Letters – Touring debate

From Marcus Romer, Artistic Director, Pilot Theatre
I am writing in support of Jodi Myers article (AP issue 134, p9) and to voice my concern about the loss of a national overview of touring theatre provision. It is vitally important for the theatre ecology that companies and venues meet and discuss joint initiatives in order to help develop new work and nurture new initiatives for developing audiences in a strategic way. The dismantling of the touring department at Arts Council England has left a gap in the chain that links the organisations that are funded to produce and deliver work in a meaningful way for the benefit of our audiences. Presenting venues, producing venues and touring companies must now raise the debate about how we can continue to deliver new and risk-taking work to our audiences nationally. As a sector we need to address this collectively, and Pilot Theatre has set up a discussion forum on our website for comments and feedback (http://www.pilot-theatre.com).