MAYK Joins Arts Council England's Agents for Change Programme

MAYK has been selected to be part of Arts Council England South West’s pioneering Agents for Change programme.

Agents for Change pairs artists with organisations for a six-month programme to explore new ways of addressing diversity and equalities issues.

Between October 2016 and March 2017, we will work with artist and producer Alice Holland to dig into all aspects of the organisation; from the shows we put on to the leadership and governance of the organisation, from how we to talk to audiences to how we work with artists to who those artists are. It’s a period of exploration.

Alice specialises in interdisciplinary performance, disability arts, neo-cabaret, political theatre and arts festivals, with a "particular soft spot for uppity feminists, flamboyant queers and truth-tellers".

She was previously the Associate Producer at Theatre Bristol, a member of the programming team at legendary art house The Cube and the Creative Director and Producer of ArtWank.

She has worked with Disability Arts Online and director Trish Wheatley, training in Arts Management and Producing for Disability Arts, an Arts Council England funded role to increase the number of skilled producers working in disability arts. Alice has produced events, performance and workshops for the Old Vic Tunnels, The Horse Hospital, The Roundhouse, The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Latitude and Glastonbury festivals, Soho House and the Live Art Development Agency, as well as serving as Research and Development Officer for The Mayhem Company at the South Bank Centre.

Kate Yedigaroff and Matthew Austin said: “Since becoming a National Portfolio Organisation in 2015 we have been working hard to find imaginative and meaningful ways to address Arts Council England’s Creative Case for Diversity. We hope that our work with Alice over the next few months will be inspiring, challenging and illuminating and will help us think creatively about diversity in our planning for the next phase of the organisation.”

Alice Holland said, "I'm so pleased to be working with MAYK; Mayfest is one of the most exciting and interesting festivals in the UK and in Bristol. We have a brilliant community and city to learn and draw from, and Kate and Matthew's curiosity and openness will no doubt fuel some really interesting conversations. Appreciating and making diversity to the central planning of the organisation's future will set a great example to others and will ideally open Mayfest up to new artists and audiences."

The other organisations selected to be part of the programme are The Bike Shed Theatre, Bridport Arts Centre and Salisbury Festival.