The Regional Touring Network Launches With Help of Arts Council England

Arts Council England has made a one off award of £826,786 to enable to launch of The Regional Touring Network. Facilitated by English Touring Theatre, The Regional Touring Network, a consortium of 9 regional venues and English Touring Theatre, will produce and tour high quality drama on the mid-scale to audiences throughout England, and by growing audiences through a comprehensive and effective audience development plan will deliver a legacy of sustainable touring.

Director of English Touring Theatre Rachel Tackley said today, "It is clear that there is an appetite for brilliant and ambitious mid-scale work in regional theatres which is currently not being filled. This is a great opportunity for English Touring Theatre to work with these 9 venues and make a real impact on theatregoing opportunities for a broad range of audiences across the country."

The venues involved are Oldham Coliseum; Northcott Theatre, Exeter; Cast, Doncaster; Warwick Arts Centre; Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham;Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield; Harrogate Theatre; Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple and Lighthouse, Poole.

"The timing could not be better as part of our strategy to present a broader co-ordinated drama programme that includes work of all scales," commented Alan Dodd from North Devon Theatres.

The Regional Touring Network is a three year project to tour top quality classic and contemporary work to audiences across the UK, growing and sustaining demand, and piloting new ways for touring companies and venues to work better together. The first tour will commence in autumn 2016.

"Our drama programme is the absolute bedrock of our theatre programme and we are committed to

ensuring that the productions and companies we present represent high quality, relevant work that audiences engage with and are inspired by," said Elspeth McBain, Lighthouse Poole.