Without Walls, a unique network of over 30 festivals that brings fantastic outdoor arts to people across the UK, opens 2021 by welcoming three new partners: Timber Festival, Certain Blacks and Grimsby-based The Culture House.
With collaboration at the heart of Without Walls’ work, this national network aims to raise the artistic bar of the Outdoor Arts – an industry that is paramount as we anticipate moving beyond COVID-19.
Collaboration during the pandemic is more vital than ever for the survival of the arts; the Without Walls Artistic Directorate includes the UK’s most highly regarded outdoor arts and performance specialists who, in 2021, will invest over £650k to support artists to develop and tour ambitious new outdoor projects. This process, spearheaded by the Artistic Directorate, ensures an influx of new shows for the Outdoor Arts sector.
The Culture House are joining the Touring Network Partnership branch of the organisation in 2021. Based in Grimsby, The Culture House aim to positively impact on everyday life by presenting work in a wide range of indoor and outdoor local spaces.
This increasing geographical reach reflects Without Walls’ growing impact. Outdoor work has never been more important as the entire arts industry seeks to rebuild confidence in audiences wanting to attend events.
Without Walls leads excellence in outdoor arts – commissioning work from the intimate to the epic, which tours to reach large, diverse and new audiences across the country and internationally. The consortium makes high-quality arts experiences accessible to all regardless of personal, social or economic circumstances.
Josephine Burns, Chair of Without Walls, comments: Without Walls is an undeniable success story for the UK Outdoor Arts sector; our collective decision-making model has led to pioneering outdoor work being presented across the country for free.
“We are delighted to welcome our new partners to Without Walls – these appointments continue to broaden our collective voice and expertise to ensure our work can be even more transformative on a local, regional and national level.”
The Without Walls 2021 programme, to be announced in March, will be their biggest to date showing the innovation and resilience of those working in the Outdoor Arts sector.
Many consider Outdoor Arts to be one of the safest ways to experience arts, and a way to restart cultural recovery.
Without Walls have engaged a dedicated COVID-safety production manager who worked with artists at GDIF in 2020 (the first and one of the only festivals to go ahead) – and is continuing to work with artists to ensure shows are safe for presentation.
Image credit: Joli vyann / The Culture House
