Editorial

For Cotswold dancers (or dancers of the South Midlands Tradition, as I have been told it is called now!) the winter is supposed to be a quiet time of the year. Where each team is supposed to be indoors, practising their dances ready for the first of May, the start of the dancing season. Personally it seems quite a busy time of year, with workshops virtually every other weekend. My long-suffering-non-dancing-never-been-a Morris-dancer partner has now realised that he has to write himself into my diary in order to book some time with me. And when I meet people at the workshops, I realise what a variety of people there are dancing. But who do we tell about what we are doing or why?

Now is the time to start making the links with various bits of media – the local papers, local “What’s On” magazines, the Essex Countryside magazine equivalent to where you live, local radio stations, local TV stations. Give them an angle on what you do, where you might be found, why May Day is your day, or why you’ve chosen another day for the start of the season. Some teams are very good at doing this, others seem to hide their lights (bells, sticks, swords and garlands) under a bushel. If you are not a Cotswold (or South Midlands!) Dancer, then explain why it is that May Day will not see you out at all- Boxing Day and Plough Monday will have its own devotees. Tell them about it.

Have you thought of linking up with the local sports centres on health promotion issues (we won’t discuss the drink side!). Or the local arts council for grants Goin them now and after a year or two you become eligible for grants!), or linking with some one else to do some sort of promotion as a physical or arts linked creative activity. (See later for information on Arts Council and Lottery Money). There are lots of opportunities that are available to sides who want to be proactive about promoting their own image, and many teams are already doing that. But there is always room for more.

And at the end of the day enjoy yourselves. And be proud in what you do.

All in all it is the responsibility of each individual team to promote its local image in the way that is meaningful to them. Whether its the equivalent of the five-a-side football team, or the remiere league division team, each team’s style is what is important. And if a team want to keep themselves to themselves, then that is their choice. The main thing is to develop the tradition and pass it on. And tradition is only what you remember, so let others know what it is that they need to remember!

May your bells jangle, your sticks strike, and your swords clash in harmony!

Janet Dowling

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