Hampshire Dance is working in partnership with Hampshire County Council to deliver Springboard, the new dance bursary scheme.

The scheme is for outstanding young dancers who aspire to be the next leading dance professionals. Springboard will help dancers create a bespoke training programme to enhance and develop their skills. Successful candidates will receive up to £500 of dance training and development, with the guided support of a Bursary Co-ordinator.

If you want to apply for a dance bursary, you must be;

• Aged between 13 and 18
• Resident in Hampshire, within the County Council boundaries (This does not include the unitary authority areas of Portsmouth and Southampton.)

Applications for the 2011-12 scheme are now closed but you can read more about the scheme on the Hampshire County Council website.

In 2010 both Hampshire Dance and South East Dance took part in the third annual Children's Commissioner's Takeover Day in their respective Eastleigh and Brighton Offices, providing an opportunity for young people to experience what it's like to work in a busy dance office.

Hampshire Dance invited 10 young people from local colleges to join them for the day and learn about the work of the organisation. The young people were then encouraged to articulate their ideas and thoughts through group presentations that they devised and delivered at the end of the day in the style of ‘Dragon’s Den’.

Having been involved in Takeover Day for a number of years now Hampshire Dance and South East Dance also encouraged two other organisations to open their doors for this major national event and supported them in hosting their own Takeover Days in 2010.

Loop Dance Company,and Woking Dance Festival both invited young people into their offices on the 12 November 2010. The young people involved gained an insight into the running of an organisation, engaged in a variety of activities and learned about different career paths in dance.

You can find out more about this nationwide initiative on the Takeover Day website.