Beer equality social enterprise Women On Tap CIC is gearing up for its sixth consecutive annual festival from 4th to 8th May.
Founded in 2017, the festival has adapted over pandemic times from being entirely in person to being 100% online, and last year became a mix of both online and live events.
Presenting a range of talks, tastings, discussion, gigs, and specially commissioned digital content, the event aims to showcase women experts working in beer as part of immersive and creative experiences. It is entirely independently funded, by direct sponsorships and support from individuals.
This year, with six key projects in mind, a fundraising target of £20,000 has been set. This total would fund the festival and a set of six creative commissions, but also a set of other related ambitions, including another online strand of talks around women’s safety. More details on that will be announced later.
So far, Simpsons Malt, Brew York, Roosters, and Turning Point have signed up as partners for 2022. Thornbridge Brewery, Track Brewing Co, and Harrogate Brewing Company are signed up as Sponsors. Other supporters are signed up to the WOT Patreon, and some make one-off or regular donations via DonorBox on the website.
A number of 2022 sponsorship packages are still available, and founder Rachel Auty hopes to get somewhere near the target by International Women’s Day, on 8th March.
Equality in beer
Rachel said: “I can’t believe we are into our sixth year, especially as we look back on the last couple of years and what we’ve all been living through. It’s certainly turbulent times for the beer industry, and it feels like our work is needed more than ever.
“We adore our fantastic beer community and we are incredibly grateful for all the support we get, both from near and far. We are hopeful we can bring another festival to life this year, as well as some other work we are planning.
“We want to spark some new conversations on equality in beer and on how we can come together to build a better beer industry and make sure women are at the heart of it.”
As well as planning the festival, Women On Tap CIC has recently undergone something of a brand ‘polish’, and alongside an advisory board, Rachel has defined a clear vision, mission, and values to lead the organisation into 2022. This can all be seen on the refreshed website, assembled by Rachel. A new set of merchandise is also set for launch, boldly featuring the new strapline Women Belong In Beer.
• Those interested in supporting Women On Tap CIC in 2022 can email rachel@womenontap.co.uk. Anyone interested in keeping up to date on the latest news is urged to sign up to the mailing list (sign-up form in website footer).
