‘Hey, don’t forget us!’: do regional tours need to prove their worth?

Touring exhibitions can be resource efficient for regional galleries, while others are championing for locally-produced shows to build regional networks.
'While the World Waits' an Arts Outwest curated exhibition recently opened at NSW Parliament House. A group of people standing in front of several artworks hung on a burgundy coloured wall. They are clapping and looking towards a middle-aged woman standing in the centre waving her hand at the camera.

Regional touring exhibitions are about access. They provide opportunities for local visitors and artists to see what would otherwise be only available in metropolitan cities, and also help build capacity for regional arts venues that are hosting the show.

But regional exhibitions and galleries have not always received the support and attention they deserve. Many are seeing the latest financial pressures adding to the pinch in both producing and hosting touring shows, despite a proven track record of quality and engagement.

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Celina Lei is the Diversity and Inclusion Editor at ArtsHub. She acquired her M.A in Art, Law and Business in New York with a B.A. in Art History and Philosophy from the University of Melbourne. She has previously worked across global art hubs in Beijing, Hong Kong and New York in both the commercial art sector and art criticism. She took part in drafting NAVA’s revised Code of Practice - Art Fairs and was the project manager of ArtsHub’s diverse writers initiative, Amplify Collective. Most recently, Celina was one of three Australian participants in DFAT’s the Future of Leadership program. Celina is based in Naarm/Melbourne. Instagram @lleizy_