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Touring to Europe has become more complicated because each country has its own independent rules and regulations for non-European visiting artists BUT do not fear, this document and the Country Focus Guides are here to help demystify the process.

The aim of these documents is to support independent theatre, dance and live art makers as they tour in Europe post-Brexit. In general, we’ve focused on post-Brexit rules, not the shifting rules around travel permissions as they relate to the Coronavirus pandemic. The guidance will focus primarily on short-term engagements (under three months), as legislation differs extensively for longer term engagements and the majority of performing arts touring does not extend beyond three months.

It will also focus primarily on paid performance engagements – other jobs such as teaching, running workshops or residencies might have slightly different rules depending on the country but also on the nature and the financial conditions of engagement. Similarly, different legislation applies for Musicians touring and Visual Artists (a guide is due to be published soon). There is also currently a campaign, #carryontouring, which is backed by some MPs and looks to apply pressure on Government and the EU commission to resolve some of the issues which have arisen from the Brexit deal.

Commissioned by Arts Council England through Artsadmin, LIFT and 1927, this guide was written by independent producers and consultants Nadine Patel and Ania Obolewicz. It is available to read and download in text, audio and Easy Read formats here

Read an overview

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