Rural Touring Mentoring Scheme Opens for Applications
PANDA Rural Touring Mentoring Scheme, in partnership with Cheshire’s Rural Touring Network, is now open to applications from performing arts companies across the North West!
'Ravioli' by Inky Fingers, RTMS mentored company in 2007.
PANDA are pleased to announce the fifth year of this fantastic scheme, offering mentorship to a performing arts company who would be keen to develop their work for rural touring. This year the competition is going to be even stronger as we open the applications to any company based in the North West.
The selected company will be mentored by Cheshire's Rural Touring Network and will receive an understanding of the issues and contexts in which rural touring operates; including advice on marketing, pricing, administration, contracting, press and publicity, licensing, designing for small community spaces, technical considerations, artistic content and liaising with promoters. The mentored company will also get specific advice from PANDA about how to add value to rural dates by combining them with an arts centre / studio theatre tour.
'Serenade' by Black & Blue, RTMS mentee company in 2006.
Applicants must be PANDA members and must have a show that would be ready to showcase extracts from at Cheshire’s Rural Touring Network’s annual Promoters Day on 28th February 2008 in Upton near Chester.
The mentored company will be invited to attend other rural touring shows in Spring 2009 as well as all or part of the National Rural Touring Conference taking place as part of the International Village of Culture from 31st March – 4th April 2009 in Durham.
The scheme will culminate with the mentored company’s show being included in the Cheshire’s Rural Touring Network's Autumn 2009 and/or Spring 2010 Menu for Rural Touring (exact schedule to be negotiated pending decisions on planned restructuring of Cheshire County Council in 2009). Expenses will be covered.
This is an excellent scheme and valuable entry-point for any company wishing to establish themselves on the rural touring network. Have a look at the mentored companies we have supported to date.
How to Apply
Applicants must be current PANDA members. PANDA membership is available free of charge for the first three months, after which there is an annual membership fee of £20. New members register now and expired members subscribe now.
PANDA members can then download and complete the Application Form.
If you have any technical or access difficulties downloading or completing the Application Form please contact Rachel Morton on 0161 274 0626 or email rachel@panda-arts.org.uk.
Return your completed Application Form to Liz O’Neill, PANDA Director, by email to liz@panda-arts.org.uk or by post to:
RTMS 09 Application
PANDA
Contact
Oxford Road
Manchester
M15 6JA
Please feel free to include any examples of publicity material and/or DVD/video footage of your work.
Deadline for applications: Monday 1st December 2008.
Interviews will take place in Chester on Monday 15th December 2008.
More Information
You can find out more about the scheme and meet representatives from PANDA and Cheshire’s Rural Touring Network at our Spotlight On … Meet the Neighbours event on Wednesday 12th November 2008 at Unity Theatre in Liverpool.
For more information on Cheshire’s Rural Touring Network visit www.cheshire.gov.uk/arts and click ‘Rural Arts’.
For more information on rural touring in general check out the Info On… Rural Touring fact sheet.