TOURING IN THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) can offer financial support to Highlands and Islands’ based touring arts groups (and occasionally groups which are based outwith the area – see 2.7), to enable them to visit the remoter parts of the area, and to help build the audience for the arts in these areas. It can also assist these Highlands and Islands’ based groups to tour outwith the HIE area, thus acting in an ambassadorial role for the Highlands and Islands. The arrangements through which HIE delivers this assistance are set out below:


1.2 Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE)

A Network comprising a central co-ordinating office and 9 Local Enterprise Companies (see map). HIE has a responsibility for economic development which includes a specific social remit enabling support to be given to cultural activities. HIE has contracted to HI-Arts responsibility for co-ordinating and processing applications for arts touring in its area.


1.3 Highlands and Islands Arts Limited (HI-Arts)

HI-Arts is an independent arts development company with charitable status, working with Highlands and Islands Enterprise to assist the co-ordination and development of the arts in the Highlands and Islands.

1.4 Touring

In this context includes all aspects of the performing arts, and also of the visual arts, whether in the form of exhibitions, workshops or visiting artists.


1.5 Criteria and Guidelines

We receive more requests for assistance than we can fund, and these criteria and guidelines help to decide which tours will be supported. Criteria must be met to ensure that an application will be eligible. Guidelines help in developing a viable tour schedule, and in ensuring a speedy handling of any applications.


2 CRITERIA FOR FUNDING TOURS

2.1 ‘Development’ Funding

Unlike the Scottish Arts Council or Local Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise does not have statutory responsibilities for the arts and therefore cannot offer funding on a revenue, or automatically recurrent basis. HIE funding should assist a touring company to develop a relationship with audiences and with other funding bodies. Therefore there is no guarantee that, if a touring company is funded in one year, it will be funded in subsequent years.


2.2 Local Enterprise Companies (LECs)

We do not expect a Highland and Islands-wide tour to seek funding from each of the 9 Local Enterprise Companies in which its venues are located. Instead HIE undertakes this central task on behalf of the whole Network, via HI-Arts. To be eligible, a tour must cover at least three LEC areas. However, if a company is touring in an area covered by only one or two LECs, applications should be made not to HI-Arts but to the relevant LECs. HI-Arts staff can however advise on making such applications.


2.3 Deficit Funding

Funding from HIE will be offered to help meet any deficit likely to be incurred once all other potential sources of income and grant aid have been set against the total costs actually incurred. Payments will therefore be made retrospectively.


2.4 Touring Arts Programme Grants

This is the HIE scheme under which tours are funded. These grants are bound by certain key restrictions: -

The funding allocated by HIE can not exceed 40% of the total cost of the tour. In reality, the HIE funding will usually be rather less than 40%.

The total level of public funding allocated to the tour (or its Highlands and Islands leg, as above) must not exceed 60%. Public funding includes Local Authority grants; Scottish Arts Council grants and HIE itself. Therefore, a minimum 40% of the cost must be met from earned income, sponsorship, private trust funds (e.g. Lottery, Carnegie Trust, Foundation for Sport and the Arts), and/or support in kind (such as free transport or accommodation).

If the tour is in receipt of a grant from another public body (e.g. the Scottish Arts Council), then this amount should be deducted from the total income of the tour, before the maximum 40% can be requested from HIE.


2.5 What’s not eligible

• Solo performers touring without backing groups or stage crew
• educational projects directly linked to or supportive of the formal school curriculum
• performances which take place outwith the HIE area by companies who are based outwith the HIE area

2.6 Remote Areas

Venues in these areas (see map) are a priority for touring support. Applicants to HI-Arts should aim to include at least five venues in these areas. Exceptions will be made where a tour is, in HIE’s view, of strategic importance. No assistance, however, will be given to companies visiting only Inverness.

2.7 Companies Which Are Based Outwith the Area

Occasionally, HIE will consider funding a tour from a company based outwith the Highlands and Islands: either because the tour is considered to be strategically important, or because there is a very strong demand from local promoters. A small proportion of the budget is normally ring fenced for this purpose, but it should be noted that this could be withdrawn dependent on available budgets.


3. BEFORE THE TOUR

3.1 Planning Ahead

The full itinerary, including all arrangements with local promoters,
must be provisionally organised by the company itself. HI-Arts staff can help companies to identify and contact local promoters and venues. First contact with HI-Arts should be made as early as possible in the process of planning a tour, i.e. submitting budgets, itineraries and tour information (three to six months in advance is an appropriate period of time). Formal applications must then be received at least one working month before the date of the tour.

3.2 Tour Itineraries

To avoid unnecessary transport costs, tours should, whenever possible, be set up to run consecutively. HI-Arts accepts, however, that in some cases a break in the itinerary will be unavoidable (e.g. to fulfil a prior engagement elsewhere).

3.3 Knowing Your Audience

It is essential that applicants should be able to demonstrate an appreciation of, and established links with, the areas or communities to which they aim to tour. HI-Arts staff can advise on developing such links.

3.4 First Contact with HI-Arts

Include:
• a clear description of the company undertaking the tour
• an indication of the areas to be toured
• the reasons for selecting these areas
• the content of the production or other event being toured
• a budget for the tour (showing income and expenditure)

3.5 Drawing up a Budget

For Highlands & Islands – Based Companies
The budget should show estimated income and expenditure for the whole tour, including costs which relate to outwith the area. (Rehearsal costs cannot be included.) It is also permissible to allocate production costs (set, costumes, etc) and related income on a proportional basis.

For Companies Based Outwith the Area
The budget should show estimated income and expenditure for the Highlands and Islands part of the tour. (Rehearsal costs cannot be included.) It is also permissible to allocate production costs (set, costumes, etc) and related income on a proportional basis. For example, if the HIE area is two weeks out of a five-week tour, then allocate two-fifths of production costs and of any grants or sponsorship for the tour as a whole.

All Companies
Indicate clearly the estimated deficit to be met by HIE funding. Such funding is usually restricted to between £1,000 and £4,000 per tour. The upper figure is rarely exceeded.

3.6 Keeping in Touch

Keep HI-Arts informed, and seek their advice when required, as the plans for the tour develop. There is no application form, as HI-Arts will investigate each case and present a formal recommendation to HIE for an approval for a grant.

3.7 Getting a Decision

HI-Arts will only submit a recommended case to HIE if the tour involved meets all criteria, and is believed by HI-Arts to meet the priority criteria for HIE’s support. It is important to point out that HI- Arts cannot guarantee a positive decision from HIE, once the case has been submitted, but it is unusual for an application to be rejected outright at this stage, although the actual amount to be offered may be open to negotiation. HI-Arts will inform the applicant as soon as HIE’s decision is known.

4 AFTER THE TOUR

4.1 Making Your Claim

The claim for financial assistance is made after the tour has taken place.

To request payment, the applicant must submit a full statement of income and expenditure, taking into account all other sources of incomes and grant aid plus the relevant HIE Claim Forms (which will be sent to each applicant on receipt of the grant offer). Please note that if you are VAT registered, you are obliged to deduct the VAT from the claim.

4.2 Submitting a Report

A brief tour report should also be submitted, including:

• attendance at each venue (with capacity, where known), and an estimate (from the local promoter, if necessary) of the attendance by tourists
• press coverage of tour performances
• any relevant comments on specific venues or on the tour, in general

These reports will be treated by HI-Arts as confidential.

5 CONCLUSION

Highlands and Islands Enterprise is only one of a number of agencies which offers information and funding to companies wishing to tour in the Highlands and Islands. Contact should also be made, as appropriate, with the Scottish Arts Council, Highland Council’s Education, Cultural and Leisure Services, Argyll and Bute Council, Orkney Islands Council, Shetland Islands Council, Western Isles Council and Moray Council. HIE can support only a proportion of the companies which tour the Highlands and Islands of Scotland in any one year. HI-Arts cannot, therefore, enter into discussions as to the reasons for HIE not supporting a particular application. HIE and HI-Arts very much hope that touring be an enjoyable, fulfilling and learning experience for both audiences and companies. Good luck!

For more information contact:

Robert Livingston
Director
HI~Arts
Suites 4 & 5
Ballantyne House
84 Academy Street
INVERNESS
IV1 1LU

Tel: 01463 717091
Fax: 01463 720895
Email: robert@hi-arts.co.uk
http://www.hi-arts.co.uk

Back to main theatre and dance page