Artistic Director

Vicki Balaam

Vicki is the artistic Tour de Force behind StopGAP, lovingly nurturing it from a small 'local community project' to an internationally reknowned dance company …she also, occasionally, has blue hair.

A founder member and original dancer for the project, Vicki was elected Artistic Director when it became an independent performance company in 1997.

Vicki has led StopGAP through a huge transformation over the past 11 years. In 2003 it became the first dance company in the UK to employ its dancers full-time despite receiving no subsidy. Since then, under Vicki's guidance, StopGAP has grown by 40% a year on average and is now regularly funded by Arts Council England.

She is hugely proud that StopGAP has been accepted into the mainstream international dance world, and sees it as proof of successful integration.

Vicki is also involved in the national debate seeking to advance the dance and disability sector, and has been invited to advise on disability arts projects by the Department of Culture, Media and Sports, British Council and Arts Council England.

She's a fierce advocate of the StopGAP ethos of recognising and developing potential in everyone, encouraging ambition and creating a positive and fun, but challenging environment for the StopGAP team to flourish.