Ballet d’Jèrri funding (FOI)

Request

Ballet d'Jèrri, which describes itself as Jersey's first professional dance company, recently held auditions in London for ten experienced dancers, offering full-time contracts and competitive wages, with rehearsals due to begin in January 2023.

It is not apparent how the start-up costs of this company/charity will be funded, as its entry on the Jersey Charity Register, dated April 2022, reveals no initial funds. However, the Government of Jersey is referred to as a sponsor (Ballet in the Park.)

Could you tell me:

A       

Whether Ballet d'Jèrri has received any government funding in 2022, and if so, how much and for what purpose?

B       

Whether Ballet d'Jèrri has been allocated future government funding for 2022 and 2023, and if so, how much and for what purpose?

C       

Whether the Government of Jersey (such as officers for arts, culture, and the economy) is in talks with the founders of Ballet d'Jèrri about future government funding of the dance company?

Response 

A       

Ballet d'Jerri has received no funding from the Government of Jersey between 1st January and 8th August 2022.

B       

Ballet d'Jerri has not been allocated any future Government of Jersey funding for 2022 or 2023 as of 8th August 2022.

All future applications to the Government of Jersey for grants pertaining to the arts will be assessed against the Government of Jersey Arts Strategy and the ability of the project to add value against the four themes: 

• Arts, education, and personal development
• Arts, health, and sustainable wellbeing
• Arts, environment, and place-making
• Arts, economic prosperity, and inclusive growth

Government of Jersey Arts Strategy (gov.je) 

To enable fair and objective decision making, in addition to usual best practice for grant making, the Government of Jersey has now developed an arts grant assessment framework, developed by officers across departments, in accordance with the themes of the arts strategy and the Jersey Performance framework.

C       

Officers from the Government of Jersey have been in regular talks with the Board of the Ballet d'Jèrri since 2021 and grants pertaining to the arts have been discussed.

The Government of Jersey is actively seeking ways to support arts start-ups that provide opportunities and careers for local artists, develop the sector as a whole and deliver against the objectives of the Arts Strategy.