Rural Touring Dance Initiative Report Shows Benefit Of Taking Dance To Rural Spaces

A new report released by the Rural Touring Dance Initiative (RTDI) has shown that taking dance into rural spaces can be a gateway to finding new audiences. The report shows that just half (54%) of audiences attending an RTDI show came because they wanted to see dance; other reasons cited was a trust of the venue or influenced by a friend, but the second most common reason was to try something different. Nearly nine out of ten (88%) said that it made them want to see more dance. An incredible 98% of audiences surveyed said they enjoyed the show, and 71% said it made them see dance in a new light.

Full report can be found here from 28 February

Since 2015, RTDI has been bringing high quality dance to rural venues with participating companies including Lost Dog, Luca Silvestrini's Protein, Uchenna Dance, Scottish Dance Theatre, Mr & Mrs Clark, Jo Fong and George Orange, and Joshua 'Vendetta' Nash. The report, commissioned from Annabel Jackson Associates Ltd to evaluate the second edition of RTDI, gathered data from 1386 audience members over a period of three years, from 2019 - 2021 and in addition surveyed 12 of the dance companies who took part in the scheme in this time.

The survey showed that the experience was positive for dance companies as well as the audiences. When asked if they were happy with the quality of show they were able to deliver, 91% said 'yes, definitely', and all the companies felt they had a close relationship with the audience (83% yes, definitely; 17% yes, probably). Four of the companies were already keen on rural touring, and a further seven said their experience made them more keen on rural touring.

One of the participating companies wrote, "I have found scaling down existing stage shows for rural touring both an artistically and personally valuable and enriching experience. The two shows we have so far adapted for the rural touring circuit have grown immensely because of this scalable process. Both the performers and myself have gained a greater understanding of the work, of the role played by the audience and how to better connect with them. There's something truly unique about the connection you establish with the locals by bringing and adapting a show for their village or town hall; this is not just a visit, a gig, but a way to serve and empower a community

Ralph Lister, RTDI Director, NRTF and Holly Lombardo, Director NRTF said, "The quality and range of dance offered to rural audiences through the RTDI has been exceptional and it has been a delight to work alongside the other partners. Learning from the RTDI has found its way into other projects and demonstrates added value which the evaluation backs up with evidence. Taking dance to rural communities, with its modest carbon footprint, is one way in which we hope to deliver a sustainable touring model and will bring relevance to the next phase of the project."

In 2015 The National Rural Touring Forum joined forces with The Place, China Plate and Take Art to launch a brand-new initiative designed to assist in the making and touring of contemporary dance to rural areas. The project was set up to address the quality and quantity of dance performance happening in rural areas. The project has been made possible by a grant from Arts Council England's Lottery funded Strategic Touring Programme. Due to RTDI's successes in November 2017 the project was given a further £417k to develop the project until 2021. Over 160 performances [CE1] [CE2] have taken place during the second phase of the project along with numerous workshops and training opportunities for artists.

Eddie Nixon, Artistic Director and Christina Elliot, Senior Producer, The Place said, "We're delighted that the findings of this report support what we have experienced when watching shows in rural venues up and down the country - that audiences really enjoy discovering great dance in their local spaces. RTDI is a truly collaborative project, bringing together the expertise of rural promoters, schemes, dance makers, performers and producers. We'd like to pay particular tribute to the dance ambassador schemes and promoters who have really championed the project and dance in their local areas. We're looking forward to continuing the RTDI partnership to inspire more people with brilliant dance"

@rural_dance | #ruraldance | www.ruraltouring.org

The Rural Touring Dance Initiative is a partnership project led by The National Rural Touring Forum with The Place, China Plate and Take Art. The project is funded by Arts Council England through its Strategic Touring Fund. The Rest of Our Lives is supported by Arts Council of Wales. Additional support from the Foyle Foundation, Pavilion Dance South West and DanceEast.

National Rural Touring Forum supports Rural Touring Schemes, promoters, artists and communities to bring high quality & professional creative experiences to rural venues & audiences. It does this via national projects, networking, development & showcasing opportunities, grants and information sharing http://www.ruraltouring.org/

The Place is a creative powerhouse for dance development that is leading the way in dance training, creation and performance. It is one of Europe's most exciting, innovative dance spaces, where artists from all over the world come to push creative boundaries, to experiment and to perform outstanding new work for audiences who expect to be surprised, inspired and delighted. The Place is home to London Contemporary Dance School, a 280-seat theatre, an extensive range of classes, courses and participatory opportunities for adults and young people, professional development programmes for artists and a growing Producing & Touring house. https://www.theplace.org.uk/

Established in 2006, China Plate is one of the UK's most prolific independent producers of contemporary theatre, producing work that engages 25,000 audience members annually. The company's central mission is to 'challenge the way performance is made, who it's made by and who gets to experience it.' China Plate is currently working with Caroline Horton, Inspector Sands, David Edgar, Chris Thorpe, Rachel Chavkin, Rachel Bagshaw, Urielle Klein-Mekongo and Contender Charlie. http://www.chinaplatetheatre.com/

Take Art is a unique, life-changing organisation that doesn't live in an arts venue but in the villages, towns and rural communities of Somerset. We also have projects in the South West, UK and Europe. Every year we bring exciting and empowering arts experiences to thousands of people, providing opportunities for all ages and abilities to experience, participate and work within the arts. As one of Somerset's leading NPOs, we currently run one of the UK's most celebrated rural touring schemes, along with projects in theatre, music, dance and early years creativity. https://takeart.org/

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