Theatre touring- or the distinct lack of- has become a real issue in the performance sector and is being treated as such. Mary Cloake articulates; ‘The concept of the regions is one which has assumed totemic importance in artistic and cultural policy in Ireland. Policies for the development of drama and policies for regional development have become inextricably entwined, particularly over the last twenty years’. The potential for theatre companies to tour is obviously fading as a result of economic crisis but, disregarding global financial anarchy, touring in Ireland has always been a problematic area for many reasons- the current economic downturn, and more specifically the recent Arts Council Funding Decision, have only intensified the already existing reality.
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