Category: Training

Boost! Touring Lab

Applause are pleased to launch Boost! , a free, two-day residential training and development Lab.

The purpose of this Lab is to upskill and prepare artists and choreographers/devisers working in contemporary dance, krump, hip hop, kathak, bharatanatyam – or contemporary circus who are interested in extending their work to outdoors or developing their understanding of the outdoor touring sector. This Lab forms part of Applause’s ongoing commitment to support global majority led performance and broaden the range of work currently on offer for small-scale touring environments.

The two and a half day Lab will include a varied programme of workshops, seminars and creative tasks in order to expand participants’ development and thinking in different contexts. It will feature contributions from sector organisations as well as practical performance workshops from theatre, dance and circus companies successfully making work for these contexts.

Priority will be given to artists from minority ethnic and migrant backgrounds who are working in the Creative Estuary region of North Kent and South Essex. However, Applause would also like to hear from underrepresented artists who may be working outside the CE region but are based in the Southeast.

Boost! is an Applause and Creative Estuary Co-commission in collaboration with 101 Creation Space and Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch.

Applause is an ACE funded National Portfolio Organisation based in Kent that has developed a highly successful outdoor touring scheme for rural locations and semi-urban communities. Each year they support artists to create and tour small scale shows across their network of volunteer hosts and festival promoters in Kent, East and West Sussex, Essex and the wider region.

Details of Lab: Mon 12 – Wed 14 September

The Lab will be fully catered with two nights’ accommodation at a local hotel in Hornchurch. We have ten places available in single occupancy rooms. We would also welcome applications from local artists who are able to attend without an accommodation requirement.

Click this link for more information and to apply.

Live & Local: Developing Artists in Rural Touring day for Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Artists

  • Are you or do you consider yourself to be a professional arts organisation or performer?
  • Do you ideally live or work in either Lincolnshire or Nottinghamshire or have strong links to either or both counties?
  • Have you considered rural touring?

Live and Local, through its Developing Artists in Rural Touring (DART) programme, is looking to find and support artists interested in rural touring.

We are running a whole day for performing artists and arts organisation to find out about opportunities to tour performances in rural locations with Live & Local. 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 Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. You could be a musician, dancer, spoken word artist or theatre maker.

Details of the Day

  • Tuesday 8th February 2022
  • Venue – Newark Civil War Centre
  • Time 10.00 to 4pm for a 10.30 start.

We will fund each company (up to 12) £200 to come along and we’ll treat you to lunch and tea and coffee too.

How can I be part of this?

Apply by completing the application form by Friday 14th Jan at 5pm. You will need to be available on the 8th February to apply.

For more information and to download the application form please go to the link Jobs at Live & Local (liveandlocal.org.uk)

What is the selection process?

Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:

  • Links to one of both counties
  • Artistic quality
  • Interest in rural touring

Please also feel free to email Steve Wilson, Artist Engagement Officer,  Steve@liveandlocal.org.uk if you have any questions.

What happens after the programme?

We will be looking to support those organisations/individuals further through mentoring support with the aim for you to be able to have a show ready for rural touring.

About Live & Local

Live & Local is an arts organisation with more than 20 years’ experience of touring professional performing arts into rural communities. From its base in Warwick, it has grown to serve 8 counties, being: Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Worcestershire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire. We currently programme about 500 shows a year in 300 rural locations. Take a look around the website to find out more.

Applause & 101 Creation Space: Rural Touring Lab

A free two-day residential training and development lab produced by Applause and 101 Creation Space.

Applause and 101 Creation space are offering a two-day residential training and development lab to upskill and prepare dance and contemporary circus artists for creating and touring outdoor work within rural locations and urban communities.

This practical event delves into the nuts and bolts of outdoor rural touring, offering detail and insight about where to look for commissioning and touring opportunities, examples of tried and tested techniques and approaches to making work for these settings and what to consider when building partnerships with promoters and rural communities.

The two and a half day Lab will involve a varied programme of workshops, seminars and creative tasks in order to expand your development and thinking in different contexts. The sessions will feature contributions from sector organisations including Applause Rural Touring, The National Rural Touring Forum, Live & Local & Creative Arts East, as well as practical performance workshops from theatre, dance and circus companies successfully making work for these contexts.

The Lab includes a welcome dinner and opportunities for 1 to 1 mentoring sessions throughout the event to explore your own artistic practice and its suitability. As a delegate on the Lab, you will stay onsite at 101’s residential artist village in one of our individual en-suite cabins so that you can continue to network and idea share with peers outside the structured sessions – plus there will be optional activities to get involved with in your free time! We will also be providing full catering so that you can focus on the experience and truly immerse yourself into your practice whilst you are with us.

To gain maximum benefit from this free residential course this opportunity is for artists who have an existing show that they are looking to reshape or have an idea for a new commission that they are looking to develop for this sector.

To apply: please send a covering letter or video outlining your interest in rural touring, a summary of your current practice and a brief outline of the show that you’re looking to develop to hello@101outdoorarts.com by 5pm on 5 July 2021.

juggler balances a framed portrait on his nose

The Rural Touring Lab is produced with support from Arts Council England and SELEP Ltd as a part of Catalyst For Culture and Marlowe, Canterbury.Share