Benchmarking study for contemporary dance in Europa

This benchmarking study – commissioned by Performing Arts Research and Training Studios (P.A.R.T.S.) – compares the situation of four (higher education) contemporary dance schools in Europe: PARTS, Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (SEAD, Salzburg), London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS, London) and the dance program at Danish National School for Contemporary Performing Arts (DNSPA, Copenhagen). Several aspects are taken into consideration: the student populations, the auditions, the study course of the students, the curriculum, human resources, the financial structure, the facilities, the public activities and the situation of the alumni. The focus of the study is the bachelor or undergraduate program offered by these four schools.

As such, this is the second benchmarking study commissioned by PARTS. A first study was done in 2016, on the basis of a largely quantitative survey sent out to eight different schools. For the second edition, less schools were part of the research, but the research was broadened and deepened: new topics were added to the comparison, and the survey was complemented by a series of interviews, in order to move beyond the mere figures and also take relevant policies and evaluation into account.