OutdoorArtsUK, Stockton International Riverside Festival, Without Walls and XTRAX are co-organising a discussion and networking event for Outdoor Arts professionals at ARC on Sat 3 Aug, 10am-12.30pm.
Our Director Sho will chair a discussion panel to explore the topic “Placemaking and Outdoor Arts”. We’re thrilled to announce the following speakers on the discussion panel:
- Jordi Duran Roldós, Newly appointed Artistic Director of MAC Festival, Barcelona
- Juliet Hardy, Artistic Director of SIRF
- Kully Thiarai, most recently Creative Director and CEO of LEEDS 2023 and former Artistic Director and Chief Executive of National Theatre Wales
We’re really looking forward to hearing from individuals with such varied and rich experiences in Outdoor Arts.
10.00 – 11.00 – Arrivals, Teas & Coffees, and networking
11.00 – 12.00 – Panel discussion
12.00 – 12.30 – Informal Networking
Click the link below to register as a SIRF professional delegate, this signs you up to the On The Road Discussion & Networking event and you will receive more information about the professional programme by email.
Speaker Biographies
Jordi Duran Roldós
Jordi Duran Roldós is a cultural manager, an educator, and a practitioner. He is currently part of the Artistic Direction team of the MAC Festival, which includes La Mercè of Barcelona. Prior to this, he founded and directed Festival Z, which specialises in supporting emerging artists. Jordi Duran was the Artistic Director of FiraTàrrega, the major Catalan artist development and showcasing festival, between 2011 and 2018. As an academic, Jordi Duran has a focus on diversity, inclusion, and education, as well as Catalan and Hispanic Philology. He has a Doctorate in Fine Arts from the University of Barcelona and Degrees from numerous universities. Jordi Duran also studied Theatre Direction and Dramaturgy at the Insitute of Theatre in Barcelona and has developed and taught Street Arts courses at degree level. As a stage director and playwright, he has collaborated with various creators, most notably with Marga Socias, whose work O.R.E.L.L.E.S. won the Moritz Award for best street theatre premiere in FiraTàrrega 2023.
Juliet Hardy
Juliet Hardy is the Creative Programmes Manager at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council including the artistic direction of Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF). She is also responsible for the vision and delivery of the Council’s large scale annual Arts and Outdoor Events programme for an ambitious autumn and winter programme. Prior to joining the Council in 2017, Juliet was the Creative Producer for Museums Northumberland ‘bait’ for 14 years, which is one of the first Creative People and Places programmes funded by Arts Council England. As an artist, facilitator and creative producer, Juliet has undertaken work of great ambition at organisations such as Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, Baltic, Northern School of Art, The Glasshouse Gateshead, Legacy Trust Cultural Olympiad programme. Alongside her role at SIRF and the Council, Juliet is a practicing musician and visual artist.
Kully Thiarai
Kully Thiarai is an experienced Theatre maker and Arts Executive with extensive experience of commissioning, producing, and directing work nationally and internationally. She has created a diverse range of work that spans communities, cultures and performance styles; made large scale epics, new plays and created work for non-theatres spaces. Kully was most recently Creative Director and CEO of LEEDS 2023 – delivering over 1700 events as part of a £24m international year of culture for the city of Leeds. Prior to that Kully was Artistic Director and Chief Executive of National Theatre Wales. Her 30-year career also includes being the founding Director of Cast, opening the £22 million performance venue in Doncaster as the cultural living room for the town, creating the artistic vision for Contact Theatre Manchester centring young people at its core, being the Artistic Director of Leicester Haymarket Theatre, Theatre Writing Partnership and Red Ladder Theatre Company. Kully is currently Chair of new writing company Paines Plough and Co-Chair of Slung Low, a trustee of The Art Foundation and an Honorary Fellow of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Sho Shibata (Chair)
Sho Shibata began working as Director of OutdoorArtsUK in February 2024. He was previously the Executive Producer of Stopgap Dance, where he worked for 16 years to develop the company into a world-leader in breaking down barriers for Deaf and Disabled dancers, audiences and producers. Sho is also on the board of Play to The Crowd – the umbrella organisation for Winchester Hat Fair and a member of the Area Council for Arts Council England, South East.
