Profile:Borders LIVE Touring

Borders LIVE Touring (BLT) works with community based halls and venues to bring affordable local and national professional companies producing high quality theatre, dance and music to the Scottish Borders. The scheme offers subsidies to reduce financial risk and supports predominantly volunteer promoters by working together to market live performances, offering training and networking opportunities both locally and nationally. The rural touring project BLT was launched at the end of 2014 as an 18 month pilot, supported by Creative Scotland and Scottish Borders Council. Between April 2015 and March 2016 the touring scheme programmed 55 performances/workshops, 31 venues programmed via the scheme, supported 50 training and networking places and supported 5 volunteer promoters to 'Go and See' Edinburgh Fringe 2015. Since April 2016 Borders LIVE Touring is now part of an integrated Trust, Live Borders. Funding has been secured via Creative Scotland to continue the scheme into 2017. It is the aim to grow as a result of the successful pilot. In response to the strong demand for support from the current membership Borders LIVE Touring plans to build on recommendations highlighted by an independant Evaluation conducted by Sam Eccles, develop a diverse audience base across the Borders, attract enhanced investment and work collectively as an active member of the rural touring national and local networks/community to provide the tools necessary for successful voluntary based promoters in the Borders to consolidate these relationships making them stronger and giving them opportunities to grow and have the confidence to take a lead in programming. An independent Evaluation Report of the scheme was carried out by Sam Eccles. Between April 2015 – March 2016 55 Performances/Workshops 2316 Audience 785 Volunteer hours 31 venues 26 Companies 50 supported places Training and Networking 5 supported places ‘Go and See’ Comments: “I don't feel I can get companies of high quality to come to the borders on offer of a split - now I have worked with BLT I can secure companies like Marc Brew and Catherine Wheels’ ‘to say how much I enjoyed the Emporium and how much I got out of it. Everyone was so friendly and I have a plethora of possibilities to go on with. I would certainly like to go again if the opportunity arose’ “Performing on a split is really tricky. It only works in certain venues. Through the BLT scheme we can visit smaller rural venues by guarantee of a set fee’ ‘The achievements of BLT in a very short period of time is to be loudly applauded. the number of promoters, audiences and companies engaged is astonishing - particularly when you consider that this is managed by a part-time member of Staff’