Gail Parmel // Artistic Director

Gail Parmel is the Artistic Director of ACE dance and music (African Cultural Exchange): the leading Black dance organisation in the U.K.

today.

Gail was born in Leeds in 1970 and very proud of her Yorkshire roots, graduated from NSCD in 1996. After working for Kokuma Dance

Company, Gail founded ACE dance and music with husband Ian Parmel in 1997. The company have toured throughout the U.K. and

internationally at the Grahams town Festival in South Africa, in Lyon, France and in Milan, Italy.

The company’s touring portfolio is testament to the spirit of collaboration which is at the heart of Gail’s approach. Over the years she has

joined forces with world renowned choreographers, such Akiko Kitamura (Japan), Robert Moses (San Francisco), Vincent Mansoe (South

Africa), Andile Sotiya (U.K.), Douglas Thorpe (U.K.) and Barwen Tavaziva (Zimbabwe).

As a champion for African and Caribbean Dance, Gail a resilient champion of youth dance formed ACE Youth in 1998. Award winning ACE

Youth is now one of the UK’s most high profile youth company’s.

In 2006, ACE became a Regularly Funded Organisation, gaining recognition for their contribution to the development of dance within the

U.K.

In 2010 Gail was voted one of 50 of Britain’s most emerging women in leadership roles, as part of the Clore Leadership Programme and in 2011 voted as one of 20 Inspirational Women from African Diaspora in Europe, celebrating the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, the African Diaspora Professional Women in Europe (ADIPWE). Here’s what the Cultural Leadership Programme say about Gail:

“As a champion for African and Caribbean Dance, Gail has excelled as an artistic director and choreographer of note amongst her peers and resilient champion of youth dance. Working holistically, she has taken into account every entry point for dancers and the public to engage with African and Caribbean contemporary dance – professional touring productions, youth dance work, dance in education settings and the professional development of the next generation of black British dancers. A true internationalist, Gail is keeping African and Caribbean dance forms alive by immersing herself in practical research and using this research to create work that has contemporary relevance in Europe, as well as passing-on and maintaining the techniques and quality standards amongst professional and non-professional dancers and dance makers in England.

Her cultural leadership, underpinned by a passion for youth dance, is contributing to a growing sense of community cohesion and pride in artistic endeavour. Her work is re-positioning what it means to experience African Peoples Dance as a professional dancer, audience member or young person. Gail has demonstrated different ways of being for people who would not normally participate or relate to the arts and dance. Gail’s work impacts on the people around her. For the last 10 years, she has made a contribution to African People’s dance nationally and on Birmingham’s communities, particularly amongst members of the black working class.”