Apply Now: Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance (UK)

The Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance provides financial support for professional live theatre and dance productions touring across Scotland. The programme helps producers, artists, companies, and venue partnerships deliver high-quality performances to audiences throughout the country while reducing the financial risks associated with touring.

The fund has an anticipated budget of £2 million and does not specify a minimum or maximum grant amount. Eligible applicants should request the full amount required to produce and tour their work across Scotland.

Overview of the Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance

The Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance supports professional theatre and dance productions that tour to multiple locations across Scotland. The programme aims to improve access to high-quality live performances, expand audience engagement, and strengthen Scotland’s performing arts sector.

The fund supports productions at different stages of development, including new works, revived productions, completed productions that have not yet toured, and co-productions. It also encourages diverse artistic approaches, including outdoor theatre, circus, interdisciplinary performances, and site-specific productions.

By covering touring costs, the programme helps reduce financial barriers for producers while enabling venues to host performances through no-fee touring arrangements with favourable box office revenue-sharing models.

Objectives of the Fund

The programme aims to:

• Support professional theatre and dance tours across Scotland.
• Increase public access to live performing arts.
• Expand audiences for theatre and dance.
• Reduce financial risks for producers and presenters.
• Encourage collaboration between artists, venues, and companies.
• Support productions of different scales and artistic styles.
• Strengthen Scotland’s performing arts sector.

Eligible Projects

The fund supports a wide variety of professional live productions.

New Productions

Funding is available for:

• Newly created theatre productions
• New dance performances
• Original live productions ready for touring

Revivals and Restaged Productions

Applicants may seek funding for:

• Successful productions being revived
• Restaged performances for wider audiences
• Popular productions returning to tour

Productions Ready for Touring

The programme supports:

• Productions developed but not yet toured
• Works that have already premiered
• Productions with short initial runs seeking wider touring opportunities

Co-Productions

Collaborative productions involving multiple organisations or producers are eligible.

Outdoor and Site-Specific Performances

Eligible formats include:

• Outdoor theatre
• Outdoor dance
• Site-specific performances
• Location-based productions

Circus and Interdisciplinary Work

Funding also supports:

• Contemporary circus
• Interdisciplinary performance
• Hybrid artistic productions

Funding Information

Total Programme Budget

• £2,000,000 (anticipated)

Grant Amount

• No minimum funding amount
• No maximum funding amount

Applicants should request the full amount required to produce and tour their project.

Funding will only be reduced if the proposed budget contains costs that are not eligible under the programme guidelines.

Who Is Eligible?

Eligible applicants include:

• Individual theatre artists
• Individual dance artists
• Independent producers
• Theatre companies
• Dance companies
• Organisations producing professional theatre or dance
• Organisations involved in touring live productions
• Venue consortia delivering shared touring programmes

Independent producers may apply:

• Independently
• On behalf of artists

Venue consortia may include Multi-Year Funded Organisations (MYFOs) provided their involvement is outside their core funded activities.

All applicants must have:

• A UK bank account
• A bank account name matching the application

Applicants must also be based in Scotland.

Who Is Not Eligible?

The fund does not support:

• Applicants based outside Scotland
• Organisations not producing or touring professional theatre or dance
• Tours taking place outside Scotland
• Student productions
• Amateur or non-professional productions
• Early-stage research projects without a tour
• Productions that will not tour
• Tours visiting three or fewer locations
• Performances in schools
• Performances in care homes
• Performances in day centres
• Digital-only productions
• Online performances
• Recorded or streamed productions without live performances
• Digital adaptations of existing live work
• Applications relying on pending Creative Scotland Open Fund decisions
• Multi-Year Funded Organisations already funded to produce and tour theatre or dance

Eligible Touring Requirements

Projects should:

• Tour across Scotland
• Include professional live performances
• Visit more than three locations
• Deliver public performances
• Demonstrate readiness for touring

Edinburgh Festivals

Funding cannot be used solely for:

• Edinburgh Festival Fringe presentations
• Edinburgh International Festival presentations

However, these festivals may form part of a wider Scottish tour.

How to Apply

Step 1: Confirm Eligibility

Ensure that:

• You are based in Scotland.
• Your project involves professional live theatre or dance.
• The proposed tour meets the programme requirements.

Step 2: Develop Your Touring Plan

Prepare a clear plan outlining:

• Tour schedule
• Performance locations
• Production timeline
• Audience engagement strategy

Step 3: Prepare a Detailed Budget

Include:

• Production costs
• Touring expenses
• Technical costs
• Marketing costs
• Venue-related expenses
• Other eligible project costs

Request the full funding amount required.

Step 4: Gather Supporting Information

Prepare all required documents demonstrating:

• Artistic quality
• Touring readiness
• Financial planning
• Organisational capacity

Step 5: Submit Your Application

Complete the application through the official funding process before the published deadline.

Tips for a Strong Application

Applicants should:

• Present a realistic touring schedule.
• Demonstrate strong artistic quality.
• Show clear audience development plans.
• Include multiple touring locations.
• Prepare a transparent and accurate budget.
• Demonstrate collaboration with venues or partners where appropriate.
• Explain the wider impact of the tour across Scotland.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid:

• Proposing tours with three or fewer locations.
• Including ineligible costs in the budget.
• Applying for digital-only productions.
• Submitting projects that are not ready for touring.
• Applying from outside Scotland.
• Proposing amateur or student-led productions.
• Depending on unconfirmed funding from Creative Scotland Open Funds.

Why This Fund Matters

The Touring Fund helps strengthen Scotland’s performing arts sector by making professional theatre and dance more accessible across the country.

The programme supports:

• Wider audience access to live performances.
• Sustainable touring models.
• Growth of theatre and dance companies.
• Regional cultural participation.
• Collaboration between artists and venues.
• Financial sustainability for touring productions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance?

It is a funding programme supporting professional live theatre and dance productions touring across Scotland.

How much funding is available?

The programme has an anticipated budget of £2 million, with no minimum or maximum grant amount. Applicants should request the full amount needed for their project.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants include professional theatre and dance artists, producers, companies, organisations, and venue consortia based in Scotland.

What types of productions are eligible?

The fund supports new productions, revivals, productions ready for touring, co-productions, outdoor performances, circus, interdisciplinary work, and site-specific productions.

Are digital performances eligible?

No. The programme only supports live professional performances and does not fund digital-only or online productions.

Can Edinburgh Festival performances be included?

Yes. Performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe or Edinburgh International Festival may be included as part of a wider Scottish tour, but the fund will not support those festival presentations alone.

Are tours outside Scotland eligible?

No. The fund only supports professional tours taking place within Scotland.

Conclusion

The Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance 2026 provides significant support for professional performing arts organisations and artists seeking to bring high-quality theatre and dance productions to audiences across Scotland.

With an anticipated £2 million funding budget and no fixed grant limit, the programme encourages ambitious touring projects that expand audience access, strengthen artistic collaboration, reduce financial barriers, and contribute to a vibrant and sustainable performing arts landscape throughout Scotland.