Rural Touring Dance Initiative

A man resting his arms on the shoulders of a woman, who is knelt behind the legs of a woman lying on the floor.

Rural Touring Dance Initiative

In March 2015, Arts Council England’s ‘Rural evidence and data review’ found that only 2% of National Portfolio funded dance companies toured to rural areas in 2012/13.

In 2015 we joined forces, with the National Rural Touring Forum, The Place and Take Art to launch an innovative initiative for making and touring dance performances to rural areas.

Originally a 3 year project, the Rural Touring Dance Initiative has been extended for a further 3 years making the project live until Summer 2021. The aims of the project are to seek out great dance companies that are excited to tour rurally, and to support rural promoters and schemes to build audiences for dance in rural spaces.

Menu 5 was launched in January 2020 – click here to view the programme.

Featuring work by Altered Skin, Joan Cleville and Scottish Dance Theatre, Edifice Dance Theatre, Jo Fong & George Orange, Lila Dance, Lost Dog, Keira Martin, Mr & Mrs Clark, Joshua ‘Vendetta’ Nash, New Art Cub, Lanre Malaolu, Patfield & Trigero, Slanjayva Danza, Sonia Sabri and Spilt Milk.

Previous artists have included:

Alleyne Dance, bgroup, Corali, Curious Seed, The Hiccup Project, Panta Rei, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Protein, James Wilton Dance, Just Us Dance Theatre, Lila Dance, Nikki and JD, Uchenna Dance, Corali, Sadhana, Shane Shambhu, Tom Dale Dance, Uchenna Dance and Dan Watson.

Filmmaker – Rachel Bunce

Same Same.. But Different by Sonia Sabri Company
Photo © Simon Richardson

Booking Information

Touring Events

Message from the Rural Touring Dance Initiative:

Dear RTDI partners, artists, promoters and audience members,

By now you will all be aware that across the country rural touring events have been cancelled and postponed, and this includes the remaining RTDI shows for the Spring.

We have been working closely with everyone involved in the RTDI to decide on the next steps. We are hoping where possible we can reschedule shows that were due to take place this Spring. Everyone at the Rural Touring Dance Initiative is doing everything it can to support our community of, promoters and schemes during this difficult time and look after the livelihoods of the artists we work alongside.

If you have purchased a ticket for a now-cancelled show please contact the venue or hosting scheme directly.

We hope to be back in the Autumn to continue bringing the best contemporary dance to rural areas, until then please look after yourselves.

For more information, please visit the Rural Touring Dance Initiative website.