wednesday 21 october 2026, 11am-6pm. the albany, deptford.

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Midscale touring needs more than good intentions. It needs people in the same room: venues, producers, artists, tour bookers and sector specialists who are ready to share what they know, test what might work, and build the relationships that get shows made and seen.

Midscale 2026 is a one-day working event for the people who make touring happen, and for those who want to be part of what comes next. This inaugural event will bring together productions that are touring, projects that are ready to tour, ideas looking for partners, and conversations that could lead to better ways of working.

This is not a conference to sit through. It is a day to take part in: to meet people, ask questions, offer insight, spot opportunities and help rebuild confidence, capacity and momentum in UK midscale touring.

The more you put in to this pilot event, the more you will get out.

Midscale is for organisations and individuals working, or actively seeking to work, in UK midscale touring (generally venues between 300 and 800 seats). We are particularly prioritising work in:

• Drama
• Music theatre
• Opera
• Dance

We want a strong balance of venues and producers, alongside others who have a practical role to play in making midscale touring more viable, ambitious and connected.

Places are limited to 250 people. We expect demand to exceed capacity, so attendance will be by application.

There will be a maximum of two people per organisation.

Please use one application form per organisation. You will be asked for the details of one or two named delegates. 

To apply, please read all the details below and then complete this form. Deadline for applications is Friday 31 July.

We will use the application process to help create the right balance of venues, producers, artforms, geography and experience. We also want to make sure that everyone attending is actively engaged in, or seriously committed to, midscale touring.

Please use one application form per organisation. You will be asked for the details of one or two named delegates.   

Applicants will be informed by Tuesday 11 August whether they have been allocated a place.

 
If a delegate can’t make it, the place can be transferred. New details must be supplied to the organisers by Friday 16 October. There are no further changes from his point and no refunds will be given. 

Tickets are just £50 for a single delegate or £150 for two delegates. That's not a typo. We're keen to be as accessible as possible to smaller companies, freelancers and independent producers.

Price includes lunch and a drinks voucher for the closing reception.

You will be invoiced in August. Payment must be made by 21 September 2026 or your place(s) will be withdrawn.

We are exploring funding opportunities for travel and accommodation bursaries for those travelling significant distances.

The Albany is fully physically accessible, with step-free access throughout the building.

Speech-to-text captioning will be available in the three principal event spaces, helping make presentations and discussions more accessible for delegates who are deaf, hard of hearing, or who otherwise benefit from live captioning.

We'll ask about access and dietary requirements during the application process and will do everything we reasonably can to ensure delegates can participate fully in the event.

The Albany is just a two-minute walk from Deptford station, with fast and frequent National Rail services from central London.

Typical journey times include:

• London Bridge: 5 minutes
• London St Pancras / King's Cross: around 23 minutes (direct Thameslink service)

The venue is also easily reached via the DLR, London Overground and local bus services, making it straightforward to travel to from across London and the rest of the UK.