Without Walls has invited artists and companies to submit proposals through their annual Open Call for the Creation and Touring of new outdoor work for presentation in 2024. As the UK’s most highly regarded outdoor arts and performance specialists, Without Walls is committed to making vital and accessible work for public space.
This is an accessible invitation for artists to submit ideas for ambitious and exciting new outdoor projects to the Artistic Directorate – partners of Without Walls, who are responsible for selecting the artistic programme.
Without Walls are looking for work from all disciplines and genres that challenges the idea of what outdoor arts can be. The organisation has also identified several priorities for development including work led by Global Majority artists, work led by Deaf, Disabled and neurodiverse artists, work led by LGBTIQA+ artists, work that incorporates an innovative approach to environmental responsibility, work that takes an innovative approach to the creative incorporation of access and work that can be developed or presented in collaboration with communities.
Ralph Kennedy, Director of Without Walls:
‘We are delighted to announce the open call for our 2024 programme. As a network, Without Walls is dedicated to commissioning and touring works of all scales and genres that push the boundaries of art in public spaces. With a strong commitment to accessibility, we have taken steps to ensure that this open call is our most inclusive yet.’
The Open Call deadline for submissions will be Friday 14th July, 12pm.
There will also be a Creation and Touring Support, online Q&A on Friday 23 June at 11am, providing further opportunity to meet some of Without Walls’ festival partners and supported artists. The session will be captioned and BSL-interpreted.
Each year, Without Walls commissions a programme of new outdoor shows that go on to tour across the UK and internationally. These works range from the intimate to the epic, aiming to create high-quality arts experiences that are accessible to all, regardless of personal, social or economic circumstances. The organisation consists of the Artistic Directorate (AD), which delivers the artistic policy of the company by supporting and presenting new work; the Touring Network Partnership (TNP), which is made up of organisations who are committed to touring Without Walls shows to neighbourhoods, towns and cities across England with low arts engagement; and the Creative Development Network (CDN), which is made up of organisations and freelance professionals developing an outdoor arts programme and who receive mentorship, training and support.
The Without Walls programme for 2023 has already been announced and will tour concurrently this summer to Without Walls festival partners which include Brighton Festival, Hat Fair (Winchester), Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Stockton International Riverside Festival, Timber Festival (Staffordshire), Certain Blacks – Ensemble Festival (London), Just So Festival (Cheshire), Greenwich+Docklands International Festival and Leeds 2023.
