Without Walls announces the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors.

Without Walls is the UK’s largest curator of outdoor arts shows, working with like-minded festivals and organisations to support artists to create and tour inspiring new work to audiences all over the country.

Appointed through an open call, the three new Directors will join the Board of Directors as inspirational and influential advocates to help shape the network over the next years. Those joining the Without Walls Board are Lew Hodges, Chartered Accountant (FCA, MBA, DChA); Ivan Wadeson, Executive Director, Manchester City of Literature and Caron Wint, Investment Team Administrator for Big Society Capital.

Josephine Burns Chair of Without Walls said:

‘Without Walls is a leader in its field and is an undeniable success story for the UK outdoor arts sector; our collective and democratic decision-making model has led to pioneering outdoor work been presented across the country for free. We are delighted to welcome Caron, Ivan and Lew to Board of Without Walls. We have an ambitious plan for the coming years and by enhancing our Board with these external voices and specialist expertise, our work can be even more transformative on a local, regional, and national level. Our new Board members have shown much passion for the work of the network and will no doubt help uphold our visions and values, ensuring we bring high-quality arts experience to audiences in the places they call home.’

New board member Ivan Wadeson, Executive Director for Manchester City of Literature said:

‘The constant theme to my career has been about bringing art together with audiences. Outdoor arts delivers this engagement in surprising and imaginative ways and reaches parts of the population that may shy away from or avoid building-based work. Without Walls has made a significant impact on the outdoor arts sector to date through not only reaching new and diverse audiences but also developing the art form and supporting artists in developing their practice. I am looking to supporting the next phase of the network’s mission as a Board member.’

Established in 2007 as a partnership between five festivals, Without Walls has grown in scale, ambition and reputation and is now a network of thirty-six festivals and arts organisations spanning the whole of England. The additions to the Board comes in a year of growth for Without Walls: supporting eighteen artists and companies to create new work to tour across the UK and overseas, the enormous expansion of the network, growing from eighteen to thirty-six partners; and the ongoing provision of Without Walls Blueprint research and development programme for artists wanting to explore the creation of ambitious, diverse and innovative new outdoor work.

Without Walls Board of Directors for 2019 onwards are:

  • Dr Jane Ali-Knight, Professor in Festival and Event Management at Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland and a Visiting Professor at Curtin University, Australia;
  • Angie Bual, Producer and Artistic Director of Trigger, winner of the Creative Producer Arts Foundation Award, Clore Fellow and Interim Chair for Mayk in Bristol;
  • Josephine Burns, Executive Chair of Without Walls
  • Andrew Comben, Chief Executive of Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival
  • Mark Denbigh, Head of Production & Programme at Norfolk and Norwich Festival;
  • Lew Hodges, Chartered Accountant (FCA, MBA, DChA);
  • Richard Holt, Head of Global Cities Research for Oxford Economics;
  • Anthony Missen, Clore Fellow, member of the Greater Manchester Culture Steering Group, founding Director of New Movement Collective and co-founder of Company Chameleon;
  • Joe Mackintosh, Chief Executive for SeaChange Arts and Artistic Director of the Out There International Festival of Circus and Street Arts
  • Gemma Thomas, Director for Appetite, Stoke-On-Trent, and Special Projects Producer at the New Vic Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire;
  • Ivan Wadeson, Executive Director for Manchester City of Literature;
  • Caron Wint, Investment Team Administrator for Big Society Capital;

For more information about the Without Walls board visit the Board of Directors page.

Photo: Sirin (Hope is the Thing with Feathers) by Newtons Ladder. Credit: Stockton Council.