TIRED Movement
Nominee Profile
Location: Nottingham
In 2020, the world stood still. Streets were quiet, yet voices rose in a thunder that could not be ignored. The raw, painful truth of systemic racism pierced global consciousness, and for once, the world couldn’t look away. Amid the cries for justice, in the echoes of the “Black Lives Matter” chant, a spark was ignited in the dance world.
It was during this time that the TIRED Movement was born.
TIRED - Trying to Improve Racial Equality in Dance - emerged from the hearts of two women who had simply had enough. Co-founders Stacey and Laura, once dancers themselves, were TIRED of fighting the same fight that has been around for decades. TIRED of the microaggressions, TIRED of the lack of representation on stage and behind the scenes, TIRED of unspoken rules and prejudice that exists across the dance community. And despite being TIRED, they were ready to create something new, necessary and long overdue.
What began as a social media page quickly evolved into something powerful – a diverse and global community. A safe space for honest conversations, a mirror held up to an industry that had too long denied its own reflection. TIRED became a place where dancers and creatives, especially those from the Global Majority, could speak their truths without fear. A space where lived experience was honoured and voices were amplified rather than silenced.
TIRED demanded change and offered an achievable vision of what that change could look like: not diversity as a tick box exercise, but diversity and inclusion as a real foundation for daily practice. Transformation, not tokenism.
At its very core, the TIRED Movement is powered by passion and driven by a true love for dance, movement and music. It is a fight for every dancer who was told to straighten their hair, lighten their skin, or hide their culture to “fit the mold.” For everyone told their voice was too loud, whose body was “not the right look,” whose heritage was commodified or erased.
We are the TIRED Movement.
Through heartfelt advocacy, educational programs, collaborative partnerships, and industry-wide consultations, TIRED has taken that spark of resistance and turned it into a flame of systemic, sustainable change. The movement works with institutions to empower and equip them to identify blind spots, address inequalities, and rebuild with the right intention. To move away from performative action and into purposeful impact.
Since its inception, the movement has sparked conversations across studios, schools, colleges, theatres, and creative organisations. From grassroots community classes to professional companies, TIRED has become a catalyst. It has worked with organisations to co-create inclusive policies, provided workshops that open eyes and shift perspectives, and fostered networks where mentorship and solidarity thrive.
The TIRED Movement is not going away. We're growing, we're evolving and we're calling for your help.
Because we may be TIRED, but we will never give up.
It was during this time that the TIRED Movement was born.
TIRED - Trying to Improve Racial Equality in Dance - emerged from the hearts of two women who had simply had enough. Co-founders Stacey and Laura, once dancers themselves, were TIRED of fighting the same fight that has been around for decades. TIRED of the microaggressions, TIRED of the lack of representation on stage and behind the scenes, TIRED of unspoken rules and prejudice that exists across the dance community. And despite being TIRED, they were ready to create something new, necessary and long overdue.
What began as a social media page quickly evolved into something powerful – a diverse and global community. A safe space for honest conversations, a mirror held up to an industry that had too long denied its own reflection. TIRED became a place where dancers and creatives, especially those from the Global Majority, could speak their truths without fear. A space where lived experience was honoured and voices were amplified rather than silenced.
TIRED demanded change and offered an achievable vision of what that change could look like: not diversity as a tick box exercise, but diversity and inclusion as a real foundation for daily practice. Transformation, not tokenism.
At its very core, the TIRED Movement is powered by passion and driven by a true love for dance, movement and music. It is a fight for every dancer who was told to straighten their hair, lighten their skin, or hide their culture to “fit the mold.” For everyone told their voice was too loud, whose body was “not the right look,” whose heritage was commodified or erased.
We are the TIRED Movement.
Through heartfelt advocacy, educational programs, collaborative partnerships, and industry-wide consultations, TIRED has taken that spark of resistance and turned it into a flame of systemic, sustainable change. The movement works with institutions to empower and equip them to identify blind spots, address inequalities, and rebuild with the right intention. To move away from performative action and into purposeful impact.
Since its inception, the movement has sparked conversations across studios, schools, colleges, theatres, and creative organisations. From grassroots community classes to professional companies, TIRED has become a catalyst. It has worked with organisations to co-create inclusive policies, provided workshops that open eyes and shift perspectives, and fostered networks where mentorship and solidarity thrive.
The TIRED Movement is not going away. We're growing, we're evolving and we're calling for your help.
Because we may be TIRED, but we will never give up.