University Women In The Arts Announces Theatre And Art Events

University Women in the Arts, the one off scheme to help improve the transition from women studying the arts to working in the arts, has announced its next two events - with Kate Bryan, art historian, Head of Collections at Soho House and presenter of Sky Arts' "Portrait Artist of the Year" and "Landscape Artist of the Year" programmes and with Elizabeth Freestone, former Artistic Director of Pentabus Theatre, theatre director, and co-author of The Guardian newspaper's influential survey into gender equality in the arts.

The one off University Women in the Arts scheme aims to address why more women study the arts but less women work in the arts by providing access to the advice of fifteen women leading the way in the arts, for example over 70% of students at the University of the Arts London, Europe's largest arts university are female but research has shown only around 30% of professional artists, theatre directors and playwrights are female.

The scheme is run in partnership with the Women of the Future Programme, Tonic Theatre, Sphinx Theatre and Writers at Work Productions, amongst others.

Director of University Women in the Arts Jennifer Tuckett said: "We are delighted our next two University Women in the Arts events are on art and theatre. Research has found far less women in both the art and theatre industries are working in artistic and leadership roles, and we look forward to hearing Kate and Elizabeth's advice and about their experiences, the challenge they have faced and how they have overcome them, and the blessings they have experienced and how they have embraced them. Across the arts, many more women study the arts than men but less women work in the arts, particularly in artistic and leadership roles, and it is important we look at how to improve the transition from studying to working in the arts if we are going to create a more gender balanced and equal arts industry."

The events will take place on 4th September at 4pm at Soho House for Kate Bryan and 28th September at 7pm for Elizabeth Freestone.

Other University Women in the Arts mentors include Vicky Featherstone, Artistic Director of The Royal Court Theatre, Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of The English National Ballet, Jude Kelly, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre and founder of the Women of the World Festival, Joanna Prior, Managing Director of Penguin Books, Amanda Foreman, academic, writer and presenter of "The Ascent of Women", and others.

The Freelands Foundation recently found, via its second report, that although women outnumber men in art school they are still underrepresented at professional level. The report found 63% of undergraduates studying creative arts and design in 2016 were female, according to UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services). In contrast, 29% of artists represented by London's major galleries were female, and 3% of auction lots in the top ten highest-grossing sales of each of the Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Sales in 2016 were by women artists.

Similarly, research by Elizabeth Freestone, Tonic Theatre and the British Theatre Consortium has revealed only around 30% of professional theatre directors and writers are female, whilst many more women study these subjects at university level.

To book places for these events, please go to https://universitywomeninthearts-katebryan.eventbrite.co.uk and https://universitywomeninthearts-elizabethfreestone.eventbrite.co.uk

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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