Julie Dyson AM

Julie works in a voluntary capacity as an arts advocate across several national and international organisations, including as immediate past Chair of the National Advocates for Arts Education and as Secretary of the World Dance Alliance Asia Pacific. She is the former national director of Ausdance, where her work included policy development, advice to funding bodies, government departments, companies and individual artists, and the initiation of innovative partnerships to promote and support contemporary dance, performers and educators.

Julie has worked as a volunteer on the dance collections of the National Library of Australia and Ausdance National, and has edited many publications, including Dance Forum, Shaping the Landscape – Celebrating Dance in Australia and Shifting Sands: Dance in Asia and the Pacific. She was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award for Administration in 1994, the Ausdance 21 Award for outstanding service to the organisation in 1998, the Australian Dance Award for Services to Dance in 2000 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. In 2007 Julie was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

Julie continues her work with Ausdance National as a board director, and remains particularly focused on dance advocacy at the federal level. She has also been nominations coordinator of the Australian Dance Awards, and currently mentors several Australian dance artists.

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Publications

Australian Dance Summits 2001

by Julie Dyson originally published on

This report presents some of the debate from a series of Dance Summits held in each State and Territory during February/March 2001. In 1991, under the auspices of the Australia Council, 148 members of the Australian dance community gathered in Canberra to debate the future of dance for the following decade. Much was achieved from those recommendations, but with a new decade about to begin, Ausdance assumed the role of facilitator and organised a series of State and Territory meetings, culminating in a national summit in Canberra on 26 March 2001. More than 220 members of the Australian dance community debated a wide range of issues during these consultations, and agreed on six priorities for action.

Articles

The Politics of Dance – an action plan

by Julie Dyson

How can I make my voice heard politically, and make a difference? This is a question often asked of Ausdance, whose job it is to inform and lobby politicians on behalf of its members. While at Ausdance we undertake these activities throughout the year, there are ways you can also have a voice, especially at a time of crisis such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How do you value dance? Why should it be supported? Do you value humanity? Why would you support that? Take the time to share these questions (and your ideas) with your local Members of Parliament and Senators, and emphasise the importance in investing in an arts-led recovery by empowering artists to fully participate in the way forward.

The Australian Curriculum: The Arts finally endorsed

by Julie Dyson

A seven-year campaign on behalf of arts educators across the country came to an end this week with the final endorsement of The Australian Curriculum: The Arts! Thanks go to the National Advocates for Arts Education - NAAE, which represents the five art forms included as separate subjects in the curriculum. The Arts were not initially included in the national curriculum at all, and this week therefore marks a significant occasion, when The Arts are not only in the curriculum, but they include all five art forms: Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music and the Visual Arts.

An extraordinary career: Cheryl Stock, AM

by Julie Dyson

Julie Dyson pays tribute to Cheryl Stock who was recently awarded an AM. Cheryl is an artist and scholar who has influenced four decades of Australian policy, dance education, scholarship and research, dance leadership and artistic vision.

Contact Julie Dyson