Apply for OAUK Festival Focus 2021

2021 has continued to be a challenging year and we know that many in our sector haven’t been able to get out and about as much as usual for logistical and financial reasons. We are offering the chance to apply for subsidised places to attend a variety of festivals. We have four or five places for six different festivals, aimed at individuals who would benefit professionally from the experience. OAUK members will get priority, but we wish to ensure that we welcome newcomers to the sector.

What…
You’ll attend a festival for a couple of days alongside the OAUK team and we will aim to give you the opportunity to meet the festival organisers and some of the artists, as well as some individual development time with OAUK. We’ll also produce a live online event from each festival we attend, which you will be able to contribute to.

Who’s it for…
You might be a relative newcomer to the outdoor sector or new to OAUK or looking to expand your festival knowledge and experience. Perhaps you’re already experienced in the outdoor sector and looking to work in a different area or reach out to new contacts. You might be part of an organisation or working as an individual; you could be a producer, an artist, programmer, technician or maker. We will balance the levels of experience as best as possible.

What we will provide…

Successful candidates will receive a contribution of £250 towards your travel, time and subsistence; OAUK will pay for two night’s accommodation. We’ll keep each group small (4-5) for safety and practical reasons (if you want to come with a colleague or partner, we can only provide a single subsidy per organisation or company, but talk to us about how that might work).

Obviously, all plans are subject to change in the current circumstances, so we will work with the successful applicants on being as flexible as possible.

The festivals and dates are…

•            Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, London | APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED
This is a good opportunity for networking and understanding the wider outdoor sector, as well as seeing a range of performances in Greenwich Fair, and looking at how GDIF has integrated Access across the programme.
•            Freedom Festival, Hull | APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED
An excellent chance to experience a festival with a particular theme, a strong place within the city’s identity and a broad range of different offerings, which shows how outdoor work compliments the wider programme.
•            Out There Festival, Great Yarmouth 17-19 Sep
A festival with a creation centre for outdoor and circus work at its core, alongside excellent networking and showcasing at ‘Bounce Back’, Out There also has a long history of international programming.
•            Inside Out Festival, Dorset 24-26 Sep
A fine example of a festival in a rural setting, with an understanding of working within a beautiful landscape, as well as reaching out to a broad community across a large geographical footprint.
•            Lightpool Festival, Blackpool 22-24 Oct
An award-winning Light Festival, learn more about light work and installations, see some commissioned and traditional pieces; perhaps for outdoor companies looking to move into light work.
•            City of Culture, Coventry (The Walk) 27-28 Oct
One of the many great events in Coventry’s year will be the arrival of Good Chance’s Little Amal, so this is useful for puppetry companies, as well as seeing the strong thread of community engagement across the City of Culture 2021 programme.

Application Deadlines:
GDIF & Freedom > APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED
Out There & Inside Out > APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED
Lightpool & Coventry > APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED