A new project has launched, which is offering thousands of pounds in grants to improve dance touring in rural England, Wales and Scotland.

The National Rural Touring Forum (NFTF) have launched the three-year Rural Dance Initiative today, which will offer eight artists or companies the chance receive a grant of up to £45,000.

Ralph Lister, Development Director for NRTF, said: “What this project is trying to do is shake up thinking.

“There is also an issue with the amount of money asked for by touring. What I hope the project will do is give financial support, offer companies the chance to find out about rural touring, and some R&D work.

“I would imagine that dance is seen by many people as a novelty form that takes place in dark places and metropolitan venues. It is a potential new area of touring for dance companies.”

A full production grant of up to £45,000 is available, as well as two seed commissions of £3,600 to develop new dance work.

Four artists or companies will be picked to tour existing dance shows in 2016 and 2017, and four others will develop new tour shows in 2017 and 2018.

This investment comes after an Arts Council England study found that only 2% of National Portfolio Organisation-funded dance companies toured in rural areas.

Michelle Dickson, Director Touring and Director North, Arts Council England said: “I am delighted that we are supporting the Rural Touring Dance Initiative through our National Lottery funded Strategic touring programme.

“This project has been driven by the rural demand for exceptional performance.

“The partnership between Take Art, The Place and China Plate will not only create and tour high quality dance to audiences in village halls across the country, but it will also develop skills in rural touring in dance companies and local promoters which should help to ensure a long term legacy.”

The total budget for the project is £500,000, which will also go towards promoting 115 tours, a week-long “Darkroom” workshop to develop touring ideas, and many other projects.

Eddie Nixon, Director of Theatre and Artist Development, The Place, said: “We’re looking forward to introducing rural audiences around the country to the rich diversity of performance that dance artists are making at the moment, and to supporting those dance artists to embrace the huge opportunities that rural touring has to offer.”

Applications to join the Rural Dance Initiative are now open, until it closes on September 11 2015.

The NFTF have launched the Rural Dance Initiative to try and improve the state of rural dance tours. For more information, and to apply, click here.