Nuts and Bolts Artist Network 2026
“All the boring stuff to get your work out there and booked!”
Nuts and Bolts Artist Network
“All the boring stuff to get your work out there and booked!”
Interested in making your own work? Have a great show but need support to get it on the road? Thinking about becoming a self-employed creative? Nuts and Bolts is a volunteer-led artist network offering guidance and support to freelance artists and small companies who are interested in producing their own work. This network is suitable for theatre and outdoor arts emerging creatives, producers and makers looking to broaden their work across wider sectors.
The Nuts and Bolts Lounge
Monthly, free, online informal open guidance sessions — giving you the opportunity to ask questions, pick up insider tips, expand your network and gain support. Hosted by volunteer producers and artists, the lounge is a regular meet-up covering the practical, non-artistic side of making your own work: from the glamour of a good spreadsheet to the realities of getting work programmed and being on the road.
The lounge is not focused on the artistic process — it’s about the nuts and bolts of running a creative practice. There are a few ground rules for joining:
This is not a space to advertise your work to others — please keep questions brief and to the point.
Share the network with other creatives, but keep invites relevant.
Be respectful and kind. That’s pretty much it!
Artists and producers supporting the network are giving their time freely. Please don’t expect anything outside of the lounge — though 1:1 conversations can be requested directly with artists at their discretion.
Upcoming Sessions — Save the Dates
Session 2
4 August 2026
7:00 – 8:00pm
Before you start…
What to think about before you make anything. Looking at viability and sustainability, and building good foundations for your work.
Session 2
1 September 2026
7:00 – 8:00pm
What is rural touring?
Making work for rural and community touring, getting to know audiences and potential opportunities. With guest speaker Sally Lampitt, Programme Lead and Deputy Director at Applause Rural Touring.
Session 3
6 October 2026
7:00 – 8:00pm
Good planning and staying organised
Systems and structures for smooth running — tips and planning processes to keep you organised and stress-free.
How to join
No login required — just click the link and you’ll be taken straight to the open lounge. Please mute your mic on arrival and turn off your video if you’d prefer not to be recorded.
Join the lounge here: nutsandboltslounge@gmail.com
We’re always looking to find out what’s most helpful — let us know in the lounge what topics would be useful for future sessions, or fill in our survey below. We’re not claiming to be oracles of the arts, but we’ll do our best to bring the right person into the room for any topic you throw at us.
If you’re interested in supporting Nuts and Bolts — as a ‘show and tell’ artist, or by offering guidance and hosting sessions — please get in touch at nutsandboltslounge@gmail.com.
Have a topic idea? Let us know via the ‘What do you want to know’ survey.
Nuts and Bolts is supported by Applause Rural Touring as part of their Small Scale Touring Artists Development Programme. BrUNIMA is a proud supporter of Nuts and Bolts.