Developing Artists in Rural Touring (DART)

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Our principal way of supporting artists is through our Developing Artists in Rural Touring Programme (DART)

Applications are now open for our next DART day at Malvern Theatres on 20th Feb, 2025.

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Our next DART day will take place on Thursday 20th February 2025 at Malvern Theatres.

Our Developing Artists for Rural Touring (DART) days are a full day for performing artists and arts organisations to find out about opportunities to tour performances in rural locations with Live & Local and the wider rural touring networks. At the event you will get to meet our friendly and helpful staff, meet performers and promoters as well as having an opportunity to tell us about yourselves. We are prioritising those artists who work or are based in the Midlands.  You could be a musician, dancer, spoken word artist or theatre maker.

There are 12 places available at each DART event, and we will fund each company £150 to come along and we’ll treat you to lunch and refreshments too. We ask for one representative per company to attend.

How do I be part of this?

Applications will be accepted via this page.

Closing date for applications will be 31st January 2025.

Click here to apply.

Make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Twitter for regular updates.

What is the selection process?

Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:

  • Links to the region
  • Artistic quality
  • Interest in rural touring

Please also feel free to email Steve Wilson, Artist Engagement Officer,  [email protected] if you have any questions.

"The DART day was such a useful day to really bring the practicalities of touring and organising performances into focus." - DART attendee

Thursday 20th Feb 2025, Malvern Theatres

Apply Now!

Launching in 2013, DART has supported nearly 50 artists and companies. The initiative has also supported the creation of new and exciting work and has brought promoters and audiences closer to the creation of this work.

DART is now an ongoing programme of support for performing artists based in or working within the Midlands, curated by Live & Local.

We support artists who are actively seeking to move into rural touring with connections to rural promoter groups and audiences. We can also offer bursaries to such artists to attend the annual National Rural Touring Forum conference.

Through DART we also aim to spread the word about rural touring to performing artists in training within Higher Education settings and performing artists’ networks. Please get in touch if you have a course or network that would benefit from this.

DART supports:

  • The creative and organisational development of emerging and existing performing artists who seek to make performances for rural touring;
  • Providing artists with tickets to Live & Local performances and inviting them to promoter meetings;
  • Attending artists’ performances (or work-in-progress performances) and providing feedback
  • Interaction and mutual understanding between performing artists and rural promoters and audiences;
  • The development of high quality, innovative and diverse performance in rural touring;
  • Live & Local’s artistic and equalities policies;
  • Arts Council England’s Creative Case for Diversity.
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There are two strands to DART - a formal strand in which we invite artists from a particular location to meet the Live & Local team and other interested artists, and an informal strand in which you can contact us if you want to find out more or talk us about a show that might be suitable. We are aiming to do two formal programmes a year - please keep a close eye on our jobs and commissions page for these opportunities - and for the more informal side you can get in touch at any point.

Jobs & Commissions
Latchepen in Concert

Our Artist Engagement Officer Steve Wilson is the key person to talk to if you are interested in getting involved in rural and community touring.

Steve Wilson

Artist Engagement Officer

Part-time (Usual working days: Mon, Tue, Wed)

Steve is responsible for supporting and developing artists who are both in the scheme or are interested in being part of it.

Contact Steve if you are an artist/arts organisation and need advice or support regarding what we do or how you can be part of our work.

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