Why tour the Highlands and Islands?

Bill Bailey toured to several PAN venues in May 2010, Tweeting enthusiastically about the experience (@RealBillBailey, Twitter):-

What fun in Ullapool last night, great fish and chips at The Chippy, thanks to crowd + nice people at Macphail Centre

Lovely crowd in Stornoway - thanks you loons - onward tae Drumnadrochit

On my way to Shetland - lovely crowd in Inverness, and no raffle, brilliant

NEW!! Theatre and dance companies wanting to tour the Highlands can apply to the Northern Scottish Touring Fund - more details here. The first call for submissions resulted in 11 applications, currently under consideration. The second call for submissions will go out on 1st December this year. 

What kinds of shows do we promote?

Here's a list of some of the shows PAN promoters put on during 2009/2010

How to market your show to Promoters

PAN has around 80 members, including voluntary-run promoting groups, village halls, independent, professional and Council-led arts venues, and festivals. PAN members promote a wide range of events across all art-forms throughout the year.

1. Read the General information below

2. Mail or email your information to the Administrator, who will include it in the two-monthly Touring List.

3. Members will get in touch with you if they are interested in booking your show.

What Promoters Need to Know

1. DESCRIBE your show in a few hundred words. Keep it short and simple.

2. SEND us a press release and some images. Include a link to your website/MySpace site/Facebook pages etc so we can pass this on to interested promoters who will have time to look at them.  

3. Give all the CONTACT details, including a phone number as well as an email address.

4. Give some idea of the COST and whether it includes travel and accommodation.

5. Be focused with DATES - let us know the time of year you are available or planning to tour and any Scottish bookings you already have.

Contacts and contracts
PAN:-

• will give information and advice about touring in the area.

• will send your information out to its members in its 2-monthly Touring List
  

• does not promote shows itself

• works closely with arts agencies and funders.

PAN Members:-

• work as professionally as they can within the limitations of their venues.

• deal direct  re contracts, tech. specs, accommodation and subsistence
  

• raise their own funding and undertake their own marketing.

Early in discussions with promoters, it's a good idea to:-

• Make sure you don't play in two venues which share an audience. In sparsely populated areas, audiences travel surprisingly long distances. Ask your promoter!

• Ask about PA and lights; some venues have them, some don't. Some are too far away to hire them.

• Talk about anything you need for your show but will not be bringing with you.

Venues

• Most venues are suitable for ‘small-scale’ performance, (up to 6 to 7 metres square performance areas) with from 30 to 100 seats.

• There is a growing number of venues suitable for mid-scale performances.
  

• Not all venues have dressing rooms. Be prepared!

• Don't assume you can buy supplies or fill up with petrol in the evening or on Sundays - rural shops and petrol stations rarely stay open 24 hours a day. Ask your promoters.

Funding

• PAN, like everyone else, is waiting to see what will happen with Creative Scotland.

• Local Councils and Enterprise boards have in the past funded promoters.

• HITN, with PAN and NEAT is running the Northern Scottish Theatre Fund for theatre and dance productions. More details of how to apply here.

• Promoters work to tight budgets, but usually aim to offer some sort of guarantee.

• Contractual arrangements may include full fees, guaranteed minimum fees, gate-splits.

Don't let the above put you off touring the Highlands and Islands, where you'll see some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and play to some of the most appreciative audiences you could wish for. 

If you have any questions just email the PAN office

Administrator: Lara McDonald

PAN, 4th Floor, Ballantyne House, 84 Academy Street, Inverness IV1 1LU

Tel 01463 720882