Strictly Come Dancing: creative public engagement methods exploring representation of inclusion

Strictly Come Dancing (Strictly), airing from September to December in the UK each year, has some of the highest viewing figures of a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) show. The programme has been on television for 20 years; the last five years have seen the series broadcaster consider diversity and inclusion more in their casting. There have been same-sex couples, a D/deaf celebrity and disabled celebrities and dancers. This article draws on the Arts and Humanities Research Council/BBC Public Engagement project Strictly Inclusive, examining how D/deaf, disabled and LGBT+ communities in the Midlands, UK, engaged with inclusion and representation on Strictly. The project brought dance researchers, communities (D/deaf and LGBT+), and an industry partner (BBC) together to creatively explore inclusion in Strictly. The article introduces the context for the wider project and then focuses on graphic interchange formats (GIFs) creation as a method to respond to inclusion and representation on Strictly. GIFs are made up of a sequence of images taken in a stop-motion format that create a story when placed together. We describe the methods used in the project and consider the role of dance research with public engagement in terms of ideas of bodily awareness, intimacy, spatial awareness and the role of the dancing body. We conclude with the limitations of inclusion and challenges of the creative methods.