The NASC Theatre Network
NASC is an Irish word meaning link or relationship, and describes the linking of venues to develop touring programmes. The network was conceived in 2006 when a number of venue directors met to discuss joint programming and marketing opportunities. The NASC network includes the following venues: An Grianán (Donegal), Glór (Ennis), Siamsa Tíre (Tralee), The Pavilion (Dun Laoghaire), The Lime Tree (Limerick), Dunamaise (Port Laoise), Town Hall Theatre (Galway), Backstage (Longford)
In 2012 NASC identified the key future purpose and objectives of the network: To harness the buying power, high quality venue infrastructure, professional expertise, art form knowledge, contacts, loyalty and support of the eight members to present high quality work.
NASC – mission and objective
- To present high quality audience driven work (in particular theatre) that otherwise would not normally tour
- To maximise buying and negotiation power to tour Irish Theatre (among other art forms)
- To create opportunities for nasc and stakeholders (latter including: production companies, audiences, Arts Council, funding bodies)
- To impact positively on arts sector strategy and future development
- Undertake two nasc projects per year (funding permitting)
- Partner on other non nasc projects where appropriate
- To share marketing resources and increase national media profile
- NASC brand to be synonymous with high quality work
NASC – specifications
All venues have:
- High quality technical infrastructure and expertise
- Years of experience of handling complex productions
- Stages that can accommodate medium to large scale touring productions
- Computerised box office systems
- A well-established local audience for quality productions
- An effective relationship with local press
Contact: Hugh Murray, Chairman [email protected]
The Strollers Theatre Network
Supporting Artists – Developing Audiences
The Strollers Touring Network (STN) comprises nine Theatre/Arts Centre venues located across Ireland. It is currently the largest touring network in the country. The venues in the network are: The Source (Thurles), Solstice (Meath), Siamsa Tíre (Tralee), The Linenhall (Castlebar), The Watergate (Kilkenny), Visual (Carlow), The Hawkswell (Sligo), Draíocht (Blanchardstown), The Riverbank (Newbridge).
The network has four key functions:
- To establish a touring network of performance venues across Ireland
- To partner, commission and co-produce work for touring (across all artforms)
- To receive touring works from artists and production companies (across all artforms)
- To sustain, develop and nurture our audiences for arts practice
Strollers Touring Network operates in two distinct ways:
The first is a ‘Production Award’ (€10,000) to assist companies in making work for touring.
The second is a ‘Touring Platform’ providing touring opportunities for companies, producers and artists.
STROLLERS PRODUCTION AWARD
In order to support artists and our audiences STN has introduced a PRODUCTION AWARD which encourages companies, producers etc. to make work with the cooperation and collaboration of the nine venue partners. A total award of up to €10,000 is offered to assist with the financing of a piece of artwork along with a nine venue tour to each of the venue partners. The tour is further supported with a guarantee fee from each venue. The total value of each Production Award is approximately €20,000
NETWORK Collaboration
In the current economic climate the network has been able to pool resources in order to share touring work. The pooling of resources can often mean sharing travel expenses across the nine partners, using a collective pot of money to assist a company to make work that otherwise could not be funded by one venue alone, pooling finances to ensure that audience’s needs are met by commissioning work.
Contact: [email protected]
