Let’s be up front: We can’t offer financial support to help you create new work. It’s rare that we have commissioning money to create things with artists. We have no theatre space of our own. We rely on volunteers and library staff to host our events but they don’t always control the bookings for their own venue – so the offer of free rehearsal space is not really option.
What do you offer then?
- An experienced ear to sound out ideas, to discuss potential projects and to seek guidance about rural and library venues (if you’re local we might even invite you in for a brew)
- ACE bid letters of support – if we’re discussing hosting your show and you need to apply to ACE to tour it we can provide a letter of support which confirms our commitment
- Our time – though we can’t offer cash, we can offer ‘in kind’ time to speak with you, to help you develop your understanding of our sector
Examples of how we’ve supported artists recently:
- Offering support in kind to Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah on their R&D for a new children’s show. We’ll put them in contact with interested library staff and community groups so they can try out activities and explore responses to their early ideas. We’ll be securing a venue, sending call outs groups to attend the R&D and attending a scratch performance to see the work in progress
- Feeding back on marketing copy and images for touring artists. We’re quite good at looking at images and copy with an audience focus
- Hosting Q&A sessions with recent theatre graduates – offering an insight into rural touring and getting started
- Listening and signposting
HANDS Open Call – submission deadline Tuesday 15 March 10pm.
Are you an arts company or artist who has an existing performance piece that you are interested in adapting for a range of venues and space options but need advice?
Do you work across the North of England or are you interested in rural touring to venues across Cumbria, Lancashire, East and North Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, County Durham and Cheshire? Have you considered rural touring as an option?
Download: Hands Call Out