Developing Artists in Rural Touring (DART)

Brush stroke

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

Threaded (1)

Applications are now open for our next Developing Artists in Rural Touring (DART).

The event will take place on Thursday 22nd January 2026 at Nottingham Contemporary Gallery, Nottingham Contemporary, Weekday Cross, Nottingham, NG1 2GB.

This is a great opportunity to find out more about rural touring, meet our friendly team and meet an existing promoter and performer. There is also an opportunity to tell us about yourselves and maybe show us your work. You'll need to be available for the whole day.

You could be a musician, in a band, a theatre maker, spoken word artist or dancer! We will pay £150 for your attendance and give you lunch and tea and coffee!

To apply, please complete the application form. Deadline for applications is 5pm on 4th January.  

If you need any support in completing the form or wish to send it to us via any other format please let us know.

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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.
Three Men In A Boat

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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