News

ACE announces latest grants for touring programmes

The Strategic touring programme aims to give people better access to quality work across a range of venues to more people across the country, targeting places with low levels of art engagement and those that rely on touring for arts and culture. Following on from the year two analysis of the Strategic touring programme, we are particularly encouraged to see an increase in applications in this round for literature based projects (including arts in libraries), free outdoor projects, and those that benefit diverse audiences.

The successful projects include:

Seven Stories: On the Road is a three year project that aims to provide children, young people and families with access to a rich programme of high quality children’s literature exhibitions, focusing on areas of low cultural participation. The programme will embed opportunities for community engagement, learning and participation initiatives and audience development, touring in the Midlands, North and South East Areas.

National Museum of Science and Industry: A two year tour of the Science Museum Group's photography exhibition "Only in England" involving four regional museums and galleries in the North, South East and South West Areas. Audience research, marketing, and public engagement expertise will be shared with local venues to assist the delivery of associated marketing and public events programmes.

Culturapedia: This project will develop and deliver a sustainable library-based community touring circuit to tour new work, to new audiences across Lancashire and Cheshire. Building on an established rural touring model, it will extend reach and increase artistic engagement, enabling librarians and community programmers to collectively promote touring work relevant to their communities

Greenwich + Docklands Festival: Global Streets is a pilot year programme of audience development through free international outdoor arts. Free public performances will be presented in eight locations in the London, Midlands, North and South East Areas, alongside an integrated programme of audience development to connect productions with the diverse demography of each location.

Nutkhut: Re:imaging Melas will present contemporary South Asian performance for audiences by a new network of six Melas based in London, the North and South East Areas. The programme will showcase new work for hard to reach, diverse audiences of over 400,000. The programme is based around collaboration and networking, building strong partnerships and providing professional development for Melas across England.

Abandon Normal Devices: Abandon Normal Devices – AND Festival on Tour aims to unlock the digital capacity of organisations in rural sites through a tour of new digital commissions to low engaged sites across the North. The programme will work with local festivals, small scale and outdoor arts organisations (venues including forests, guest houses and community homes).

Riverside Trust: The project will see a three year tour of six testimonial works such as Nirbhaya, from leading directors (five proven successes new to the UK and one new work), to eight locations across the North, London, Midlands and South West Areas. The tour will bring artists from India, South Africa and USA, and will be supported by a live programme of engagement and a web platform for the empowerment of personal testimony.

A full list of successful applicants can be found here.