Rural Touring Dance Initiative

Making the best dance happen in small spaces

#ruraltouring

Run time: Varies

Age: Varies

Content warnings: See individual show guidances

Three men dancing with their arms stretched out and tilted to one side.
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 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 Mr & Mrs Clark, Sonia Sabri Company, Joshua ‘Vendetta’ Nash, Scottish Dance Theatre, Jo Fong and George Orange, Edifice and Chris Patfield & José Triguero.

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, Dan Watson, Joan Cleville, Lost Dog, Keira Martin, New Art Cub, Lanre Malaolu, Slanjayva Danza and Spilt Milk.

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

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

Trailer by filmmaker Rachel Bunce

Latest Menu

Rural Touring Dance Initiative brings dance back to rural venues with a programme of works from leading dance companies comprising new shows and returning favourites. To find out what shows are coming up next, please visit the Rural Touring Dance Initiative website.

Please note dates may be subject to change, therefore please contact local schemes for confirmed details.

Gallery

A woman holding her hands above her head, standing in a red light.

Scottish Dance Theatre © Maria Falconer

Two people lying across each other necks on the floor

Edifice © Alfred George Bailey

A man sitting on a chair covered in wires and tape, wearing a pair of headphones.

Mr & Mrs Clark © Kirsten McTernan

Three men standing back to back, slightly hunched, wearing no top.

Joshua ‘Vendetta’ Nash © Dave Barros

Two people riding a fair ground ride.

Jo Fong and George Orange

A man balancing his body in the air on his one arm.

Sonia Sabri Company © Simon Richardson

A man sitting on the ground with an arrow in his hand, leaning against a heart shape on its side, another man leans on a window as part of the heart.

New Art Club © Zoe Manders

A woman dressed in white, dancing in front of a projected square grid.

Tom Dale © Rachel Bunce

Three women jumping in the air and holding dance poses.

Slanjayvah Danza © Boneshaker Photography

A man holding a woman, whose appears to be a dead weight, with her head tilted back and arms by her side.

Lost Dog © Rachel Bunce

Programmes

For more information, please contact the RTDI team

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Partnerships

China Plate work with a network of 65+ venues to tour, commission and co-produce work. We are also resident Associate Producers at Warwick Arts Centre - find out more.

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