OAUK Festival Focus: Summer 2026 Programme |
Apply Now!
Festival Focus is one of OAUK’s professional development opportunities to give those working in or supporting the delivery of Outdoor Arts events. You’ll have the chance to attend a festival as part of a small cohort and enjoy a peer learning experience with others working in outdoor arts.
We are attending two events this year, SO Festival in Skegness, and Freedom Festival, in Hull.
In Skegness, we’ll learn about how Magna Vitae involve the local community at all levels of the festival, their long-term artist development plans, and their heir international ties with Passage Festival in Denmark.
In Hull, we’ll be learning about how they want to deliver an all-year-round outdoor arts programme, how they balance programming international and local artists, and the long-term impact the festival has had on the city.
You are welcome to apply to join both cohorts or just one.
More information about SO Festival can be found here.
More information about Freedom Festival can be found here.
Local demographic information about Skegness can be found here, and here for Hull.
What to expect:
This program offers a unique blend of festival immersion and professional development. You'll work closely with the OAUK team, gaining direct access to festival organisers and artists, and receive personalised development guidance. We'll curate a shared viewing experience of key shows, followed by structured networking events where OAUK will facilitate introductions and connections. We'll prioritise cohort learning, creating dedicated spaces for discussion, Q&A, and informal knowledge sharing. This begins with a welcome session before the first performances and is followed by a group dinner, establishing a collaborative and supportive environment.
Who it is for:
Artists, Producers, Programmers, funders, local authority staff etc who are committed to working in or supporting the Outdoor Arts sector. We welcome applications from a cross-section of career levels.
Costs and bursary places:
Each selected individual is expected to cover own travel, accommodation and subsistence costs on a Self-Funded basis. There will be no additional charges to OAUK members, but a £45 administrative fee applies to non-members.
Bursary places are available to OAUK members, which will help cover accommodation, as well as £200 towards travel and subsistence. We will prioritise the allocation of bursary places to individuals who are freelance, and/or have historically faced disadvantage due to ethnicity, disability, socio-economic status and/or other protected characteristics.
Attendees applying for a Self-Funded basis are welcome to join both cohorts. Those applying for a bursary place will only receive a bursary to join one of the two cohorts. If you receive a bursary and would like to be part of the second cohort, you will need to join on a Self-Funded basis.
Number of places available per festival:
We limit the size of each cohort to 10 individuals including up to five bursary places. This is to ensure each cohort get to know each other and to ensure everyone has a high-quality experience.
Dates:
Fri 12 Jun - Sun 14 Jun (SO Festival, Skegness)
Fri 4 Sep - Sun 6 Sep (Freedom Festival, Hull)
Application Deadline:
17th April
Decisions communicated by:
24th April
Alternative methods of Application
If you’d like to submit an application via alternate means, please let us know. This might be via a video responding to the questions, or via audio file. If you would prefer to review a list of all of our questions before completing the online survey, you can request a PDF copy by emailing info@outdoorartsuk.org
If you have any queries, please contact David: david@outdoorartsuk.org
Accessibility:
We are dedicated to ensuring our services are accessible to everyone. We encourage you to contact us to discuss any specific access requirements you may have, and we will do our best to accommodate them. We are happy to discuss adjustments related to physical access, communication, and other support needs. For clarity, please note that childcare is not a service we provide or provide support for. Please contact David@outdoorartsuk.org to discuss your individual needs.
We are attending two events this year, SO Festival in Skegness, and Freedom Festival, in Hull.
In Skegness, we’ll learn about how Magna Vitae involve the local community at all levels of the festival, their long-term artist development plans, and their heir international ties with Passage Festival in Denmark.
In Hull, we’ll be learning about how they want to deliver an all-year-round outdoor arts programme, how they balance programming international and local artists, and the long-term impact the festival has had on the city.
You are welcome to apply to join both cohorts or just one.
More information about SO Festival can be found here.
More information about Freedom Festival can be found here.
Local demographic information about Skegness can be found here, and here for Hull.
What to expect:
This program offers a unique blend of festival immersion and professional development. You'll work closely with the OAUK team, gaining direct access to festival organisers and artists, and receive personalised development guidance. We'll curate a shared viewing experience of key shows, followed by structured networking events where OAUK will facilitate introductions and connections. We'll prioritise cohort learning, creating dedicated spaces for discussion, Q&A, and informal knowledge sharing. This begins with a welcome session before the first performances and is followed by a group dinner, establishing a collaborative and supportive environment.
Who it is for:
Artists, Producers, Programmers, funders, local authority staff etc who are committed to working in or supporting the Outdoor Arts sector. We welcome applications from a cross-section of career levels.
Costs and bursary places:
Each selected individual is expected to cover own travel, accommodation and subsistence costs on a Self-Funded basis. There will be no additional charges to OAUK members, but a £45 administrative fee applies to non-members.
Bursary places are available to OAUK members, which will help cover accommodation, as well as £200 towards travel and subsistence. We will prioritise the allocation of bursary places to individuals who are freelance, and/or have historically faced disadvantage due to ethnicity, disability, socio-economic status and/or other protected characteristics.
Attendees applying for a Self-Funded basis are welcome to join both cohorts. Those applying for a bursary place will only receive a bursary to join one of the two cohorts. If you receive a bursary and would like to be part of the second cohort, you will need to join on a Self-Funded basis.
Number of places available per festival:
We limit the size of each cohort to 10 individuals including up to five bursary places. This is to ensure each cohort get to know each other and to ensure everyone has a high-quality experience.
Dates:
Fri 12 Jun - Sun 14 Jun (SO Festival, Skegness)
Fri 4 Sep - Sun 6 Sep (Freedom Festival, Hull)
Application Deadline:
17th April
Decisions communicated by:
24th April
Alternative methods of Application
If you’d like to submit an application via alternate means, please let us know. This might be via a video responding to the questions, or via audio file. If you would prefer to review a list of all of our questions before completing the online survey, you can request a PDF copy by emailing info@outdoorartsuk.org
If you have any queries, please contact David: david@outdoorartsuk.org
Accessibility:
We are dedicated to ensuring our services are accessible to everyone. We encourage you to contact us to discuss any specific access requirements you may have, and we will do our best to accommodate them. We are happy to discuss adjustments related to physical access, communication, and other support needs. For clarity, please note that childcare is not a service we provide or provide support for. Please contact David@outdoorartsuk.org to discuss your individual needs.