Women in Theatre and Women in the Arts to launch new awards

Two new organisations are being founded to champion and support women in theatre and the arts.

Women in Theatre, and sister organisation Women in the Arts, are the result of a 5-year Women in Theatre research project run in partnership with The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, Sphinx, the Women in Theatre Lab, Equity, WOW and others.

Arts Council England recently agreed to launch a year-long taskforce to investigate the under-representation of and discrimination against women in the arts.

The two new organisations will provide networking events for women working in the arts, advice sessions, and continue research on issues facing women such as caring responsibilities, the gender pay gap and unconscious bias.

New awards

The organisations will also launch two new awards: the Women in the Arts Awards and Women in Theatre Awards, to highlight the achievements of emerging and mid-career women working across arts forms.

The organisations will be led by CEO Jennifer Tuckett, who led the Women in Theatre research project, and is co-director of the Women in Theatre Lab.

They will also be overseen by an advisory group including Jude Kelly, founder of the WOW Foundation and the former Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre; Maureen Beattie, actress and former President of Equity; Lesley Gannon, Deputy General Secretary of the Writers Guild of Great Britain; and Kelly Burke, former Chair of Equity’s Women’s Committee; producer Keira Malik, who will lead on screen.

A day-to-day team to manage the organisations will also be appointed soon.

Women in Theatre projects

Initial projects for Women in Theatre include:

A new Women in Theatre Survey to gather information on whether issues for women have improved in the arts.
The expansion of the Women in Theatre Lab with a new directors’ strand led by Artistic Director of Tamasha and co-Chair of Stage Directors UK, Pooja Ghai.
Advice sessions and networking events at the Liverpool Everyman Theatre and Playhouse, Theatr Clwyd, and with Tamasha and Hightide.

Current Women in Theatre Lab contributors include Joanna Scanlan, Doon Mackichan, April de Angelis, Timberlake Wertenbaker, and Suzie Miller; with supporters including Gemma Arterton, Matthew Dunster and David Doyle.

The news comes following Sunday’s International Women’s Day, celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

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Main photo: Women in Theatre Lab