Blackpool Grand Theatre secures £60k Arts Council funding to support new UK touring alliance
A £60,000 Arts Council England grant will support a new national theatre touring initiative, with Blackpool Grand Theatre playing a key role.
Blackpool Grand Theatre has welcomed a £60,000 funding boost from Arts Council England to support a major new national initiative aimed at strengthening theatre touring across the UK.
The funding will support the Local Theatre Touring Alliance (LTTA), a new collaboration bringing together venues, producers and partners to tackle growing challenges facing mid-scale touring.
These include rising costs, ageing infrastructure and reduced access to high-quality productions, particularly in towns and smaller cities.
Blackpool Grand Theatre, one of the UK’s presenting theatres, is a founding member of the alliance and is helping to shape its strategic direction.
The LTTA was formally established as a not-for-profit organisation in December 2025 following sector-wide discussions about the pressures facing touring theatre.
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It will focus on collaboration and knowledge-sharing, testing new touring models, and raising awareness of the importance of sustainable touring.
Adam Knight, Chief Executive of Blackpool Grand Theatre, Board Member and co-founder of LTTA, said: “Blackpool Grand Theatre is proud to be part of a national movement that puts touring back at the centre of the UK’s cultural landscape. We’re delighted to see this investment from Arts Council England, which recognises both the scale of the challenge and the opportunity ahead.
“Touring is essential to theatres like ours – it’s how we bring world-class work to our audiences and ensure communities beyond major cities have access to high-quality live performance. The Grand fully supports LTTA’s work to strengthen collaboration, share risk and develop sustainable models that will secure the future of touring for audiences and venues alike.”
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Katie Town, Executive Director of Theatre Royal Wakefield and Board Member and co-founder of LTTA, said: “We know there is huge appetite across the sector to work more collaboratively. LTTA creates a space to do that in a structured and purposeful way, grounded in real data and shared experience. This support allows us to move from conversation to meaningful action.”
Carolyn ML Forsyth, Board Member of LTTA and Joint CEO of Talawa Theatre Company, said: “There is a real urgency to rethink how touring works so that it is more inclusive, equitable and representative of the communities it serves. LTTA creates a space to bring people together to share insight, test new ideas and challenge existing models, with the aim of building a touring landscape that works for a wider range of artists, audiences and places.”
The first phase of the project will include workshops, pilot schemes and a national event bringing together venues and producers to test new approaches to touring.
Venues and producers across the UK are now invited to take part in the alliance, with free access to support, shared insight and opportunities to help shape new touring models.