The Cost Of Community

 “As a community-focused organisation, finding private funding is notably challenging, particularly when ‘community’ groups are often not acknowledged for their contributions in the same manner as ‘professional’ groups – a thought worthy of a deeper discussion in a future blog post…” From the fire of this column's Inferno ( https://www.diamondzdance.com/post/dancing-our-way-to-unity-an-insight-into-diamondz-inferno-how-a-community-dance-show-brings-people) to the phoenix of the column today, this #DiamondzDialogue is THAT blog post. If you are a community-focused organisation, why is there the assumption and expectation of what you do being ‘free?’ The expectation that you are ‘less than’ a professional? Lots to unpack here so let’s begin. Firstly, working for and within a community is purpose-driven but to minimise the hard labour, the discipline required in dance both as an attendee and teacher, the hours spent organising classes and nurturing a safe space for expression, the energy it takes from anyone, never mind a neurodivergent person, the lifetime of dedication it took to even reach a point of teaching others…To minimise that, to reduce it to an inferior version of ‘work’ shows a clear absence of understanding for the internal and external graft and craft of creative and community pursuits. Writing from my own personal experiences as a facilitator for the autistic adult peer support group Autistic Led, there is a huge undercurrent of passion driving the project forward but it’s not without a price. Rent, which applies to Diamondz too of course, is the ongoing financial factor of presenting anything trying to be a consistent space for meetings, classes etc. So what are you paying for and why should you care? I am not mentioning money absentmindedly or to gain sympathy but when we think about being professional, it’s crucially important to get a quality of service hence being worth payment. With Diamondz, the impact is felt in the energy. Maybe it’s because I am so old but I certainly feel the vibrance and commitment from the young people that make Diamondz their home for the afternoon, evening or whenever they bring forth their authentic self to the dancefloor. Their mental and physical exertion is what makes the financial upkeep worth it. Their heuristic (their what?) haven is only there because the business of community is, at its core, serious stuff. And as much as social media might connect us all to excellent resources for dance, I believe there would be a massive gap in the value of dance if you didn’t have a place to develop it. The place to develop choreography and ourselves only comes with maintenance of rent, promotion scheduling to keep people coming in to chance upon a great, inclusive experience (more on that here with The I in Team...) Emotional energy put into performance, confidence to put your art and discipline in front of people whether an audience or to funders or passers-by. Standing boldly in your truth that, even though not everybody will understand the concepts you exhibit, the efforts you pour into mastering routines, that what you do matters. However, as a rapper called Eso from Bliss N’ Eso says in their song Weightless Wings; “Freedom isn’t free.” So what’s the cost of community? A LOT of work. But when smiles occur, friendships form and moments that last a lifetime happen…that’s priceless. QUESTION TIME: What is something you do, or someone does, that people don’t appreciate? Who should we celebrate!?Tell us on our socials! Until next month…check out these blogs in the meantime! BLOG | Diamondz Dance Join the conversation with your thoughts and feelings on our socials with #DiamondzDialogue