Outreach is one of those terms thrown about in the arts which a lot of people aren’t entirely clear on. What is Outreach? Why is it important? What does an Outreach Coordinator actually do? We asked freelance Outreach Coordinator Meg Fozzard, to tell us a bit about her recent work with us, surrounding our presence at Brighton Festival.
What is outreach work?
Our work around Brighton Festival
I hope that after my visit, the students I met might feel inspired to try something new, and maybe even think about if a career in the arts might suit them. One student told me that she will remember me when she grows up. I’m so pleased that the day seems to have made a big impression on students.David Ellington
The following afternoon, it was fantastic to have so many students and staff from The Orpheus Centre at the show at Brighton Dome. Their enjoyment was apparent, and it was lovely to see how well they had engaged with the show, and responded with particular enthusiasm to the parts and characters they recognised from their workshop. After the show there was a questions and answers session with the cast of Till We Win. The students from The Orpheus Centre asked some fantastic questions and displayed great insight into what they had just watched. Later the same week, the staff at the Centre screened a film of the show Human, and we arranged for the students to have a zoom call with John Kelly, one of the stars of the show.
For me, the magical moment of the week, and one which highlighted the importance of Outreach work, was during the performance of Till We Win at the Dome, with all those students from Orpheus in the audience. When the cast began singing This Town of Ours, the students sitting in the audience joined in and sang along. It was a moment of total connection, joy, and understanding between the cast onstage, and the audience.”
