Dancing a treasure

About the practice

The main objective was to attract the new audiences.

The project consisted of developing a video game about Spanish dance to create new audiences. The project was developed in the city of Madrid, but its geographical impact is much greater, it widespreads at a regional, national and international level.

95% of the funding for this project came from Ann Krace's patronage and collaboration. For its development, it had the collaboration of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Acción Cultural España, the University of Berkeley in Valencia and the company Gamelearner.

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Story behind

Belén worked in the Patronage Department which needed to obtain a communication tool to promote a Spanish dance  among the youth. She met Ann Krace, who wanted to support the Spanish Ballet. With this contribution, the book “Dancing a Treasure” was produced. After this, the patron suggested they do something bigger and Belén had the idea of ​​making a video game, inspired by seeing what her children were interested in.

About the institution

The National Ballet of Spain (BNE) is a dance company founded in 1978. It is part of the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music (INAEM) and has an outstanding number of annual national and international tours that ensure its worldwide projection. . Its fundamental mission consists of preserving and disseminating the rich Spanish choreographic heritage, collecting its stylistic plurality and its traditions, represented by its different forms: academic, stylized, folklore, bowling and flamenco.

Context

The Project was made for the creation of new audiences. The expected result was to develop an interesting tool to make Spanish dance known among the youngest. This activity is integrated in the Patronage and Educational Activities Department; so it is integrated in their strategy of attracting new audiences.

Location

City of Madrid

Success factors

The video game works as a tool to attract Spanish dance.

During the realisation of the project, two very different worlds came into contact that fed each other enormously.

Gradually the attendance of children and young people is higher. In addition, they perform national ballet shows for families and all functions are filling up.

The entire project has been unique and original, since at that time none of a similar solutions existed, nothing that combined the promotion of dance through a video game. Another interesting aspect of this project is that 95% of its financing was provided by patronage and collaboration, either with work or with tools.

“There was nothing like it in the world. Nobody had made or was making an educational video game about dance: they were pioneers in the world.”

“It seems that the stars were getting in line to be able to develop the Project. As they talked to each other about the Project, people joined and they got what they needed.”

Target audience

dancers, artists, families and the general population

Sustainability

The Project is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable because. Regarding transferability, the person in charge of managing the development of the project considers it can continue over time. Each year there are new students who could update the video game as a final degree project.

Digital tools

Since the person in charge of the development of the Project had no knowledge in the development of videogames and the National Ballet of Spain did not have personnel specialised in the subject, they had to seek external collaboration. In this way, they contacted a Computer Science professor at the Complutense University of Madrid who had made a video game about theatre for teenagers. Through contact with this teacher they managed to access students interested in creating the video game. They also got the collaboration of a company that creates educational video games for companies. It ceded the use of the motion capture tool and its facilities for the development of the video game.

Given the specialisation necessary for video game creation, the most difficult of all was to obtain financing to be able to hire the necessary specialists. In addition, it was also complex and laborious to obtain the collaboration of the different institutions participating in the development of the project.

Funding

The Project has been financed by patronage and collaborations in 95% and has been developed by students of the University. The cost has been less than €60,000. Financing: Ann Krace, ACE (Cultural Action Spain), University of Berkeley (Valencia) Gamelearner, Culture Ministry

“Having a small amount of money to start is essential, because starting without any type of financial support makes it very difficult for people to join and collaborate in the Project.”

Plans

Each year new Spanish students of the collaborating institutions will get an opportunity to update the video game as a final degree project.

Organization/Institution
Ballet Nacional de EspañaGood practice link
https://balletnacional.mcu.es/
Address
Madrid, Spain
Contact person on good practice
Belén Moreno, Head of the Patronage and Educational Activities Department, belen.moreno@inaem.cultura.gob.es
Contact person on BNE
Belén Moreno, Head of the Patronage and Educational Activities Department, belen.moreno@inaem.cultura.gob.es