“The touring ecosystem is fragile. This is a timely refresh of an important national resource”

Natalie Jode is Executive Director at Creative Arts East. The Norfolk-based rural arts scheme has revamped, refreshed and re-energised The Rural Touring Guide. 

This digital handbook details how to bring culture to the countryside. We sat down with Natalie to discuss the guide and its relevance in a challenging funding climate in 2025. 

Why were Creative Arts East keen to help create the new Rural Touring Guide?

Natalie: Rural touring — and its principles of equitable access to culture and devolved community decision-making — sit at the very heart of Creative Arts East’s mission. We were a founding member of the National Rural Touring Forum, contributed to the first version of this guide in 2008, and have been at the forefront of rural touring development for more than 30 years. It felt only natural to support the review and redesign of such a vital resource, ensuring it remains relevant for artists and communities today.

How did you approach it?

Natalie: The project was led by our Communications and Marketing Manager, Sophie Clouston, who prioritised accessibility and visual appeal. She worked closely with colleagues at Creative Arts East and consulted widely across the rural touring sector—gathering insights from artists, promoters, and scheme managers. This collaborative approach ensured the guide is both accurate and comprehensive, reflecting the realities of contemporary rural touring practice.

This is the first total revamp of this guide in two decades — it’s quite a significant piece of work…

Natalie: Absolutely. Rural touring has evolved enormously over the last 20 years, with everything from hyper-local initiatives to larger-scale models emerging. An updated guide is essential to give artists and stakeholders clarity on how to get involved today. It’s also an important opportunity to highlight how rural touring continues to shape cultural distribution—by putting decision-making in the hands of communities and by pioneering new, more sustainable touring models nationwide.

How do you hope schemes / promoters / artists use it?

Natalie: We hope the guide acts as both a reminder and an invitation: a reminder for experienced artists—who may only have toured in one region—that opportunities exist across the UK, and an invitation to new performers to discover the support available to tour beyond traditional venues. Ultimately, it’s a practical tool to open more doors, helping artists reach new audiences in unexpected places and creating memorable cultural encounters for communities.

Why do you think this guide is particularly relevant in 2025?

Natalie: In 2025, the touring ecosystem is fragile. Artists face major challenges that threaten their ability to sustain careers—including reduced funding levels, higher costs, and international touring complexities. At the same time, would-be audiences are contending with reduced levels of cultural education in schools, rising ticket prices at traditional venues, and limited public transport outside of urban areas.

This is a timely refresh of an important national resource that shares knowledge on possible employment pathways for artists and demonstrates a proven approach to widening access to culture for people who might otherwise be excluded. This guide supports the delivery of national priorities on access, health and education, including Arts Council England’s Let’s Create strategy, the NHS’s Fit for the Future plan, and the government’s Plan for Change and Industrial Strategy.

 

 

Download Rural Touring Guide (PDF) Download Rural Touring Guide - plain text (WORD)