News

Argyll and Bute micro-network announce summer tours

A collective of Argyllshire venues have this week announced summer tours from two dynamic and diverse acts.

Vulva Voce, an all-female genre-defying string quartet, and The Zawose Queens, a female duo who showcase the singing of the Gogo people of Tanzania, will tour six rural venues in July and August.

The venues are all founder members of the Argyll and Bute micro-network, a group funded and supported by The Touring Network.

The micro-network model brings a localised cluster of promoters together to programme a series of tours, helping to ensure live performances are better routed and more sustainable.

Commenting on the impact of being a part of the group, Rachel Rogers, Arts Coordinator at Craignish Village Hall, said:

“For Craignish Village Hall, being part of The Touring Network’s micro-network has meant that we can programme two amazing acts that we would not have otherwise been able to. Being part of a network of venues means that we have been able to offer a mini tour to artists, making it more desirable and more financially viable, while having less environmental impact, reducing carbon emissions, cutting down on travel by promoting smart, sustainable travel options.

“We feel very fortunate as a venue to be able to offer such high quality, artistic performances to our community without the fear of making a loss for our community hall. It’s a win-win situation!”

The approach was trialled successfully by The Touring Network in 2023 in the Highlands, with the six founder members of the Highland micro-network continuing to operate together now that funding from The Touring Network has ended.