The fourth and final artists’ callout has been announced for the national Create Tour Connect project, as the search is now on for a new piece of touring theatre from a South East based company or artist to tour in Spring 2027.
Create Tour Connect is led by Applause Rural Touring and supported by Arts Council England. It aims to address the growing lack of multi-hander touring drama and theatre, relevant to contemporary rural audiences, that has been seen over recent years.
The project involves 17 arts organisations from across the country, all working together to share local knowledge, resources and expertise on rural touring and developing new work. One new show will be selected from each of the North, Midlands, South West and South East regions and the chosen shows will then tour across the four areas over the next two years.
Create Tour Connect is expected to reach more than 12,000 people in rural communities by touring to community venues such as village halls, libraries and pubs. It will be the first time that four new theatre shows have been toured to rural areas on this scale nationwide with 140 touring dates over two years. Rural and underserved communities will have access to this high-quality professional theatre enabling them to experience cultural events they may otherwise have difficulty reaching due to social and economic barriers.
The ‘South East’ area is defined by Arts Council England as Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, East Sussex, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, and West Sussex.
Further information about the commission and how to apply is below.
Commission Details
- Proposal for a new piece of theatre relevant to contemporary rural adult audiences (3 hander + 1 tech).
- Fully funded 36 date minimum tour across the UK network (spring 2027)
- The company / artist must be based in the South East region of England as defined by Arts Council regions.
- The company or artist must demonstrate understanding of or experience in touring to community spaces
- Availability to develop a new show and tour across the network in spring 2027
Timeline
Application deadline: 27 October 12 noon
Shortlisted interviewees informed: w/c 10 November 2025
Interviews (online): w/c 17 November 2025
Decision: by end November 2025
Draft publicity assets for tour menus: March 2026
Development period (tbc during 2026/7)
How to apply
Applications will be via the Eventotron online platform.
If you are already registered with Eventotron you can apply to Create Tour Connect – South East by searching under Festivals & Seasons. Otherwise, you will need to register first.
We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals or companies, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, social background, religion and/or belief.
We want to hear about:
– you/your company and the work you do
– your proposal and your experience or understanding of rural and community touring
– your budget and touring fees (using the template in the downloads above)
– your approach to sustainability
If you feel more comfortable applying by video or voice recording, please contact Applause and if you have any questions about this commission and want to discuss your application before applying please contact: programming@applause.org.uk for further information.
Useful documents
Download the full details below, including information on development and touring fees available:
