| As this year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting not only on what we have achieved, but on what the year itself has asked of us. This message encapsulates our annual reflection, but it is also a deeply personal note, one I share with you as we approach the Christmas period and look ahead to a new year. Above all, I wish you and your loved ones very happy holidays, filled with rest, warmth, and renewal. 2025 was not an easy year. Across the dance sector, engagement and attendance have challenged us deeply. Participation has not always met our hopes, a reality shaped by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis that continues to affect families, young people, the communities we serve, and cultural organisations alike. Yet, despite these pressures, the year concluded with several positive and meaningful outcomes for both the Acosta Dance Foundation (ADF) and the Acosta Dance Centre (ADC). These challenges forced us to listen more carefully, to question our assumptions, and to rethink how we invite people into our work, not as consumers, but as partners in a shared cultural life. In doing so, the year reaffirmed why we do what we do. Our sector asks us to sit with discomfort, to notice what is unresolved, and to remain open even when outcomes are unclear. This is not weakness, it is discipline. It is how meaning is formed. Dance does not offer an escape from the world; it offers reflection. It holds a mirror to who we are, and sometimes who we are becoming, with a clarity few other spaces can provide. I was reminded that cultural institutions are not amenities. They are infrastructure. When a child attends a free after-school dance club through our community engagement school programme, when a senior joins an intergenerational workshop through our community performance group, when an emerging artist is given time, support and space to create through our fellowships and residency programmes, we are not filling time. We are building the social fabric that allows communities to endure, imagine, and grow. This year, the Foundation doubled its engagement offer compared to 2024. From toddlers to elders, from Woolwich to international collaborators, our reach expanded in both depth and intention. Woolwich has become not just a location, but a living cultural hub, where creativity, community, and care intersect daily. At the same time, I cannot ignore the financial realities we face. Rising operational costs and an uncertain funding landscape demand vigilance, creativity, and resilience. These pressures are real. But so is our commitment to grow earned income responsibly, to strengthen our financial foundations, and to protect the quality, integrity, and accessibility of everything we offer. Above all, this year reminded me that transformation requires holding multiple truths at once: ambition and constraint, tradition and innovation, sustainability and artistic risk. This tension is not a weakness. It is the honest work of cultural leadership. As I pause at the end of this year, I am struck less by what we accomplished and more by what the year revealed. Leadership, I have learned again, is not only about navigating complexity, but about listening -deeply- to what moments of pressure reveal about our values. Our future is one of bold possibilities. We are entering a new chapter of growth, one that deepens our impact and expands the places where dance can change lives. As we move into 2026, we are strengthening our training pathways, broadening our community programmes, and building new opportunities for cultural exchange and artistic development in both Havana and London. This vision includes laying the foundations for a sister academy in London, extending the legacy of our Havana school, and creating new pathways for young dancers across both cities and beyond. Through strategic partnerships, civic engagement, and innovative approaches to learning and performance, we aim to create spaces where dancers and community members alike can discover their potential, express themselves with confidence, and feel a genuine sense of belonging. Our work, in studios, schools, neighbourhoods, and digital platforms, will continue to expand, ensuring that dance remains a powerful force for connection and transformation, and a meaningful tool through which a dancer can exist in every home. Thank you for standing with us. The work continues, and I am deeply grateful to walk this path alongside you. With warmest wishes for a joyful Christmas and a hopeful New Year, |
| Javier TorresManaging Director 0f the Acosta Dance Foundation and Acosta Dance Centre |
