National Conference

The National Conference is our flagship annual event – watch the 2025 highlights video.

Bringing together the entire Outdoor Arts community for inspiring learning opportunities, meaningful collaboration, and vibrant networking. Our hope is that you will leave with new ideas and connections – there is usually a mix of talks, breakout sessions, networking, and discussion opportunities throughout the conference to facilitate this.

Digital Brochure

Ahead of the conference each year, we update the online Digital Brochure with our members’ shows. This is a valuable resource for programmers looking to book a diverse range of work and artists looking to get their work seen. The brochure is distributed using QR codes at the conference, and is design to be used as a networking tool.

Digital Brochure of shows

Testimonials

Honestly one of the greatest days of my life. Thank you everyone @outdoorartsuk national conference

Dave Lovatt, Artistic Director, Cat and Mouse Theatre

…It was great to catch up and connect with colleagues across the sector. And also a day of vital and necessary conversations, reminding us all that within a world that currently feels so divided, the arts is a place where Care, Inclusion, Safe Spaces and Wellbeing can and should be nurtured. Thoughts and questions I am left with…

How do we courageously and collaboratively commit and delve into long term change making processes, which involve sitting with discomfort, proactive learning and self reflection, and having honest conversations?…

Parmjit Sagoo, Executive Producer, Inspirate

Last Thursday most of the SO Festival Team attended the Outdoor Arts UK Conference.

It was a great event, with lots of opportunities to network and meet artists and other Outdoor Arts Professionals from across the UK, we made sure to champion the outdoor arts in Lincolnshire! There was an interesting programme of talks, from very knowledgeable speakers, which we all found inspiring.

It also gave us the opportunity to catch up with our Lincolnshire Outdoor Arts friends, some of whom SO Festival supported to attend the conference. It was also a great opportunity to catch up with many of our partners in the International Programming Consortium.

SO Festival, Lincolnshire