You have a show. It’s had local success. Now it’s time to take it on the road! Find a list of steps and considerations here for packing up your show and moving it to a new location.
Touring
You’ve just produced a great show and would love more audiences to see it. Touring can be a great way to do that. It can also continue the life of the work, and sustain the livelihood of everyone on your team for longer than one run.
Funding for tours can come from various sources. The main ones are federal (the Canada Council for the Arts) and provincial (example: the Ontario Arts Council and Ontario Foundations).
Having a presenter usually means that a company and/or venue has booked you to perform your show in their space (or in a space they provide), and they are paying you a guaranteed fee and/or a split of the box office for that performance. You and your presenter will negotiate the necessary terms to execute the performance successfully. This will include but is not limited to: required production elements, technical considerations, travel requirements, sleeping accommodations, hospitality, marketing, and so forth (more on that below).
Your tech (technical) rider is a very important document that should be generated at the end of the tech period, and it should reflect the technical requirements of your show. This is not only an important archival document, but you can also use it to introduce potential presenters to the technical requirements of your show when you’re considering a remount or a tour. Your rider will help them understand if they have the right resources to present your show in the most successful way possible.
There are specific considerations to take into account when touring across borders, whether you are presenting in a festival, or planning a multi-stop tour.
There are many opportunities for Canadian artists to present their work abroad.