Excursion to England:
Networking, Female Leadership & WAF meets SO Festival / Street Theatre

Community Art, Arts & Culture, Street Theatre, and Female Leadership as a Driver for Regional Development in England

We connect dreamy counties along England’s east coast, seaside towns with their typical bingo halls and family theme parks, and miles of white sandy beaches with art, culture, networking, and female leadership.

Alongside a dedicated networking programme, we will participate in the SO Festival – an international street theatre festival that brings a wide range of high-quality arts and cultural entertainment to audiences of all ages. Held annually on England’s east coast, the festival invites visitors into a world of wonder.

With a love for storytelling and a sense of childlike amazement, the SO Festival allows us to dive into a wonderland of literature, visual art, theatre, dance, music, contemporary circus, and hands-on creative experiences.

At the same time, the festival has a strong social mission: to reach audiences in one of the most structurally disadvantaged areas of the region and to bring the best of arts and culture into public space. Skegness, governed by East Lindsey District Council, has traditionally relied on agriculture and summer tourism as its main economic sectors.

Despite national support programmes, the local population continues to face social and health inequalities. Recognizing this, Arts Council England has designated Skegness and its surroundings as a priority area due to the lack of cultural engagement. Through targeted artistic collaborations and cultural activities, villages, towns, and communities in the region are now being actively supported and empowered.

One such initiative is the development of a "Culture House", inspired by Scandinavian models. As part of the "Connected Coast” programme, new projects for the coastal towns of Skegness and Mablethorpe aim to engage the local population in meaningful ways. The project was inspired by Jens Frimann Hansen, artistic director of the SO Festival.

Travel Dates
Wednesday, 14 June to Sunday, 18 June 2023

Travel and accommodation are organized individually, but we coordinate closely as a group.

Travel Recommendations:

Flight from Graz Thalerhof to London Heathrow with Austrian Airlines

Flight from Vienna Schwechat to London Heathrow with KLM

Meeting point for the shared shuttle to Skegness: Kings Cross Station, London

Train or bus connections also possible https://www.rome2rio.com/de/map/Graz/Skegness 

If desired, flights can be booked through Springer Reisen, Graz.
Our contact person: Mr. Sejer heinz.sejer@springerreisen.at

Hotelbookings (z.B. mit Booking.com)
Examples: 
The North Shore Hotel - https://www.northshorehotel.co.uk/
The Vine Hotel - https://thevinehotel.co.uk/
The County Hotel - https://www.countyhotelskegness.co.uk/en-GB
Premier Inn Skegness
 

Estimated Costs

Travel: €450

Shuttle/Local transport: €140

Accommodation: approx. €500 (can be more or less depending on individual budget)

Styrian Summer Art networking fee: €80

Schedule (subject to change)

Meeting point: Wednesday, 14 June at 3:30 PM at King's Cross Station, London (for those arriving via London)
Shared shuttle to Skegness (approx. 3 hours)
Arrival in Skegness at 7:00 PM – participants traveling by other means are welcome to join directly.

Day 1: Arrival, joint dinner in Skegness, and "meet the festival" – getting to know the SO Festival

Day 2 (morning):
Boston visit – Exploring the impact of successful community art projects on the local population Boston Bouyes
Afternoon
WAF meets Lincolnshire – international #waf forum
Focus on female leadership, networking, exchange, and empowerment.
The Austrian Cultural Forum in London has been invited as a networking partner.

Day 3 (morning):
Sleaford: Networking excursion to The Hub - https://hub-sleaford.org.uk/

Afternoon:
Mablethorpe Festival Programme

Day 4 (morning):
Cultural Networking Programme: SO Festival
Afternoon:
Festival programme 

Day 5 (morning):
Visit the festival or enjoy free time
Midday:
Departure, shuttle to King’s Cross / London – Heathrow
Return flight

For registration and questions, please contact: mz@styriansummerart.at oder +43 664 540 4289.

We look forward to an inspiring and diverse cultural journey!