Arts Council England are partnering with the Danish Arts Foundation and Arts Council Norway to support a third year of the International Touring and Environmental Responsibility Fund, with the aim of fostering relationships between artists and companies based in Denmark, Norway, and England, supporting them to develop new, environmentally responsible approaches to international touring and collaboration.
Travel and touring are essential to creativity and culture, but they come at a cost. As the urgency of the climate crisis increases, so does the need for our sector to fully understand its touring footprint, and to sustain a means of sharing art which supports our transition to a global low carbon future.
Working with Julie’s Bicycle, this unique programme aims to support performing arts professionals in England, Norway, and Denmark to tackle these challenges head on.
Applications are welcome from venues, touring companies and individuals across a wide range of art forms. You may, for example, be a music or theatre venue that receives touring organisations, a festival, an orchestra, a theatre company, a solo musician, a performing arts producer, or a multidisciplinary arts organisation.
Beginning in February 2024, selected artists and companies (eight based in England, eight based in Denmark, eight based in Norway) will benefit from a three-month interactive online programme exploring key touring challenges, with provocations, frameworks, and practical approaches to reducing their carbon and environmental impacts. Led by Julie’s Bicycle, with input from guest speakers, this online climate leadership course will inspire participants to collaborate with one another to shape concepts that explore new approaches to international touring and collaboration.
Following the online programme, participants will be invited to apply for project funding in partnership with one another to seed fund concepts originating from the programme. Concepts could include, for example, creating artistic content, exploring new models of presentation or distribution, or research and development.
The successful partnerships will be awarded up to £30,000 (for trilateral partnerships representing all three countries) or up to £20,000 (for bilateral partnerships representing only two of the countries) and announced in May 2024 with projects commenced in September 2024.
