Walk the Plank is teaming up with Emergency Exit Arts, Outdoor Arts UK and Without Walls to create a brand-new initiative that aims to diversify the Outdoor Arts sector.

The small consortium of organisations wants to broaden the production side of the outdoor arts sector to include more disabled people, women, and people from the Global Majority that are currently under-represented in the production areas of Outdoor Arts.

Those who apply to Boost will receive one year’s fully subsidised membership of Outdoor Arts UK – a UK-wide network that can aid employment and one hour of individual advice regarding the sector.

Senior Production Manager of Walk The Plank, Lauren Barton said: “We want to pay for people’s membership for the Outdoor Arts UK network as it offers a whole host of networking and job opportunities and allows individuals to be kept in the loop regarding what is going on in the sector.

“It also allows us to be able to spotlight people to increase their visibility and offer them further opportunities.”

A data report measuring equality and diversity by the Arts Council’s Creative Case revealed that just 7% of disabled people and 13% of Black, Asian, or Ethnically Diverse people work across NPOs.

The Outdoor Arts sector includes anything from city festivals to community programs and offer multiple job roles featuring production managers, light and sound technicians, prop and costume makers and crew and riggers.

“We want to bring people into a network that they perhaps did not have access to before. Laura added.

“Being part of an initiative that can have some real impact and tackle a problem is really exciting.

“This is the first step of how we address this issue and who knows where it might go in the near future.”

If you work in any aspect of production and would like to apply to Boost you can apply here before the 25 April 2022.

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