Dumfries and Galloway is a region with vibrant visual arts, literature and craft communities.  These communities thrive by developing consistent opportunities for people to gather - both artistically and socially - to appreciate the work of local, national and international artists, community members and participants.

Motivated by the aim of developing a community who gather around contemporary dance, and as part of a wider strategic approach to developing the regional infrastructure needed to sustain this, Dumfries and Galloway Dance have established a region wide Touring Collective which offers a consistent programme of dance to create space for the dance community to connect, grow and thrive.

We are also invested in using our work to initiate more sustainable and care-filled ways of touring that create meaningful exchanges between artists and the local community, measured by the lasting impact of events and growing trust over time, not simply the number of tickets sold! Through our work we hope to drive change across the dance sector, illustrating the true benefits of working rurally, with people invested in their local area.

How it works

Five venues form the Touring Collective, spread across the geography of the region. 
A call out will be made bi-annually to Dance Artists, offering a two-week tour across the region, which includes: 

  • A fee of £700 per person, per week on tour (£550 fee plus £25 per day per diems) 

  • A fee of £600 per person, per week for a pre-tour rehearsal week.

  • Accommodation, travel, access and marketing costs covered over and above fees.

  • Artists will be invited to propose additional activities that complement their work and their practice, leading to introductions to groups across the region.

  • The tour will be produced by the Touring Collective, enabling any feedback to be enacted, ensuring that the local community contribute to the development of dance touring across the region.

A decision panel will meet to create a short list of the work submitted which will then be presented to the host venues to discuss. The panel will consist of local residents, a freelance dance artist and a performing arts programmer. Works will be selected for a six-month period (3 tours) covering a range of styles, artists and works.

What’s involved

The presenting artist will be invited to meet with Dumfries and Galloway Dance and the partner venues to discuss the marketing strategy for their work and potential to connect with the dance community outwith the performances.  We want to provide artists with information about the dance community in the region as well as communicating with audiences in a way that does not compromise their approach, we believe this is only possible through open and honest conversation. 

Following each tour there will be a face to face evaluation with the artists, touring venues and audiences to refine the programme.  This insight will be actively taken on board to develop the most efficient and effective way for the collective to grow the community of people who watch dance across the region whilst providing satisfying experiences for the touring artists.

Funding and evaluation dependent, we hope to evolve the model over a ten year period so we can genuinely measure its impact. Keep an eye on the News & Opportunities page for call outs.