About The Touring Network

The Touring Network exists to see rural touring be a central, celebrated and indispensable part of the cultural life of Scotland. We encourage live performances of the highest level, and support people as promoters, performers and audiences to create vibrant places to live, work and visit.

Our venues cover over half the area of Scotland. We have promoters working in communities across Highland, Argyll & Bute, Moray, Orkney, Shetland and Perthshire.

Venues

Promoters

Events each Year

Connect

We provide a forum for promoters across the Highlands & Islands to connect and network, sharing knowledge, skills and resources. We develop relationships between promoters, performers and communities, to make performances vibrant and fulfilling experiences for everyone.

Represent

We work on behalf of our members and alongside partner organisations to strengthen and support the rural touring ecology as a whole and and to ensure that touring and promoting remain accessible and relevant to all.

Support

We provide help, advice and training for those involved in putting on professional performing arts events in small-scale venues. Whether you are putting on your first ever show or have been running events for years, we are here to provide help and support.

Programme

We are committed to bringing live performances of the highest quality to all areas of the Highlands and Islands. Through our Supported Programme we are able to support performances in under-represented geographic areas and genres.

Who We Are

The Touring Network is managed by a strong core team made up of full-time Chief Executive Officer, part-time Operations Manager and part-time Marketing Manager. We’re also supported by a part-time Freelance Membership Administrator.

Jo McLean

Chief Executive Officer

Before joining the Touring Network team in August 2015 Jo (a former classical musician) worked as a consultant and producer across Scotland and internationally, commissioning small and large scale works across a wide range of art forms. As well as a passion for the performing arts, she brings strong leadership skills, and a solid grasp of organisational governance to the role. Jo is a Saltire Fellow having taken part in Entrepreneurial Scotland’s Saltire Fellowship during 2018/19, where the focus was on leadership with an entrepreneurial mindset.

Rhiannon McIntyre

Operations Manager

Rhiannon joined the team in 2013 as Membership Officer (Highlands), and since then has been involved in many of the Touring Network’s projects and services, including Supported Touring, Go See, Tourbook, Epic Stage, the Gathering, GET IN, and of course, membership support and development. As Operations Manager, she is responsible for the planning, direction and coordination of all projects and services, managing the team to deliver these effectively across the Network.

Claire Mackay

Marketing Manager

Before joining the team in August 2017, Claire was involved in the music industry – Artist development via management and running micro label Hits The Fan Records. She released Frightened Rabbit’s debut album in 2006, then had a 7 year hiatus project managing in the tourism sector, before returning to the music industry to release and develop now award-winning artist Kathryn Joseph (who toured with The Touring Network as a performer on the inaugural GET IN tour). Claire brings strong campaign management, experience of multi-channel communications and a passion for supporting others in their own marketing activities!