Main areas of internationalisation

The study offers a comprehensive diagnosis of the internationalisation process of Valencian dance, based on the MAP analytical framework (Motivation–Action–Policy) and a participatory approach that involved the direct participation of professionals from the sector.

First, the report identifies three major areas of action in the internationalisation of dance:

• Functional dimension, where participation in international festivals and cultural diplomacy stand out as the main avenues for external projection.
• Ethical-cultural dimension, focused on ethical artistic mobility and transcultural choreography, with particular attention to equity and intercultural exchange.
• Digital dimension, which includes practices such as streaming, virtual residencies and online co-creation, which are still underdeveloped due to the perception that digital formats cannot replace the live stage experience.

Regarding motivations for internationalisation, the report concludes that economic factors are the most decisive, as they allow diversification of income sources and access to new markets. These are complemented by geographical and linguistic motivations, professional motivations (career development and symbolic capital) and emotional motivations, linked to artistic commitment to dance.

Structural challenges

The analysis also identifies structural challenges grouped into four dimensions:

• Sectoral, such as the weak integration of dance within the education system and the lack of an ecosystem to support internationalisation.
• Administrative, highlighting bureaucracy, delays in public payments and opacity in access to information.
• Institutional, characterised by the absence of long-term cultural policies and stable systems of economic support for artists.
• Professional, related to economic precariousness, self-exploitation, work–life balance difficulties and limited continuous training.

Policy implications

Finally, the report underlines the need to move towards a structural and long-term approach to cultural policy that goes beyond ad hoc interventions and responds to the specificities of the dance sector. In this regard, it highlights the importance of integrating dance more firmly into the education system, both in formal education and higher education, in order to strengthen its social, academic and professional recognition.

Likewise, the study points to the need to develop specific structures to support internationalisation, such as offices or specialised units that act as intermediaries between the sector and international markets, facilitating access to information, professional networks, funding and exhibition spaces. These measures should be complemented by stronger public funding, including more stable and multiannual instruments that help reduce the sector’s structural precariousness.

Finally, the report raises the need to recognise culture and dance as strategic elements of sustainable development, not only because of their economic contribution, but also because of their role in social cohesion, intercultural dialogue and the international projection of the territory.

The report is based on a participatory workshop organised by AVED in November 2025, with the participation of Valencian dance companies and international programmers, and constitutes a strategic tool to guide future cultural policies and sectoral actions.

With this publication, ECONCULT and AVED reinforce their commitment to applied research, dialogue with the professional sector and the design of evidence-based cultural policies, with the aim of promoting a more sustainable, visible and international Valencian dance sector.