University Women In The Arts Announces International Women's Day Event At The Royal Court Theatre

University Women In the Arts, the one off mentoring scheme to improve the transition from women studying the arts to working in the arts, has announced its International Women's Day event for 2018.

The event will focus on and respond to the recent discussions on abuse, bullying and harassment in the arts, focusing particularly on female arts students and how universities, the arts industry and students can tackle and help eradicate bullying and harassment in the arts.

Taking place at The Royal Court Theatre on March 9th from 3pm, the event will cover what universities can do to help students deal with, tackle and help eradicate bullying and harassment in the arts, what the arts industry can do to help students deal with, tackle and help eradicate this issue, and there will be a session for female art students from universities across the UK to share their views and experiences via creating work in response to this subject which will be published.

Speakers will include Professor Pamela Burnard, Professor of Arts, Creativities and Education at the University of Cambridge, one of the world's leading experts on arts and education, and Justine Hardy, daughter of actor Robert Hardy and a leading British journalist, author, psychologist, and conflict trauma therapist.

The event will also include a showcase of work created by the fifteen female mentees who have been selected for the private part of the University Women in the Arts mentoring scheme and who were selected from a nationwide search of female arts students at university level.

Jennifer Tuckett, Director of University Women in the Arts, said: "We are proud to be covering this important issue as our International Women's Day event this year. Research has shown women at the start of their careers and female arts students are particularly vulnerable to bullying, harassment and abuse in the arts as they start their careers, and we are so pleased to be covering this subject from an education, industry and student perspective. We hope the outcomes of the day will be ideas on what universities can do to help students in terms of this issue, ideas on what the arts industry can do, and ideas from female arts students themselves and a showcase of work from our 15 mentees."

Recent arts graduates and producers of the showcase Samia Djilli and Rachel Coombe said: "It is a great honour to be producing a night of short pieces from some of the most talented female arts students and recent graduates in the UK. We hope it will be a celebration of female arts students whilst simultaneously giving female arts students and recent graduates a chance to share their views on some of the issues women face on a daily basis."

The free event is open to all, except for one session creating work which is open only to female arts students and recent graduates at university level to share their views and experiences.

More information and free tickets can be booked at: https://universitywomeninthearts-iwd2018.eventbrite.co.uk

University Women in the Arts was set up in 2016 to help improve the transition for women from studying the arts to working in the arts. In 2016, UCAS figures showed 63% of arts undergraduate students were female, whilst at the UK's largest arts university over 70% of students were female. However, Tonic Theatre, British Theatre Consortium, Freelands Foundation and other research has shown only around 30% of professional playwrights, directors and artists are female. University Women in the Arts mentors include Kate Bryan, former Director of The Fine Art Society, presenter, art historian and winner of the Women of the Future Arts and Culture Award; Caroline Cooper Charles, film producer, former Head of Film at Creative England and CEO of Universal Spirits; Suzie de Rohan Wilner, CEO of fashion company Toast; Anne Edyvean, producer and Head of BBC Writersroom; Vicky Featherstone, Artistic Director of The Royal Court Theatre; Amanda Foreman, historian, columnist and presenter including of the recent BBC series "The Ascent of Women"; Elizabeth Freestone, former Artistic Director of Pentabus Theatre; Charlotte Higgins, Chief Culture Writer at The Guardian; Jude Kelly, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre and founder of the WOW Festivals; Lucy Kerbel, founder and Director of Tonic Theatre; Pinky Lilani, founder of the Women of the Future Programme; Sue Parrish, Artistic Director, Sphinx Theatre Company; Joanna Prior, Managing Director of Penguin Books, President of The Publishers Association and Chair of the Board of the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction; Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of the English National Ballet; Kate Rowland, founder of BBC Writersroom, the BBC's new writing department, and the former Creative Director of New Writing at the BBC, Head of BBC Radio Drama and Commissioner of Radio 3's The Wire; Tanya Seghatchian, film producer of films including the Harry Potter series and My Summer of Love and former Head of the Film Fund at the UK Film Council.

For more information on the University Women in the Arts scheme in general and to join the mailing list to be kept informed of future events please go to: www.universitywomeninthearts.com

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