We need your voice to find solutions to the challenges currently faced in outdoor arts touring.

Thank you to those of you who already completed World Pencil’s Performing Arts Touring Research Survey (Arts Council England funded) which closed in April. The research has now moved to the next step of the process: a co-design process to create the solutions to the challenges so many face across the touring landscape, and identify needs to help put those solutions into action. This will build directly on what was identified in the initial survey.

How to Represent Outdoor Arts

There are three ways you can take part in the co-design process:

1. Outdoor Arts & Festivals Co-design Discussion Session

21 May 2026, 3.30pm – 5pm

Join a 90-minute discussion which will take the ideas from the research and and examine proposals in more detail: taking recommendations and exploring what would make them work in practice.

2. Online Co-Design Whiteboard

Deadline: 26 May 2026

Share your ideas for what would help touring on the online whiteboard. You can also see the summarised research findings so far, and other ideas that have been proposed. If you’ve not used an online whiteboard before, it’s the online equivalent of a putting sticky notes on a wall at a workshop.

3. Co-design Survey

Deadline: 26 May 2026

If you’d prefer a less visual interface, there is conventional survey version of the whiteboard. This shares the same information and questions as the whiteboard, although it won’t share what other people are saying. Information from the survey and whiteboard will be analysed in the same way.

Why take part?

We know there are a lot of consultations these days. Your input to the research will be used in many ways, such as:

  • improving how funding is distributed and managed
  • influencing local and national policy to remove barriers and increase support
  • sharing solutions and innovations where they can be useful
  • building supporting communities for touring challenges

Become A Member

Join OutdoorArtsUK to become part of the Outdoor Arts community – with discounts, regular news updates, access to friendly support and resources, opportunities to develop skills and invitations to contribute to sector advocacy.

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Image credits:

  • Wild by Motionhouse, photo: Dan Tucker
  • Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival
  • oll Up, Roll Up / Circus Around and About by Simple Cypher, photo: Crying Out Loud
  • Crying Out Loud
  • Down to Earth
  • Les Girafes by Compagnie Off at Bradford 2025, photo: Sherman Rabbit
  • Winter Droving Penrith