How does the choice to have a child, or to give it up, impact one's career path, as well as one's physical body and social life? In order to gauge the current state of affairs and consider avenues for improvement, the three professional associations produced and circulated a questionnaire asking, among other things, how far one can combine parental and artistic functions. How can we deal with these roles, which require a great deal of care, albeit of different natures? Which measures are already in place, and which need to be invented in order to harmonize them?

The questionnaire was aimed at dance professionals (dancers, teachers, choreographers, school directors, mediators, etc.) with or without children. It was produced in three languages (fr, it, ger), and was distributed in June 2023.

108 dance professionals responded (10% men and 90% women) from three language regions (69 French-speaking, 37 German-speaking and 2 Italian-speaking).

The results are still being analyzed and have been shared with two professionals in gender studies and sociology from the Universities of Berne and Lausanne. A study of the responses will enable devise initiatives to be implemented. An awareness-raising campaign has already been launched in the cantons of Vaud and Geneva.

The survey has also been forwarded to professional organizations in the music industry, who are also interested in exploring these issues.

Initial measures have been proposed internally by the AVDC and RP-Genève professional associations, with the introduction of a childcare service during the workshops they organize. If any dance professionals need to call on this service during one of these events, please don't hesitate to contact them directly.

www.rp-geneve.ch mail: rp@rp-geneve.ch

www.avdc.ch mail: contact@avdc.ch