Granny's Big Top Tale

Northants Touring Arts carried out a survey in 2010 and it became apparent that promoters were keen to promote more work from a wider range of art forms if the upfront financial risk could be underwritten. We have developed a new method of supporting events that we believe can achieve this whilst retaining our core value that NTA's core aim is to support professional arts events in rural areas rather than subsidise fundraising events.

NTA will ensure that we source and offer work with a wide price range to ensure that promoters with small halls and in areas not funded by their district councils are still able to book work. The advertised cost of each show is the full fee that Northants Touring Arts will have to pay the performer. This is before we underwrite or financially support any event.

NTA will underwrite events in the following steps:

1. 1. We’ll advertise the full cost of each show that we’ll have to pay to the performer.
2. 2. Each show will receive support of £150 from our County Council funding.
3. 3. If your district council funds the scheme then the event will be supported
   by a further £250.
4. 4. We’ll then have a chat with you to agree what the capacity and ticket price for your show will be. Once we’ve agreed this we’ll work out what you could make on your ticket sales and agree to underwrite your event with 60% of this amount.
5. 5. If the combination of Council and our support means the whole cost of the show is covered then you’ll be able to put the event on safe in the knowledge that in the unlikely event that you don’t sell many tickets you won’t lose a lot of money.
6. 6. However if the combination of Council and our support means that the full cost of the event isn’t covered then you’ll have to pay the difference regardless of ticket sales and in addition to the box office income to put the event on.

Once the event has taken place you'll be asked to complete a box office return form. You'll then pay us for the show in the following way:

1. 1. The fee on booking (if any) will be added to your invoice.
2. 2. You’ll pay NTA up to the first £300 of box office income.
3. 3. You’ll retain up to the next £100 of box office income.
4. 4. If there is still box office income remaining you'll pay this to NTA until the full cost of the performance is paid for.
5. 5. If there is still any box office income remaining then you keep all of this.

If you have any queries about how Northants Touring Arts financially support events then please contact us on 0115 927 2334 or at info@northantstouringarts.co.uk