The Gathering 2026

About The Gathering

The Gathering is The Touring Network’s annual event for everyone involved or interested in rural touring.

The Gathering 2026 will be held on Friday 20 – Saturday 21 March at The Birks Cinema and The Town Hall, Aberfeldy.

Why attend?

This two-day event connects promoters from across our region with performers, producers, funders and other creative professionals. It’s a welcoming space to network, build skills and see new work.

What you’ll get from The Gathering as a promoter or venue representative:

• See up to 10 acts showcase a 15-minute, low-tech excerpt/stripped back set of their tour-ready small-scale work. Theatre, music and dance genres will be represented.
• See up to 14 ‘wee turns’ – five-minute performances or presentations from a mix of performers and promoters.
• Meet and network with other promoters working in the region. Whether you’re full-time, part-time, a volunteer for your village hall committee, an experienced promoter or new to your role, all are welcome!
• Meet with performers who are interested in rural touring, as well as other creative professionals.
• Take part in led discussions on a range of topics.

What you’ll get from The Gathering as a performer:

• Make connections with promoters from across the region in a relaxed, friendly setting and get a feel for what they’re looking for in shows.
• Gain a deeper understanding of performing in rural settings.
• Meet and network with other performers who have experience of, or are interested in rural touring, as well as other creative professionals.
• Take part in led discussions on a range of topics.

About the Venues

The Gathering will be held across two venues in the heart of Aberfeldy: The Birks Cinema, and The Town Hall.

Support to attend The Gathering

We are committed to supporting members to attend The Gathering. Members are eligible to apply to our Access Fund to help with travel, accommodation, caring responsibilities or disability needs.

We welcome interest from all members when applying to the Access Fund for The Gathering, but please note that preference will be given to unfunded promoter members, and those living on islands.

Agenda

We will publish a detailed agenda for The Gathering over the coming weeks. We’ll keep members updated via our Noticeboard emails.

Day 1: Friday 20 March

• Lunch on arrival
• Afternoon: Delegate registrations, networking, discussions and showcases
• Evening: Informal networking time, dinner and entertainment

Day 2: Saturday 21 March

• Morning: Discussions, networking and showcases
• Lunch
• Afternoon: Discussions, networking and showcases
• Event closes at 6pm

Ticket Pricing

• Unemployed/Volunteer: £10
• Freelance/Self-employed: £25
• Full Price: £50
• Full Price + Pay it Forward: £75
• Full Price + Pay it Forward x 2: £100

What’s ‘Pay it Forward’?

If you can, please consider gifting entry to a member for whom cost is a barrier to attend by adding one or two ‘Pay it Forward’ tickets to your purchase. Thank you.

When booking tickets please remember: 

• You need to login to the member area to access ticket booking. If you haven’t logged in before, enter your email address as your username, click ‘Forgot password’ and follow the instructions.  

• Is more than one person from your organisation booking a ticket for The Gathering? In the member area, click ‘Subscriptions’ then ‘Sub Accounts’ to create a profile for each team member. This will allow team members to book tickets individually.  

Getting To Aberfeldy

Visit Traveline Scotland to help you plan your journey. The nearest train stations to Aberfeldy are Pitlochry, Dunkeld and Perth. You can then complete your journey by bus or taxi. If it’s required, and there is enough interest, we will offer a complimentary bus from Pitlochry. Car sharing is encouraged, and we’re noting interest for this via the registration form.

Accommodation

See the Visit Aberfeldy website for a range of hotel and other accommodation options.