The Association of Dance and Mime Artists (ADMA) (1976-1985) sought to educate key people within major funding bodies about British New Dance. It pressed for funding of experimental dance companies and for grants to allow choreographers to explore new ideas and create new work that might not reach performance level. A national membership organisation with a steering committee based in London, ADMA played a key role in the increase in funding for small projects and small dance groups, the appointment of the first Dance Officer at the Greater London Arts Association (GLAA) in 1977, and GLAA's granting of dance fellowships in 1978.
ADMA held two festivals, in 1977 and 1978, and a Day of Dance in July 1981. The 1977 festival was one of the first major dance festivals in the UK. Both years, the festival was open to anyone, resulting in widely varying standards of performance, which received a great deal of criticism.
Key people associated with ADMA were Fergus Early, Julie Eaglen, Irene Fawkes, Michael Huxley, Jenny Mann, Richard Mansfield, Virginia Taylor, Chris Thompson, and Sue Davies. For most of its life, ADMA received no funding and people worked on a voluntary basis. In 1982 ADMA received a three-year grant from the Gulbenkian Foundation to employ Irene Fawkes as a part-time administrator. |