The Touring Network

What The Touring Network does

The Touring Network is a registered Scottish charity (SC030983, company SC214546), headquartered in Inverness, that supports the staging of live music, dance, theatre, and children's performances across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland—a coverage area of approximately 39,050 square miles spanning Highland, Argyll and Bute, Moray, Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles, Clyde Isles, and Perthshire. Founded in 1998 as PAN (Promoters Arts Network) and rebranded to The Touring Network in 2012, the organisation runs a membership-based community network of more than 170 promoter and performer members. Its two membership tiers—Corrie (£20/year) for performers and out-of-region members, and Cairn (£120/year) for in-region promoters, venues, and hosts—feed into a wider set of services: rolling grants via the £44,500 Programming Pot (April 2025–April 2028), the Go See Fund, the Access Fund, an annual flagship event called The Gathering, workshops and meet-ups, an online resources library, and What's On event listings. Members collectively programme around 900 performances and sell over 39,000 tickets each year.

The platform is built on a WordPress foundation hosted on Clook.net (100% green energy), with operational tooling layered around it: MemberPress for membership management and application forms, Podio as CRM and project management, Typeform for forms, Mailchimp for the monthly Noticeboard newsletter, WooCommerce for event sales, Xero for finance, GoCardless and Stripe for direct-debit and card payments, Cloudflare for security and performance, Box for file storage, and Tourbook alongside Data Thistle for promotional distribution. Data Thistle integration pushes event listings to VisitScotland, Scotrail, The List, enjoy.ly and inyourarea.co.uk, reaching more than 5 million people per month.

The revenue model combines modest recurring membership fees with predominantly grant-based funding from Creative Scotland (core operations), Highland Council, Argyll and Bute Council, and trusts including WM Mann Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and Heritage Lottery Fund. The go-to-market is community-led: members are recruited through the website, word-of-mouth within the arts community, and participation in industry events such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A four-to-five-person staff team (Director, Network Development Manager, Membership Officer, Communications Manager) delivers one-to-one advice, while development programmes such as the Micro-Networks initiative (launched 2023, now in its third cohort) and the upcoming Go See Fund (April 2026) are designed to make rural touring more sustainable and economically viable. The network model—where individual promoters retain autonomy while The Touring Network acts as central point of contact and routing coordinator—is described as remaining unique across Scotland, England and Wales.

Name

The Touring Network

Legal name

The Touring Network (Highlands & Islands)

Website

https://thetouringnetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Touring Network is a registered Inverness-based Scottish charity that runs a 170+ member network supporting promoters, performers and venues to stage live music, dance, theatre and children's events across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural arts touring and live performance support services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts, Music & Theatre Group Tours (THAKAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tours, Activities & Experiences Booking Platforms (BPAMAIAJ), Travel & Services Membership Clubs (Ancillary Services-Led) (CRAEADAK), Partner, Channel & Alliance Summits (THAHAMAC)

Keywords

• Rural touring network
• Live performance funding
• Arts membership charity
• Community event programming
• Highland touring support

Headquarters

HQ city

Inverness

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from two tiers: Corrie membership at £20 per year for performers and individuals outside the region, and Cairn membership at £120 per year for promoters, venues, and hosts within the region. Fees are non-refundable except in exceptional circumstances.
2. Government and Trust Funding: Core operational funding from Creative Scotland, with additional support from Highland Council, Argyll and Bute Council, WM Mann Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Heritage Lottery Fund, and other trusts. Funding supports development programmes and operational costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Touring Network is a Scottish charitable membership organisation that supports promoters, performers and venues in staging live music, dance, theatre and children's events across the Highlands and Islands. It sells two annual membership tiers (Corrie at £20/year and Cairn at £120/year) and bundles them with grant funding programmes, an annual Gathering event, professional development workshops, an online resources library, one-to-one advice and a distributed What's On event-listing service.

Product overview

The Touring Network is a membership-based charitable organization offering a platform of interconnected services to support live performances in rural Highlands and Islands communities. The core offering centers on three tiers: a Corrie membership (£20/year) for performers and those outside the region, and a Cairn membership (£120/year) for promoters and venues with full funding access. Key services include the Programming Pot (rolling fund £300-1000), Go See Fund, Access Fund, and Seed Fund (up to £500, currently paused). The organization delivers the annual Gathering flagship event, workshops and meet-ups, an online Resources Library covering best practice, one-to-one support, and What's On event listings via Data Thistle. Development programmes include the active Micro-Networks Programme (established 2023), alongside past initiatives like the Supported Programme, Highland Screen Network, Get In youth programme, BRAW community project, and Epic Stage Story heritage work. Members gain access to a network spanning 39,050 square miles across Highland, Argyll & Bute, Moray, Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles, Clyde Isles, and Perthshire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cairn Membership Annual membership at £120/year for promoters, venues and hosts of live performances in the Highlands and Islands region. Includes eligibility for Programming Pot and Access Fund funding, What's On listings, Development Programmes including the Micro-Networks Programme, one-to-one advice from staff, voting rights at AGM and inclusion in the Members' Directory.
• Corrie Membership Annual membership at £20/year for performers, touring companies, sector bodies and individuals outside the region. Includes the monthly Noticeboard email, invites to Meetups and Workshops including The Gathering, voting rights at AGM, access to online resources, eligibility for the Access Fund only, and Members' Directory and Tourbook inclusion.
• Programming Pot Rolling grant fund providing £300–£1,000 to support the touring of high-quality live performance in the Highlands and Islands. Helps promoter members book shows that have not previously performed in their communities, with £44,500 available over the April 2025–April 2028 funding window. Available to Cairn members.
• Go See Fund Variable grant funding that enables promoter members to travel and see new work from all genres across Scotland at key festivals and events, bringing fresh ideas and programming inspiration back to their communities.
• Access Fund Small grants to help members with travel costs, caring responsibilities, loss of income or disability requirements when accessing Touring Network events or industry events in Scotland. 81 awards have been made since 2019. Available to members of the network.
• Seed Fund Grants of up to £500 to help members develop practice, ideas or organisation and benefit the wider network. Currently on pause with funds diverted to the Go See Fund in 2026/27.
• The Gathering Annual flagship event bringing promoters, performers, funders and sector professionals together to celebrate and showcase excellence in small-scale rural touring. Held in different locations across the region.
• Workshops and Meet-ups Regular online and in-person events throughout the year including the Summer Social, Promoters' Programme Pitch-ins and AGM, helping members learn, share information, discover and collaborate.
• Resources Library Online library containing best-practice advice and guidance for rural promoters and programmers, covering audiences, funding, marketing, programming, ticketing, venues and EDI.
• One-to-One Support Personalised advice and support offered by The Touring Network's staff team to promoter members, covering funding applications, programming and tour routing.
• What's On Listings Event listings service powered by the partnership with Data Thistle, automatically distributing member events to tourism agencies, national newspapers, local councils and accommodation providers including VisitScotland, Scotrail, The List, enjoy.ly and inyourarea.co.uk.
• Noticeboard Newsletter Monthly e-newsletter keeping members up to date on Network news, events, best practice and industry information. Primary communication channel for member engagement.
• Micro-Networks Programme Development programme where groups of rural promoters are selected to form micro-networks, supported by financial assistance and personalised staff support to programme more sustainable, better-routed tours. The Highland Micro-Network launched in March 2023 with subsequent cohorts covering additional regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ members delivering 900 performances and selling 39,000+ tickets annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Data ThistlecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2023Partnership to manage and distribute event listings. Data Thistle aggregates listings and distributes to VisitScotland, Scotrail, The List, enjoy.ly, and inyourarea.co.uk, reaching over 5 million people monthly. This service replaced manual listings management and provides significantly wider reach for member events.
• Eden Court TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor venue member and partner in network activities. Hosts The Gathering events and Under Canvas festival. Provides venue space for network events and workshops in Inverness.
• Regional Screen ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on the Highland Screen Network (2022-2023) to map cinema clubs across the Highlands and support community screenings, providing technical and funding assistance.
• TourbookcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline platform where Touring Network performers and promoters are listed. Used for promotional purposes to showcase performers and connect them with promoters. Member events and performances are included in the network directory.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Viator: Global tours, activities, and experiences booking platform; a broad incumbent whose distribution model mirrors the role of The Touring Network's Data Thistle-powered What's On listings for live performances and events.
• Creative Scotland: Scotland's public body for arts funding and development, which both funds and sets policy for The Touring Network; comparable as a sector enabler at a much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Eden Court Theatre: Major Highland theatre and member of The Touring Network that hosts performances and provides a regional venue hub; comparable as a flagship rural venue playing a complementary role in the touring ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Rural Arts (North Yorkshire): UK charity supporting rural venues to programme professional live performances across North Yorkshire, with a similar promoter-support, venue-network model to The Touring Network's Highlands and Islands focus.
• Take Art: Rural touring organization working with promoters, performers, and venues across Somerset and the South West, providing funding, professional development, and tour routing support comparable to The Touring Network.
• Applause Rural Touring: Membership-based rural touring scheme supporting promoters and venues in the West Midlands, with annual showcase events and funding pools closely paralleling The Touring Network's Cairn/Corrie structure.
• Creative Arts East: Rural touring scheme supporting promoters and venues across the East of England with funding, training, and programming support — a strong functional peer for The Touring Network's membership-led rural touring model.
• National Rural Touring Forum: UK-wide umbrella body for rural touring schemes, working with member networks including promoter organisations; comparable in mission to support rural promoters and touring artists across underserved areas.

Regional players

• VisitScotland: Scotland's national tourism agency, which both distributes The Touring Network's event listings via Data Thistle and promotes regional cultural tourism; adjacent rather than directly competing.

Others

• Data Thistle: Technology partner that aggregates and distributes event listings; an enabling infrastructure provider comparable to The Touring Network's listing distribution layer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thetouringnetwork
• Instagraminstagram.com/thetouringnetwork/?hl=en
• Xx.com/touringnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thetouringnetwork

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Touring Network