The Circuit: UK Fringe & Small-Scale Touring Network
Connecting the UK’s Touring Sector to Strengthen Opportunities for Artists, Festivals & Communities
About The Circuit
The Circuit is a UK-wide network and collaboration space led by UK Fringe Festivals and World Fringe, designed to reconnect and strengthen the routes that make small-scale touring possible across the UK.
Theatres, festivals, rural schemes, community venues, and outdoor spaces are vital to the UK’s live performance ecosystem — but touring opportunities have become fragmented, and artists face increasing barriers. The Circuit exists to join the dots, making touring more viable, collaborative, and sustainable for everyone involved.
This is not about reinventing the wheel — the venues, festivals, and schemes already exist — it’s about creating better connections, shared resources, and collective action to support artists, presenters, festivals, and audiences.
Our Aims
Strengthen connections between fringe festivals, venues, rural schemes, and touring partners.
Explore regional and thematic touring routes to support longer, more efficient tours.
Share knowledge and practical solutions for small-scale touring — including contracts, marketing, artist support, and inclusivity.
Champion sustainable, accessible, and financially viable touring opportunities for all.
Promote equity, diversity, and inclusion within the touring sector.
Build a collective voice to influence funders, policymakers, and regional stakeholders.
Who Should Join The Circuit?
- Fringe Festival Organisers
- Venue Programmers
- Rural Touring Schemes
- Community Arts Organisations
- Outdoor & Site-Specific Touring Partners
- Artists & Producers interested in touring
- Anyone invested in building a more connected, resilient touring network
How to Join
Register for the next meeting and stay connected with The Circuit:
[Sign-Up Link]
Your Privacy Matters
The information you provide will be stored securely in a private Google Drive folder, accessible only to two World Fringe directors. We will never share, sell, or distribute your data to anyone outside the organisation. It will be used solely for this topic and future meeting communication, and to help shape the outcomes of this meeting in service of the sector.
If you have any questions or would like your data removed at any time, please contact us