Council reMainS coMMitted to delivering project

The partners working on the proposal for the International Dance Academy – Ashford Borough Council (ABC), the Jasmin Vardimon Company (JVC), Arts Council England and Kent County Council – all say they are still committed to delivering the project.

In a joint statement, they said a “new creative approach is needed” and that they are working to “revise the scope of the project brief for the dance, performance and education spaces and this will be agreed in the autumn”.

Cllr Gerry Clarkson, leader of ABC, said: “Despite the tremendous endeavours by everyone concerned with this exciting and ambitious project we have all concluded that we need a fresh creative approach.

“I am sure that all members and project partners will share my disappointment that the project in its current form will not proceed.

“The presence of the world class Jasmin Vardimon Company in Ashford and Kent is highly valued, as is their outstanding contribution to the cultural offer at county, national and international level.

“Accordingly, this important Ashford Council leader Cllr Gerry Clarkson project will remain as one of the Council’s big eight corporate priorities.

“We shall continue to work with our valued partners to find an alternative way of delivering an affordable and high quality project that benefits all partners and raises the cultural offer for Kent.”

Ian Ross, the executive producer of JVC added: “Despite our obvious disappointment that the project has not proceeded as planned, we are all enormously heartened by and appreciative of the continued support of our partners and look forward to working together to ensure that JVC remain at the forefront of the cultural offer in east Kent.”