Job & financial insecurity has led to an exodos of dance artists from the arts sector. 80% of workers considered leaving the arts due to burnout & financial pressures, “Low pay, limited progression & lack of flexibility within jobs in the arts… are to blame for the struggle to retain employees” The Stage. 80% of dancers are freelance with limited access to professional development, employee benefits & health care: 85% of dancers get injured & 50% report mental health symptoms every year.

SHIFT supports Hip Hop & South Asian artists to develop viable portfolio careers, expanding their skills, knowledge & prospects through coaching, workshops, mentoring & educational grants. Freelance artists’ salaries are 17.5% below the UK average, with under-21s earning 43.7% less than contemporaries. SHIFT addresses this by supporting freelance artists from marginalised backgrounds and dance genres to develop robust secondary income streams, retaining talented dancers in the arts sector.