Dancing for change: how 1980s dance parties shaped LGBTQ2+ liberation

Suitable for 14-19-year olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom, music and dance clubs and at home.

This resource links to KS4 and KS5 history, sociology and music.

It can also be used as a careers resource and links to Gatsby Benchmarks:
Gatsby Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information
Gatsby Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers

• This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Craig Jennex, an LGBTQ2+ studies researcher at Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada. He is exploring the role of music and dance in LGBTQ2+ liberation by investigating the history of Toronto’s Gay Community Dance Committee in the 1980s.

• This resource also contains an interview with Craig and offers an insight into careers in LGBTQ2+ studies. If your students have questions for Craig, they can send them through the Futurum Careers website.

• The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on Craig’s research and challenges them to explore the power of music by listening to songs played at 1980s LGBTQ2+ dance parties.

• The article and activity sheet are also available in French from the Futurum website.

This resource was first published by Futurum Careers, a free online resource and magazine aimed at encouraging 14-19-year-olds worldwide to pursue careers in science, tech, engineering, maths, medicine (STEM) and social sciences, humanities and the arts for people and the economy (SHAPE).

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