The main aim of this manifesto is to promote collaboration between African and Diasporic artists and organisations and to encourage them to formulate ways of contributing to the development of the arts sector as well as seeking wider support. This will aid the agenda of decolonising knowledge production, education and industry which is now a remit of cultural organisations the world over. The manifesto offers ideas and opinions that might be used to formulate lines of research, action plans, and initiate policy reform at various levels and in various locations.

The Global Frameworks for Creative Exchange: Kauma Brief Encounters project has been a milestone achievement for Kauma Arts (KA). The three-month project (January – March 2022) was a collaboration between Coventry University’s Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE) and KA which brought together researchers, artists, consultants and policymakers. Read more about the collaboration here.

This report focuses on three of the recommendations proposed in the KBE Manifesto that seem most urgent given the current dance landscape.

This document, whilst geared towards policy reform, aims to spotlight, and protect three core beliefs emerging from the work Kauma Arts has carried out with dance industry leaders, artists, creatives, and community members of the African Diaspora.

This policy brief is a result of the The Global Frameworks for Creative Exchange: Kauma Brief Encounters project in collaboration with Coventry University’s Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE). Read more about the collaboration here.