OutdoorArtsUK are thrilled to announce our speakers for the National Conference – Equity in Action: The Power of Diverse Narratives. We are looking forward to welcoming you in Stoke-on-Trent on 6th February.
Morning session (11.00am – 12.30pm)
The registration and morning networking time runs between 10am and 11am.
After that, Dave Lovatt from Cat and Mouse Theatre will welcome us to the main auditorium. He’ll get us going with entertaining stories of growing up in Stoke-On-Trent.
Susan Clarke (Executive Director of Stoke Creates) will then help us outline Stoke as a place, and what it takes to bring cultural justice for underserved communities. As part of this, we will hear short case studies:
- B-Arts will speak about their New Futures Lab, which is a collaborative project with Fegg Hayes Futures. The weekly commitment to provide youth-led projects has created tangible opportunities for local young people who face social economic challenges.
- We will watch a short video of Amity Hub, who will show us the impact arts activities have had on young people in Stoke with refugee status.
- FrontlineDance will share stories from their talent development programme, which opens doors for professional opportunities for disabled and neurodivergent dance artists.
- Appetite Stoke will help us wrap the morning session by talking about their annual outdoor arts festival The Big Feast. We’ll find out how they involve marginalised people in decision-making and the positive impact this brings.
As well as platforming representatives from each organisation, we will also hear directly from young people, emerging artists and community representatives to invigorate your commitment to equity and inclusivity.
Breakout sessions (1.45pm – 3.15pm and 3.30pm – 5.00pm)
After lunch, we’ll be giving you the chance to attend breakout groups of your choice. This is where real reflection and meeting of minds take place. Each group will run twice, giving you the opportunity to attend two from the following options:
1. Bringing communities back together after unrest
- Jake Puddle from British Future will introduce their hot-off-the-press report Creating Connections: The Role of arts in bridging divides. The report has been created in response to the recent race riots and has a set of recommendations for the Creative Industries and its funders.
- Gurvinder Sander from Cohesion Plus will reflect on his own experience of managing outdoor arts projects for diverse communities during those challenging times. Gurvinder is on the board of OAUK, too. He is also a member of Race Advisory Committee of Arts Council England and attended its emergency meeting in the immediate aftermath of the race riots.
The group will be chaired by Charlotte Bowen of The Culture House in Grimsby.
2. Diverse narratives unlocking new income streams
- Claudette Whittingham and Steve Pascal will introduce how UK Centre for Carnival Arts used its ability to engage with diverse communities to broker relationships with local businesses.
- Anja Meinhardt will introduce how Justice in Motion has opened new income streams and performance opportunities by centring socially relevant concepts in her artistic work.
Chair: Lou Lomas (OAUK board member and Independent Producer)
3. Let’s Talk About Care
Understanding the needs of diverse individuals are the first steps of addressing equity. We listen to artists with lived experience of disability and racism to understand the complex dynamics of presenting work in outdoor spaces.
We are delighted to have Fatina Cummings from Just So Productions and Laura Dajao, an independent disabled dance artist, who has most recently toured with Look Mum, No Hands! by Mimbre and Daryl & Co.
4. Festivals and artists working together for disability access
Heather Dowler from Appetite Stoke and Rachael Lines from FrontlineDance will speak about their collaboration in programming disabled-led work and providing disability access for audiences.
Disabled artist and advocate Daryl Beeton from Daryl & Co will chair this group.
5. Open forum
OAUK Board members Phil Hargreaves and Tracey Sage will co-chair our open forum. This is a free and open space for colleagues to catch up, let-off steam, or raise other specific issues about diversity and inclusion that is not covered by the breakout groups. We are asking each delegate to suggest topics at registration.
Phil is also the Artistic Director of Freedom Festival in Hull and Co-chair of Light Up The North, and Tracey is an independent producer, Creative Director and a cultural strategist.
Plenary (5.30pm – 6.00pm)
Jennifer Cleary, Director of Combined Arts from Arts Council England, will help us close the conference by reflecting on how inclusivity will continue to be their priority, and where Outdoor Arts sits within their 10-year strategy Let’s Create.
Dave Lovatt from Cat and Mouse Theatre will present a short monologue of key observations and sound bites from the day.
National Conference 2025
Our national conference is coming to Stoke-On-Trent on Thursday 6 February 2025, where we’ll be focusing on Equity in Action: The Power of Diverse Narratives. For OAUK members, we’re offering significant discounts on tickets and the pre-conference induction and networking events are completely free!
Join OAUK
Join OAUK now for discounted National Conference tickets, free Winter Webinars, On Your Street Regional Meetings and other member benefits!
