Festival Focus 2024
What is Festival Focus?
Festival Focus is OAUK’s professional development opportunity which offers those working in, or considering working in Outdoor Arts, the chance to attend a variety of festivals across the UK as part of a small cohort.
You’ll get the opportunity to meet festival organisers and artists as well as attend networking events where OAUK will make introductions and facilitate conversations. You’ll have individual professional development time with OAUK, be a part of a diverse cohort of fellow arts professionals and, of course, you’ll be seeing lots of shows!
Who is Festival Focus for?
Artists, Producers, Programmers, funders, or local authority staff who are committed to working or supporting the Outdoor Arts sector. We welcome applications from a cross-section of career levels.
Where is Festival Focus?
We are attending three festivals this year:
- Out There Festival | Great Yarmouth | 30 May-2 Jun
- Hat Fair | Winchester | 5-7 Jul
- Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) | Stockton | 2-4 Aug
How Much is Festival Focus?
Festival Focus is free for OAUK members, and £45 for non-members.
Bursaries are only available to OAUK members and we will prioritise applicants who are freelance, and/or have historically faced disadvantage due to ethnicity, disability, and/or socio-economic status.
How to Apply
Complete the application form below to apply for Festival Focus 2024. In the application, we ask you to rank the festivals in terms of your preference to attend them, you will only be selected to join one festival cohort.
Applications for Festival Focus are now closed.
Previous Festival Focus Cohorts Say…
“The [Festival Focus] programme achieved a great balance in a range performances, talks Q&A and reflections. I valued this mix and found each part built on and supported the others.”
“I have made new connections and relationships. The experience has given me the opportunity to reflect on my practise and consider the next steps in my professional and creative growth.”
“I learnt a lot about some of the theory behind performance work, how to understand what good quality looks like, and something about all the different types of work available.”
“Thank you for offering this opportunity to learn more about the outdoor arts industry. It was a well-planned and well-executed weekend.”
“Listening to the festival organisers speaking about their programming decisions was very interesting. It was also really good chatting to the delegates about how they work, and what they are producing.”
Previous Festival Focus Trips
Festival Focus: Arts by the Sea, 29 Sep-1 Oct 2023
Cohort: Andy Gardiner (Society of Strays), Donna Lennard (Society of Strays), Emma Stokes (National Trust), Fanny Martin (Art of Festivals), Harley Strong (Steamship Circus), Joanna McCarthy (Freelance Maker), Kat Pegler (Artist, Researcher, and Creative Producer), Kerry Jones (Artist), Louise Jordan (Artist), Lucy Bird (Stan’s Cafe), Richard Grudzinski (National Trust), Xenoula Eleftheriades (Xen Arts)
The final Festival Focus event of 2023 was aimed at newcomers to the Outdoor Arts sector, as well as existing artists who want to learn more and be inspired by the south coast. The cohort saw a range of shows including Portal by Lucid Creates, Eau de Memoire by Miss High Leg Kick, Teabreak by Trigger, and Toast by Pif-Paf
A huge thank you to the speakers who led Q+As for our cohort: Tor Byrnes (Artistic Director of Arts by the Sea), Andrea Francis (Festival Director of Arts by the Sea), Fee Hudson Francis (Freelance Producer & OAUK Board Member), The Working Boys Club.
Festival Focus: InsideOut Dorset, 22-24 Sep 2023
Cohort: Amy Eastwood (National Trust), Emma Fay Dawes (Enter Edem), Hannah Green (Freelance Maker), Harley Strong (Steamship Circus), Jill Smith (Feral), Kathyrn Boyle (Feral), Katy Dammers (Freelance Producer/Curator), Laura Anderson (Glasshouse Dance), Lauren Milsom-Harris (National Trust), Lucy Footer (National Trust), Mark Robinson (National Trust), Melanie Jordan (Surge), Rebeka Haigh (Frolicked), Sarah Lewis (Glasshouse Dance), Vanessa Grasse (Dance Artist)
Our InsideOut Dorset cohort saw radically different outdoor performances and installations in three very differing locations. The work was a thought provoking mix of site specific and climate conscious performances, including Songs of a Shifting Soil by Collectief Walden (feat. Gobbledegook Theatre), Pravaas by Akademi Dance, Saeflod by Artmusic, Five Seasons by De Chair et d’Os, as well as the impressive town centre parade with Poupées Géantes by French company Transe Express.
A huge thank you to the speakers who led Q+As for our cohort: Kate Wood (Executive & Artistic Director at Activate Performing Arts), Bill Gee (Co-Artistic Director at Inside Out Dorset), Collectief Walden, Lorna Rees (Gobbledegook Theatre).
Festival Focus: IF:MK (Cohort 2), 27-29 Jul 2023
Cohort: Amy Eastwood (National Trust), Ben Glover (Feasible Ferret Theatre), Desiree McDougall (Norvil & Josephine Magic), Dom Kippin (Activate Performing Arts), Jack Stoddart (Ramshacklicious), Jo Bradshaw (National Trust), Rose Lela (Freelance Artist).
The second cohort at Milton Keynes International Festival focused more on international work. They saw the UK premiere of Catalan company Kamchàtka’s new work Alter – for which they were mysteriously asked to bring a potato and no photos were allowed! – and Gratte Ciel’s celebrated Place des Anges, which was truly spectacular!
A huge thank you to the speakers who led Q+As for our cohort: Monica Ferguson (Festival Director), Cat Moore (Executive Director), Alison Young (Head of Programming & Producing), Rae Lee (Creative Producer), Tanja Ruiter & Huub Heye (Directors of HH Producties).
Festival Focus: IF:MK (Cohort 1), 21-23 Jul 2023
Cohort: Amy Eastwood (National Trust), Angela Lai (West Kowloon Cultural District), Angelina Schwammerlin (Signdance Collective), Anna Treanor (Circusful), Carol Alevroyianni (SALTo Arts Productions), Cat Cheung (West Kowloon Cultural District), David Bower (Signdance Collective), Emily Rapley (National Trust), Isolte Avila (Signdance Collective), Katie Welford (Graphite and Diamond), Kelly Ng (Full House Theatre), Lawrence Roots (National Trust), Lucy Heard (Freelance Outdoor Producer / Air Giants / Circii), Manya Benenson (Déda Derby / Derby Festé), Robin Deacon (SPILL Festival), Sue Hurrell (Freelance Producer & Programmer), Tim Bifield (National Trust)
We took two cohorts to Milton Keynes International Festival – cohort 1 saw an excellent range of large scale and small scale outdoor work at the opening weekend of the festival. It started with a bang at Silence! by french company Les Commandos Percu, followed by more shows including Ear Trumpet by Gobbledegook Theatre, Pasture with Cows by Captain Boomer Collective, Follow Me by Be Flat and Carnivale by De Machienerie.
A huge thank you to the speakers who led Q+As for our cohort: Monica Ferguson (Festival Director), Cat Moore (Executive Director), Alison Young (Head of Programming & Producing), Rae Lee (Creative Producer), Lorna Rees (Chair of OAUK & Artistic Director of Gobbledegook Theatre), Bart van Peele (Founder & Artistic Director of Captain Boomer Collective).
Festival Focus: SO Festival, 15-18 Jun 2023
Cohort: Annie Harrison (Spill Festival), Christopher Radford (Linden Dance Company), Lizzie Clapham (Ludic Acid), Louis Parker-Evans (2Faced Dance Company), Sara McQueen (Linden Dance Company), Tor Byrnes (From the Fields)
The first Festival Focus event in 2023 was all about SO Festival’s community & regional focus, seaside locations and their international tie with PASSAGE Festival (Denmark). The festival programme had a range of local, national and international work including Mughal Miniatures by Sonia Sabri Company, Out of the Deep Blue by Autin Dance Theatre, La Fin Demain by Zirkus Morsa, Querwin Bach by Osian Meilir, and ARCADE by Casson & Friends.
A huge thank you to the speakers who led Q+As for our cohort: Jens Frimann Hansen (SO Festival Artistic Director), Tim Casson (Casson and Friends), and Johnny Autin (Autin Dance Theatre).
International Festival Focus: FiraTárrega, 8-11 Sep 2022
Cohort: Alana Jones (Dizzy O’Dare), Anja Meinhardt (Justice in Motion), Ashley Jordan (Ascension Dance Company), Johnny Autin (Autin Dance Theatre), Lara Costello (Puppets with Guts), Natasha Khamjani (Folk Dance Remixed), Nikki & Tim Kennett (The Show Globe), Shaena Brandel (Pirates of the Carabina) and Tristan Glover (The Chipolatas).
Representing the breadth of the UK outdoor arts, a particular highlight was being up early on Saturday morning, all working together to make the canapés for the UK breakfast which we hosted with XTRAX. Watching Joseph Toonga’s Born to Protest, Hands Down Circus’ Tape That, and seeing Kaleider’s Robot Selfie, in amongst high-quality work from all over Europe, made us hopeful for a sustained and continued relationship with our neighbours across the channel. We were also treated to a secret bonus performance by the legendary Kamchatka.
Festival Focus: Freedom Festival Hull, 2-4 Sep 2022
Cohort: Amanda Lowe, Amy Hegarty, James Fogerty (SINCru), Marion Duggan (Murmuration Arts), Amy Grundy & Michelle Lally (North Lincs), Rachel Rea (IOU Theatre), Romica Sharma, Stacey Wild, Stefan Escreet (Ragged Edge) and Tracey Brunt (Ideas Test CPP).
A packed weekend began with L’Homme Debout’s red ribbon tale and included national and international work from Cie Dyptik, 2Faced Dance, Just Us Dance, Dizzy O’Dare and Adhok. The group spent time at the Freedom Festival Symposium including OAUK’s discussion on the Environmental Impact of Urban Festivals with Stella Hall (Festival of Thrift), Mark Denbigh (Norfolk and Norwich Festival) and Juliet Hardy (SIRF) and met Silvia Fratelli from Mimbre and Freedom Director Mikey Martins.
Festival Focus: SIRF, 3-7 Aug 2022
Cohort: Daryl Branch (Creative Playground CPP), Ella Mesma (Freelance Performing Artist), Fee Hudson (Hat Fair & Playmakers, Winchester), Gwen Hales (Freelance Director & Producer), Maisy Luk (Freelance Aerial Performing Artist), Michael Sells (Dartington Trust), Nor Aziz (Champion Inclusivity CIC), Sarah Dobbs (Uncaged Aerial Theatre), Tracey Sage (SageCulture).
David and Angus were at Stockton International Riverside Festival, with our SIRF Festival Focus cohort. The cohort attended the two XTRAX panels, the first on building international relationships, and the second was an artists pitching panel. They also had a Q+A with Artistic Director Jeremy Shine and saw a packed programme including Just More Productions, Gobbledegook Theatre, Desperate Men, Miss High Leg Kick, Kapow Dance, Damae Dance, Tin Arts, Daryl&Co and Mimbre, Bash Street Theatre, Gratte Ciel, and Transe Express.
Festival Focus: Tunbridge Wells Mela, 24 July 2022
Cohort: Fiona Salisbury (Freelance Performing Artist), Natalie Chan (In Good Company), and Tracey Sage (Sage Culture).
Our first Festival Focus at Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival, where we spoke with Gurvinder Sandhar MBE. A big thank you to Cohesion Plus for having us and putting on such a lovely community event in the lovely sunshine…
Festival Focus: Hat Fair, 1-3 July 2022
Cohort: Claire Louise Dixon (Freelance Prop & Puppet Maker), Daryl Branch (Creative Playground CPP), Hannah Dix (HOME Slough), Helen Green (Sunderland Culture), Lisa Wolfe (Brighton Open Air Theatre), and (Arts by the Sea).
In Winchester, we met for dinner and watched Autin Dance Theatre’s Out of the Deep Blue. In the morning, we had a Q+As with Andrew Loretto (Hat Fair) and Johnny Autin (Autin Dance Theatre before enjoying the excellent programme on offer.
Festival Focus: Coventry City of Culture, 21-22 Apr 2022
Cohort: Ariel Fung (Deaf Explorer), Andrew Simpson (Adrenalism), Benjamin Glover (Feasible Fever Theatre), Billy Read (Deaf Explorer), Brian Acton (We Are Stems), Emma Fay Dawes (Enter Edem), Fatina Cummings (Just More Productions), Fee Hudson Cummings (Winchester Hat Fair), Hannah Green (Freelance Puppeteer), Hazel Beale (Cambridge Folk Festival), Holly Bond (Trigger), Isabel Jaques (Electric Medway), Katie Lee (University of Leeds), Lewis Anderson (Cambridge City Council), Maisie Whitehead (She Said Jump), Manuela Benini (Carnival Arts), Michael Sells (Dartington Hall), Natalí Castro (Freelance Physical Performer), Natalie Chan (Creative Youth), Rachael Veazey (Deaf Explorer), Skylar Mabry (Parrabbola), Tor Byrnes (Bournemouth Arts by the Sea), Tracey Sage (Sage Culture), Mary Jayne Russell de Clifford (Deaf Explorer).
The largest cohort for a festival focus to date. The group spent two days in Coventry with Angus MacKechnie, David Doust and Deb Mullins, seeing performances, meeting artists and touring the Daimler Powerhouse. Here they are, looking slightly chilly, after having seen Flow: Milesians – The Coming of the Gaels.
Festival Focus: Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, London, 27-29 Aug 2021
Cohort: Mansi Dabral (Freelance Kathak Dance Artist), Mira Kaushik (Freelance Director), Eleanor Barratt (Eleanor Handcart Collective), Ionie Richards (Evewright Arts Foundation), Hylya Levent Thomson (New Creations Collective), Chris Singleton (Brave Words), Will Mytum (Brighton Open Air Theatre) and Dave Richards (Dave Diamond Escape Team).
It was a pleasure to spend Greenwich+Docklands International Festival with our first Festival Focus cohort. The group spent the weekend with our Director, Angus MacKechnie, exploring the festival and meeting key industry professionals. Here they are with Angus, Bradley Hemmings OBE, Director of GDIF, and Lorna Rees, Director of Gobbledegook Theatre, in the rather grand Admiral’s House.
Festival Focus: Out There Festival, Great Yarmouth 17-19 Sep, 2021
Cohort: Lauren Segal and Laura Hobson (Next Generation Youth Theatre), Maisy Luk (Freelance Aerial Artist), Natalie Verhaegen and Astra Beck (LePhysical), Stanley Smith (Mischief La-Bas), Christiana Bisset (Mischief La-Bas / Surge), Grainne Young-Monaghan (Freelance Circus Artist), Holly Glover and Kesia Bruce (Middlesbrough Council – Middlesbrough Mela).
Our second Festival Focus Cohort got right into the thick of it at Out There, spending the best part of three days exploring the huge range of experiences the festival had to offer. On top of the Bounce Back professional programme, the cohort sat down for Q&A sessions with Mark Tillotson of MarkMark Productions, Lissy Lovett of Mimbre and Joe Macintosh, director of Out There Festival.
Festival Focus: Inside Out Festival, Dorset 24-26 Sep, 2021
Cohort: Charlie Tapp (Kaleider), Jocelyn S Mills (Kaleider),
Our latest ‘OAUK Festival Focus Cohort’ spent the weekend exploring Inside Out Dorset with OAUK Director, Angus MacKechnie, meeting key industry professionals and watching the brilliant and diverse programme on offer. Here they are with Angus and Lorna Rees, Director of Gobbledegook Theatre. Thanks to all those involved who spent time with the group and were so generous with their knowledge.
Festival Focus: Coventry City of Culture, 27-28 Oct 2021
Cohort: Smita Vadnerkar (Nupur Arts), Amy Lilley (Artwalk Wakefield), Jodie Gibson (SpareParts Festival), Heather Burgess (Sun Pier House CIC), Tom Cleaver (Mr Cleaver’s Monsters), Jen Watts (Pinwheel), Maria Tarokh (NDP Circus), Paul Liengaard (NDP Circus), Natalie Chan (Creative Youth), Eve Veglio-White (Feet off the Ground), Kim Tilbrook (Individual/Red Herring), Phoebe Knight (Independent), Lucy Thompstone (FarGo Village).
Our OAUK Festival Focus Coventry Cohort enjoyed two days in the city, meeting Lou Lomas and Deb Mullins, attending a city of culture reception, seeing The Walk: Coventry Embraces. They had a tour round the Daimler powerhouse before meeting the team at Imagineer Productions, and having a Q+A with Gareth Price-Baghurst (Fabularium), Sarah and Mark Worth (Highly Sprung), Anne Forgan and Dom Breadmore (Ludic Rooms), and Derek Nisbet (Talking Birds).
Festival Focus: Lightpool 28-29 Oct 2021
Cohort: Donna Campbell (Community Artist), Jen Clarke (Jen the Roo Events), Harry Wakeling (Digital Artist), Francoise Lamy (Addictive TV), Rosie Clements (Independent Producer), Graham Daniels (Addictive TV), Ceri Howells (Can Samba), Serena Kay (Can Samba).
Our final cohort for 2021 took to Lightpool, seeing Global Grooves on Thursday night before an artist Q+A with Leon Patel of Global Grooves and Andrew Kim of Thingamajig Theatre. The Friday saw them have 1-2-1s with Angus before a second Q+A with Phil Holmes of Dragon Creative and Richard Sewall of Air Giants. Phil then took the cohort round the Lightpool Art Trial before finishing up seeing the Blackpool Tower Projections.
