From the end of May 2016, the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival intends to organise and promote performance arts across the region throughout the year in addition to mounting its annual flagship festival.
This is a new move by the Region’s longest running festival and organisers will be asking venue promoters and performing artists for their views and ideas in order to create an innovative working model.
A public meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, 1 September, at Threave Gardens in Castle Douglas at 6.30pm and anyone interested in getting involved in the touring programme is invited to come along and help shape the future of performing arts in Dumfries and Galloway.
The touring programme aims to promote live performance; encourage touring into the region; reduce financial risk to promoters; offer advice on technical issues and provide local and national networking opportunities and provide opportunities for our local performing artists to reach a wider audiences.
The event will be led by Christine Hamilton who has been working with the festival to develop ideas for a model for performing arts touring in the region. She has been examining touring works in other areas of Scotland and beyond and will present her findings for discussion at the meeting.
The event is being held in order to set out these proposals and acquire feedback and ideas from interested parties.
Programme director, Peter Renwick, said: “The guarantee against loss scheme we rolled out this year was a great success. Through setting up successful working partnerships with promoters and artists, we were able to support a diverse number of quality events that were well attended and very well received by the Region’s communities.
“Next year, we are taking this scheme a step further by building a network of artists looking to tour in the region throughout the year and venue promoters willing to host them. We should also be very happy to support people who have their own programming ideas.
“The events will be supported by our guarantee against loss scheme to help make them financially viable to artists, promoters and venue managers. We will also provide advice on technical aspects; set up and manage an online events calendar; and promote ideas through the scheme.”
Anyone interested in attending the meeting is asked to book a free place on www.dgartsfestival.org.uk/open-meeting
For further information or a general chat about the scheme, please contact Lou or Peter on 01387 259627 or email [email protected]
