For performers
Highlights is happy to receive information, but it will help you if you do some reseach first. Before contacting us, or sending information please read the National Rural Touring Forum’s (NRTF) publication Eyes Wide Open (especially if you have not been involved in community/ rural touring before). It is available to download from the NRTF website www.nrtf.org.uk.
How do Companies get bookings?
Highlights recommends companies and artists through a Menu published in Autumn and Spring each year. This contains performances of all shapes and sizes, art forms and for all types of audiences. Our local promoters choose up to three shows from this menu for the following season.
Email us at [email protected] with some initial information about your show. If we are interested we will ask you to complete our online company information sheet.
Please note: Because of the amount of unsolicited information we receive about shows, we cannot guarantee we will respond to every approach.
How do we select the performers for inclusion in the Highlights Menu?
Highlights selects performances through recommendation and research, using information gathered from other touring schemes, our promoters, mainstream venues, showcases, other companies and by investigating unsolicited information sent to us.
If you are touring in Cumbria, County Durham or Northumberland please let us know. Where possible, we or our promoters try to see shows we are considering for the Menu.
You should have the capacity to engage positively with Highlights Promoters and their target audiences, and be able to resolve the technical, marketing and administrative challenges inherent in non-mainstream venues and have high production values that are not compromised by performing in non-mainstream venues.
Highlights are also interested in workshops/education work you might be able to offer to our school/youth group networks, alongside your performances. For this work, we require performers/companies to provide a current Basic DBS Certificate, or an online link, ahead of any workshop engagements.
Not having done this type of work before does not rule you out. We want to hear from companies and artists new to rural touring, who are willing to embrace the challenges and rewards it offers, although it’s always best to talk to us early in the creative process.
The majority of our venues are voluntary-run organisations serving a distinct local and small rural or semi-urban catchment area. They organise a maximum of four Highlights events per year and have few resources apart from time, enthusiasm and an often un-equipped, non-theatre venue with 150 seats or less.