Pitch Up (rural)
Monday 1st December 2025
Calling all theatre-makers: rural touring needs you!
PITCH UP (rural) offers an exclusive opportunity to pitch your show to touring schemes from across the UK.
• Never toured your show on the rural network before?
• Have toured but only with some of the network?
• Have toured but not for a while?
PITCH UP (rural) provides a welcoming space, where you can pitch your show to programmers from across the rural touring network via a digital showcase.
An experienced panel of rural touring professionals can learn more about your show and also help answer your questions, address concerns, and explore how rural touring could be a great opportunity for your production.
After the showcase programmers can contact companies they are interested in booking.
The Dates:
• Applications open Wednesday 1st October 2025
• Applications close Friday 7th November 2025
• Applicants selected for live pitching will be notified on Wednesday 19th November 2025
• Showcase for successful applicants (via Zoom) Monday 1st December 2025, 6.45pm-9pm
Successful applicants will be asked to ‘pitch’ their show for 10 minutes with a pre-recorded pitch and live Q &A. Support can be given for how to put your pitch together – including examples. If you are not successful in being selected to be part of the showcase your application will still be shared with Programmers from across the UK for their consideration.
Off Grid
The Courtyard Hereford and Arts Alive proudly present Off Grid – a ‘scratch night’ showcasing the brightest emerging and experienced talent across all art forms.
From raw scripts to avant-garde choreography, soul-stirring poetry to innovative short films, Off Grid offers a unique opportunity to experience art in its purest form – daring, unfiltered, and on the cutting edge of creativity.
Artists performing as part of Off Grid will need to apply to be part of the event and a selection panel of industry professionals will make a final selection of artists to allocate performance slots to.
Following the event, The Courtyard Hereford and Arts Alive will open a dialogue with the shortlisted artists to support them in securing a full performance of their work within a studio setting and / or on the rural touring network at a later date.
Check back on this page for details of the next Off Grid event, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or sign up to the newsletter below.
‘Arts Alive have offered us invaluable support at this stage in our career. They’ve not only given us a platform to test new writing, but have also shared their time, energy, and guidance to help us make our work the best it can be. They are actively working to break down barriers to access in the arts world, and their event felt like a truly warm and supportive community. This kind of support is vital to the landscape of new performance and has given us clear, concrete next steps.’
– Sally Horowitz and Benjamin Way, performers at Arts Alive Off Grid Showcase, October 2025
Professional Development Opportunities
Arts Alive regularly run and support development workshops and opportunities for artists, including workshops, Pitch Up, Off Grid and more.
Join our Artists’ Mailing List to be one of the first to hear about upcoming opportunities:
A previous workshop held in partnership with Pentabus and ThickSkin
Interested in touring the rural network?
We are always looking to support artists and companies who have not toured the network before or not toured for a long time. Find out more by clicking the button below…
Tour with us
