Without Walls is trialling a new development programme for artists this weekend, designed to inspire artists to think about creating work for outdoor arts festivals.

The Without Walls Discover Programme is a new scheme that will support practitioners interested in outdoor arts to attend one or more festivals in the Without Walls network, helping them to deepen their understanding of the outdoor arts sector, empowering them by introducing them to a range of industry practitioners and promoting the development of critical thinking in the outdoor arts.

A key aim of this programme is to increase the representation in the sector of practitioners who identify as Black, Asian and ethnically diverse or Deaf or disabled, encouraging long-term development of their artistic practice.

The Programme will introduce practitioners to the outdoor sector in a group environment and encourage critical discussions. Participants will be invited to see a selection of shows at each festival and will come together at the end of each day, as a group, to talk about what they’ve seen. Those present will also have the opportunity to meet with festival directors, industry practitioners and other guests to gain deeper insights into how those professionals approach their work.

Participants will be invited to attend industry networking events taking place at each festival, facilitated by XTRAX staff and partner organisations present.

The first Without Walls Discover will take place at:

Discover is the latest in new initiatives introduced by Without Walls, offering additional means of supporting artists to develop the skills and knowledge needed to create and tour groundbreaking new outdoor work.