Highlights is looking to appoint a self-motivated, energetic and enthusiastic person to lead the organisation going forward. The role of the Director will be to work in partnership with the existing Co-Director to manage and develop the strategic and operational activities of Highlights in Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland.
We work with over 70 village halls and volunteer promoters bringing professional arts to rural communities.
Salary: NJC Scale equivalent 28 – 34: £25,463 – £30,756 per annum (pro rata) Hours of Work: 2.5 days per week
The post will be based in Appleby, Cumbria. Flexible hours. For further information and to download details please visit www.highlightsnorth.co.uk
Poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan hosted a ceremony attended by nominees Ragged Edge’s The Chef Show and Apphia Campbell win performance prizes The winners of the second annual Rural Touring Awards have been announced at the National Rural Touring Forum (NRTF) New Directions conference in Worcester. Nominated by over 350 individuals, and with winners selected by an industry panel, the awards recognize the valuable work of productions, venues, promoters, schemes, and staff (find the full list of winners below.
The independent judging panel comprising Deborah Clarke (Action with Communities in Rural England ACRE), playwright Sayan Kent, Reviews Editor and Joint Chief Critic for The Stage, Natasha Tripney and rural touring promoter Des George, winner of last year’s Best Promoter award selected the winners from a shortlist announced earlier this month.
Music performance of the year was won by Apphia Campbell for her touring show Black is the Colour of my Voice, which in addition to rural touring, was a sell out show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Stage performance of the year was won by theatre company Ragged Edge for their debut production The Chef Show. Written by playwright and broadcaster Nick Ahad, The Chef Show is part comedy play, part cooking demonstration and reflects on the villages and market towns where there are ‘Indian’ restaurants with staff that rarely have any contact with their community apart from serving them food.
The award for Touring Scheme Collaboration of the Year was won by Highlights rural touring scheme and November Club for creating Beyond the End of the Road, a new site-specific musical presented at eight Northumberland village halls and at Hexham Cattle Mart.
Voluntary promoter of the year was awarded to Mike Greener from Spittal, Berwick-Upon-Tweed and a Young Person of the Year was won by a group of young people aged 12-18, the Forest Young Promoters who each year programme up to three shows for rural touring in Gloucestershire.
The NRTF Special Award was open to all nominations and seeks to recognise an individual or a group who has made an outstanding contribution to the world of rural touring. This year’s winner was Barbara Slack from Highlights Rural Touring Scheme.
One of her nominees said “It’s not so much what Barbara has done in the last 12 months; it’s more what she has done in the past 21 years. Barbara was the first director of Highlights when it began in 1997. She has grown the organisation from working with a handful of village venues in four districts of the North Pennines to programming in the region of 160 performances per year in around 65 village and community venues across Cumbria, County Durham and Northumberland. She has been not only a dedicated and devoted manager and leader for Highlights, but also an advocate for rural touring across the UK.”
National Rural Touring Forum is a member-led organisation that works strategically with partners to develop work and deliver high quality art experiences that strengthen rural and other communities. It provides the rural touring network with training, information and networking services and enable international partnerships and commissions. The organisation aims to promote better understanding of the value of rural and community touring through research and advocacy.
The presentation of awards took place at 9pm on 27th June at Worcester University at the NRTF New Directions conference
SHORTLIST AND AWARDS IN FULL
Music Performance of the Year
WINNER Apphia Campbell – Black Is The Color of My Voice Clive Carroll – A Thousand Years of Music Whalebone – UK Tour Stage Performance of the Year
Forget Me Not – The Alzheimer’s Whodunnit – Rob Gee WINNER The Chef Show – Ragged Edge The Deep – 10ft Tall Theatre Touring Scheme Collaboration of the Year
WINNER Beyond the End of the Road – Highlights rural touring scheme (Northumberland, Cumbria and County Durham) and November Club working together to create and tour a site-specific musical Common Lore – Solo storytelling show created via a collaboration between Spot On Lancashire, Cheshire Rural Touring, Lancashire Libraries and Sophia Hatfield. Inn Crowd – An initiative enabling rural pubs to host spoken word-inspired live performance led by touring schemes Applause Rural Touring and Creative Arts East in partnership with Writers’ Centre Norwich and Pub Is The Hub. Voluntary Promoter of the Year
Christine Reilly – Creative Arts East (Norfolk, Suffolk and the East) Janet Wood – Highlights (Northumberland, Cumbria and County Durham) WINNER Mike Greener – Highlights (Northumberland, Cumbria and County Durham) Young Person of The Year
Crystal Zillwood (Dance Artist – Devon) WINNER Forest Young Promoters – Arts in Rural Gloucestershire Hannah Wood (Technical Stage Manager, Hampshire, Surrey and Wiltshire) Speaking about the awards, NRTF Director Holly Lombardo said “It has been a privilege to be a part of this year’s awards for the first time. Hearing people talk about why they value the productions and people in Rural Touring Network and why they have made a difference to lives and their area has been heartwarming and inspiring.
Ian McMillan said “’I’m proud to be part of these awards that celebrate the makers of the dynamic arts renaissance that’s sweeping the country, realigning our idea of what true centres of excellence can be and can become. All hail the village hall! All hail rural touring!’
Rural touring is a growing sector of the UK’s arts industry with NRTF figures indicating that audience numbers attending shows in village halls and at outdoor rural events have increased 26% since 2006/7
Winners to be announced at a ceremony on 27th June by poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan
The National Rural Touring Forum (NRTF) has announced the shortlist for Rural Touring Awards to celebrate rural touring in the UK. Over 350 individuals nominated artists, venues, promoters, schemes, and staff for awards (please find the shortlist below).
The awards will be presented during a ceremony at Worcester University held on 27th June during the NRTF’s New Directions showcase. The presentation will be made by poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan (BBC Radio 3’s The Verb), a strong supporter of rural arts who recently penned a special poem for the NRTF commemorating Village Halls Week.
Following the success of the inaugural awards in 2017 which were given at the NRTF conference and saw dance company Lost Dog and rural touring scheme staff and volunteers around the UK win for outstanding practice, the NRTF has decided the awards will be held annually in a ceremony celebrating rural touring and those who make it happen.
Nominations across five categories were made by audiences, touring scheme staff, artists and promoters. The introduction of a new Music Performance category for the first time this year recognises the quantity and quality of live music on the rural touring circuit and is distinct from the Stage Performance of the Year Award, which covers achievement in theatre, dance, spoken word or comedy. Touring Scheme Collaboration of the Year will reward outstanding examples of partnership working, whether in commissioning artists, seeking sponsors or audience development.
In making the awards, judges will be looking for examples of excellent and dedicated practice and innovative and forward-looking work. The NRTF special award is open to all – from touring schemes and volunteers to artists or touring companies – and seeks to recognise an individual or a group who has made an outstanding contribution to the world of rural touring.
Music Performance of the year Apphia Campbell – Black Is The Color of My Voice Clive Carroll – A Thousand Years of Music Whalebone – UK Tour
Stage Performance of the Year
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Forget Me Not – The Alzheimer’s Whodunnit – Rob Gee The Chef Show – Ragged Edge The Deep – 10ft Tall Theatre
Touring Scheme Collaboration of the Year Beyond the End of the Road – Highlights rural touring scheme (Northumberland, Cumbria and County Durham) and November Club working together to create and tour a site-specific musical Common Lore – Solo storytelling show created via a collaboration between Spot On Lancashire, Cheshire Rural Touring, Lancashire Libraries and Sophia Hatfield. Inn Crowd – An initiative enabling rural pubs to host spoken word-inspired live performance led by touring schemes Applause Rural Touring and Creative Arts East in partnership with Writers’ Centre Norwich and Pub Is The Hub.
Voluntary promoter of the Year Christine Reilly – Creative Arts East (Norfolk, Suffolk and the East) Janet Wood – Highlights (Northumberland, Cumbria and County Durham) Mike Greener – Highlights (Northumberland, Cumbria and County Durham)
Young Person of The Year Crystal Zillwood (Dance Artist – Devon) Forest Young Promoters – Arts in Rural Gloucestershire Hannah Wood (Technical Stage Manager, Hampshire, Surrey and Wiltshire)
The shortlist will now go before an independent judging panel comprising Deborah Clarke (Action with Communities in Rural England ACRE), playwright Sayan Kent, Reviews Editor and Joint Chief Critic for The Stage, Natasha Tripney and rural touring promoter Des George, winner of last year’s Best Promoter award.
Speaking about the awards, NRTF Director Holly Lombardo said “The Rural Touring Awards raise the profile of professional arts and performance taking place in Rural locations across the UK. Its aim is to recognise the hard work, energy, passion and dedication those involved in this lively and growing sector have.”
Ian McMillan said “’I’m proud to be part of these awards that celebrate the makers of the dynamic arts renaissance that’s sweeping the country, realigning our idea of what true centres of excellence can be and can become. All hail the village hall! All hail rural touring!’ Rural touring is a growing sector of the UK’s arts industry with NRTF figures indicating that audience numbers attending shows in village halls and at outdoor rural events have increased 26% since 2006/7.
Rural Touring Awards The 2018 awards cover activity which has taken place between Spring 2017-Spring 2018. Further information on award categories and eligibility can be found here: https://www.ruraltouring.org/work/rural-touring-awards
Those eligible to submit nominations for the awards can do so here: https://www.ruraltouring.org/work/rural-touring-awards
The shortlisted nominees will be invited to attend the award ceremony on 27th June at Worcester University as part of the New Directions showcase. New Directions (26-28 June) is a bi-annual showcase of contemporary performance available for rural touring curated by independent producing studio China Plate.
About the NRTF The National Rural Touring Forum is a member-led organisation that works strategically with partners to develop work and deliver high quality art experiences that strengthen rural and other communities. It provides the rural touring network with training, information and networking services and enable international partnerships and commissions. The organisation aims to promote better understanding of the value of rural and community touring through research and advocacy. Across the UK there are currently 33 NRTF member schemes and over 1,500 promoting groups showing live work to approximately 250,000 people in rural communities each year.
Highlights is a thriving arts organisation based in Appleby. We work with over 65 village halls and volunteer promoters bringing professional arts to rural communities.
We have an exciting opportunity for a part-time administrator.
If you are familiar with Microsoft Office, Quickbooks and have good organisational and communication skills, we would love to hear from you.
The post is 3 days a week based in Appleby.
Flexible hours.
For further details please email info@highlightsnorth.co.uk
The Rural Touring Dance Initiaive are looking for an experienced freelance Marketing Manager with a knowledge of Rural Touring to ensure the effective delivery of the Rural Touring Dance Initiative (RTDI) project over the next three years. Are you, or do you know of anybody who may be interested in taking on this role?
The Marketing Manager will work closely with the RTDI Project Manager to:
Help raise awareness of the project and its aims with principally the dance community/industry nationally.
Practically assist companies involved in the project to tailor their marketing materials, digital, print and social media to the rural sector
Assist in making information companies share with schemes, promoters and audiences as accessible and ‘rural touring friendly’ as possible
Fee: £6000 – indicative of 40 days @ £150 per day plus travel and subsistence costs as agreed with the Project Manager
Timescale: The initial contract will be for 12 months from July 2018 and may be renewed for up to three years till the project ends in July 2021
Application process: Applicants should send a CV and written statement of no more than two sides of A4 detailing their skills and experience and why they would like to apply for this opportunity to Claire Smith, RTDI Project Manager – claire@nrtf.org.uk
Deadline for applications: 31st May 2018 Interviews to take place on 19th June 2018 (location and venue tbc).
Start Date: Ideally to start as soon as possible but no later than 19 July 2018.
Download the full brief for the role from the box on the right hand side of the screen.
The Rural Touring Dance Initiative is a partnership project led by The National Rural Touring Forum with The Place, China Plate and Take Art. The project is funded by Arts Council England through its Strategic Touring Fund.
E dance@nrtf.org.uk
T 01460 249450
Twitter; @rural_dance
For more information about the project www.ruraltouringdance.com
• A second three-year Rural Touring Dance Initiative 2018-2021 has now been launched • A £10,000 commission on offer for UK based companies to create new work • A second £10,000 to be offered to a Wales based artist or company to create a new work • Funds up to £5,000 for 6 companies to adapt existing work to tour rural areas
The second phase of a scheme to improve access to dance in rural communities has been launched this evening with a call out to artists interested in creating or developing work for village halls. Rural Touring Dance Initiative 2 is a partnership between the National Rural Touring Forum (NRTF) and The Place, Take Art and China Plate. Dance is underrepresented on the rural touring circuit and the partnership is seeking to increase opportunities for rural audiences to experience the art form.
Having been granted a second major award from Arts Council England Strategic Touring programme and a new award from Arts Council Wales, the partnership is able to offer offering two commissions of £10,000 to dance companies to make a new show for rural touring, one of which must be based in Wales. There are also a limited number of grants of up to £5,000 for artists with existing shows to adapt them for rural touring.
Speaking about the call out, Ralph Lister, Director, NRTF’s Rural Touring Dance Initiative, said “The partners are excited about building on the successes of the first 3 years and delighted that there will be a stronger presence in Wales. This development demonstrates that the project is working and a broader base of support will strengthen its sustainability beyond 2021”.
This is the second phase of a project that has already seen Ben Wright’s bgroup commissioned to create Point of Echoes, and a number of companies to adapt existing works. Speaking about the experience of rural touring after participating in phase one, Luca Silvestrini, Artistic Director of Luca Silvestrini’s Protein said “We are in a state of bliss. I’ve never experienced dancers and crew being more satisfied and wanting to do more”.
Rural Touring Dance Initiative 2 follows an overwhelmingly positive response to the first phase of the project from participating rural touring schemes and promoters, with 93% of promoters reporting an increased interest in promoting dance and 100% of touring schemes reporting that the RTDI increased their interest in programming dance. Rural touring is a growing sector of the UK’s arts industry with NRTF figures indicating that audience numbers attending shows in village halls and at outdoor rural events have increased 26% since 2006/7. Companies interested in applying should visit www.theplace.org.uk for further information
New categories and judges unveiled as awards recognizing achievement in rural touring return
Winners to be announced at a ceremony on 27th June by poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan
Following a successful inaugural year which recognised volunteers, staff and artists working in rural touring in the UK, the NRTF today announces the return of the Rural Touring Awards. Nominations open today for awards across six categories, including three new awards; for Music Performance, Young Person and Touring Scheme Collaboration of the Year.
Anyone working in rural touring from performers, to voluntary promoters at village halls and the staff of rural touring networks are eligible to nominate. Potential nominees include artists, volunteer promoters, venues and touring schemes with nominations remaining open until 26th April, after which a shortlist will be drawn up by industry peers.
The shortlist will be announced on 7 May and winners will then be chosen from the nominees by a panel of judges, made up of arts industry and rural experts. This year, they are playwright Sayan Kent (My Big Fat Cow Pat Wedding), journalist Natasha Tripney (Reviews Editor and Joint Chief Critic, The Stage) Des George of Neuadd Dyfi Community Hall, (winner of Rural Touring Award for Best Promoter 2017), and Deborah Clarke of Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE).
Awards will be made during a ceremony at Worcester University held on 27th June during the NRTF’s New Directions showcase. The presentation will be made by poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan (BBC Radio 3’s The Verb).
The 2018 Rural Touring Award categories are as follows:
Music Performance of the Year
Touring Scheme Collaboration of the Year
Stage Performance of the Year
Voluntary Promoter or Voluntary Promoting Group of the Year
Young Person of the Year
The NRTF Special award
The new Music Performance category recognises the quantity and quality of live music on the rural touring circuit and is distinct from the Stage Performance of the Year Award, which covers achievement in theatre, dance, spoken word or comedy. Touring Scheme Collaboration of the Year will reward outstanding examples of partnership working, whether in commissioning artists, seeking sponsors or audience development.
The NRTF special award is open to all – from touring schemes and volunteers to artists or touring companies – and seeks to recognise an individual or a group who has made an outstanding contribution to the world of rural touring.
Speaking about the 2018 awards, NRTF Director Holly Lombardo said “We are really looking forward to reading the nominations and hearing about the amazing people who make Rural Touring such an incredible network”. Rural touring is a growing sector of the UK’s arts industry with NRTF figures indicating that audience numbers attending shows in village halls and at outdoor rural events have increased 26% since 2006/7.
Those shortlisted for awards will be notified during w/c 1 May and the shortlist announced on 7 May. The shortlisted nominees will be invited to attend the award ceremony on 27th June at Worcester University as part of the New Directions showcase. New Directions (26-28 June) is a bi-annual showcase of contemporary performance available for rural touring curated by independent producing studio China Plate.
Arts Council England is proud to be investing £100,000 to help older people across Shropshire celebrate creativity socially.
Arts Alive, the rural touring scheme for Shropshire, is delighted to announce that it has been awarded £100,000 for Creative Conversations, a new cross sector, rural partnership project working with older people over three years.
The funding is part of the Celebrating Age programme, jointly funded by the Arts Council through the National Lottery and the Baring Foundation, to tackle issues of social isolation and wellbeing in older people, encouraging them to join in group activities focused around arts and culture.
Creative Conversations will link experienced agencies for arts -Arts Alive, MediaActive, Qube – and health – Age UK, Shropshire Council, Shropshire Provider’s Consortium members to help create a programme of events that reaches and benefits older people.
Covering areas across Shropshire, it will deliver creative workshops, training, residencies, performances and exhibitions for and with older people in the region. Participants and carers will be able to come together to share and celebrate elders’ stories and creativity.
Sian Kerry, director of Arts Alive said “This is a tremendous boost for creative work with older people in the county. Through Creative Conversations and in partnership with Wem Based MediaActive we will work in day centres, care homes and community spaces, giving older people a chance to work with artists and participate in creative activities ranging from storytelling, music, singing and digital media.”
We are thrilled to be awarded one of only 16 grants made across England.
Arts Alive and Media Active will launch the Creative Conversations programme in the autumn 2018.
Ends For more information please contact Sian Kerry 01588 620883 option 1 or email sian@artsalive.co.uk
It is an absolute honour to be taking on the role of Director of your organisation.
A bit about me – I have worked in creative industries at a senior level for over 16 years. I founded the Brighton Fringe in 2004, managing it to become the 3rd largest Arts Fringe Festival in the world. I was a senior manager at the Edinburgh Fringe Society and Director of an Edinburgh Fringe venue. I have worked within some of the UK’s largest international Festivals. In 2007 I pooled my knowledge of the creative sector to found World Fringe Network, which links over 230 Fringe Festivals across the globe. As well as this I have lectured Universities on event & business management. I was an Assessor for the Arts Council England, where one of my assessments was the NRTF and I have been an Executive Trustee of the British Arts Festival Association for 8 years. I was recently Project Director for Wooden O Theatres and have just left my position as the Artistic Director of Fusion Arts Oxford.
Throughout my career one tread has remained; my passion for networking and generating platforms for creative development, linking up and facilitating opportunities for artists and audiences. I am ambitious and can see the wider picture for national and international cultural tends and am comfortable liaising with cultural leaders.
I realise I have big shoes to fill and a 20-year legacy to uphold as Director of the National Rural Touring Forum, a success I plan to build on. I’m excited to get started, meeting as many of you as possible and getting to know the organisation and everyone involved.
Dance treats from the Rural Dance Touring Initiative sees returning favourites and new offerings in rural villages
bgroup, Point Of Echoes 9 Feb – 17 Mar Splitmilk, The Little Love Cabaret14 Feb – 10 May Luca Silvestrini’s Protein, May Contain Food – May Contain You 23 Feb – 28 Mar Keira Martin, Here Comes Trouble 2 – 3 Mar Lost Dog, Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me) 8 – 17 Mar Just Us Dance Theatre, It’s Between Us 9 – 16 Mar Joan Clevillé Plan B For Utopia 23 – 24 Mar James Wilton, Last Man Standing 13 – 24 Apr Hiccup, May-We-Go-Round 26 Apr Curious Seed Chalk About11 May – 1 Jun
Continuing to bring new and adapted dance work to village halls and other small rural venues across the UK often unreached by touring arts companies, the Rural Touring Dance Initiative (RTDI) is serving up a feast of performances with ten dance companies in Spring 2018. The National Rural Touring Forum’s (NRTF) three-year dance focused scheme – which has now been extended for another three years – served up its first ‘menu’ of work to regional touring schemes in 2016, and their Spring programme is a continuation of their second menu which started last Autumn.
Point of Echoes by bgroup is the first new work commissioned by the RTDI, especially for the rural touring circuit. Set on an unnamed lighthouse, at an unknown time, somewhere on the coast of England, Point of Echoes is created by renowned UK choreographer Ben Wright and musician and writer Stuart Warwick. After performances in RTDI’s second menu in Autumn 2017, it receives a full tour this Spring.
Other shows continuing to tour with RTDI from last Autumn include James Wilton Dance’s Last Man Standing based on Terry Pratchett’s The Last Hero, Here Comes Trouble choreographed by Keira Martin and directed by Charlotte Vincent, Just Us Dance Theatre’s It’s Between Us, and The Hiccup Project with May – We – Go – Round.
From the first menu of work presented in Autumn 2016, three favourites will return to RTDI: Luca Silvestrini’s Protein, May Contain Food, May Contain You, a witty dance and music production encouraging audiences to bring their own locally produced food to the theatre and consider the sensory, cultural and social implications of food, Joan Clevillé’s Plan B for Utopia about how creativity and imagination can change the world, and Lost Dog’s Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me) which won the Most Innovative/Inspirational Show at the inaugural Ticketsource National Rural Touring Forum Awards in June.
Two brand shows to tour RTDI this spring are The Little Love Cabaret from Spiltmilk is a scrapbook of real-life love stories from contributors aged 2 – 93 from across the country. Somewhere between a sketch show, dance performance, confessional, and a gushing love letter, Spiltmilk Dance rejoice in all things that make life brilliant. Finally, Chalk About from Curious Seed turns the stage into a gigantic chalkboard to explore the nature of identity.
Speaking about the tours, Claire Smith, Project Manager of the Rural Touring Dance Initiative said We have been delighted with the response to our fabulous cohort of companies in this our 2nd RTDI Menu – companies new to Rural Touring and those returning for a second time are very excited by the reaction of audiences. We have seen audiences new to dance returning to see more – they liked it so much first time round!”
The Rural Touring Dance Initiative is an ongoing scheme which has recently been extended until 2021 for making and touring dance performances to and for rural areas. Made possible by a grant from Arts Council England’s Lottery-funded Strategic Touring Programme, the initiative is led by National Rural Touring Forum (NRTF), which joined with dance institution The Place, arts charity Take Art and independent producing studio China Plate to deliver the scheme.
@rural_dance | #ruraldance | www.ruraltouring.org
Listings information Please note dates may be subject to change, please contact local schemes for confirmed details
bgroup, Points of Echoes
Live and Local Friday 9th Feb – Saturday 10th Feb Night Out Wales Thursday 15th Feb Wiltshire, Rural Arts Friday 16th Feb Carn to Cove, Cornwall Weds 21st Feb – Saturday 24th Feb (no performance Thursday) Highlights, Cumbria Friday 2nd Mar Workshops Fleetwood Thursday 8th Mar Spot On, Lancashire Friday 9th Mar Live Lincs Sunday 11th Mar Night Out Wales Saturday 17th Mar Spiltmilk, The Little Love Cabaret
Black Country Touring – Wolverhampton Wednesday 14th Feb Black Country Touring – Smethwick Thursday 15th Feb Wiltshire Rural Arts Friday 16th Feb Spot On, Lancashire Saturday 3rd Mar Night Out Wales Thursday 10th May Luca Silvestini’s Protein, May Contain Food, May Contain You
Arts Alive, Shropshire/Hereforshire Friday 23rd Feb Spot On, Lancashire Saturday 10th Mar Highlights, Cumbria Friday 16th Mar – Saturday 17th Mar Take Art, Somerset Saturday 24th Mar Night Out, Wales Wednesday 28th Mar
Keira Martin, Here Comes Trouble
Take Art, Somerset FrIday 2nd Mar Air in G, Gloucestershire Saturday 3rd Mar
Lost Dog, Paradise Lost
Carn to Cove, Cornwall Thursday 8th Mar – Saturday 10th Mar Artsreach Dorset Saturday 24th Mar Arts Alive Shropshire Wednesday 21st Mar NEAT Scotland Friday 16th Mar – Saturday 17th Mar
Just Us Dance, Its Between Us
Theatre Artsreach, Dorset Friday 9th Mar Carn to Cove, Cornwall Saturday 10th Mar Arts Alive Mini residency, Thursday 15th Mar & Friday 16th Mar
Joan Clevillé, Plan B for Utopia
Rural Arts On Tour, N. Yorkshire Friday 23rd Mar – Saturday 24th Mar
James Wilton Last Man Standing
Independent -Theatre Orchard Friday 13th Apr
Beaford Arts, Devon Saturday 14th Apr
Carn to Cove ( Leviathan ) Tuesday 24th Apr
The Hiccup Project, May-We-Go-Round
Independent – Strike A Light Thursday 26th Apr
Curious Seed
Highlights, Cumbria Friday 11th May Cheshire Rural Touring Arts Sat 12th May 2pm NEAT Scotland Thursday 18th May – Friday 19th May Carn to Cove, Cornwall Saturday 26th May Wiltshire Rural Arts Sunday 27th May Creative Arts East – Youth Residency Tuesday 29th – Thursday 31st May Black Country Touring Friday 1st June
Notes to editors
The NRTF has identified a paucity of dance on the rural touring circuit and the development of a dance project is evident in its business plan. As a result of a fruitful relationship that has developed with The Place and a successful dance showcase at the New Directions Conference 2014, curated in partnership with China Plate, there is momentum to develop dance and rural touring – 89% of conference attenders scored the dance showcase highly or very highly. Through its members the NRTF can access a huge rural touring circuit with over 2,000 promoters. Individual rural touring schemes will play an integral role in the successful roll out of the project.
The Place has been a driving force for contemporary dance in the UK for 45 years. The Place is unique and is comprised of; a training organisation, a producing and receiving theatre, a home for a national touring company and a hub for hundreds of independent artists. Our artist development department provides professional development, training, residencies, commissioning and producing support for dance artists at each stage of their career. Having developed a relationship with the NRTF and after attending the New Directions Conference there is an understanding, excitement and new commitment to supporting dance artists and the dance sector to engage with and take advantage of rural touring opportunities.
China Plate’s portfolio of activity encompasses developing, making and programming new work. They have worked closely with the NRTF for a number of years and curated the New Directions Showcase Festivals in 2012, 2014 & 2016 and programmed the Edinburgh Village Halls Project 2011 – 2013. They are interested in the interrogation of ideas and form and believe that rural communities should have direct access to the highest quality contemporary work. The cross over between dance and theatre is of particular interest and over the last few years China Plate has developed close links with Dance East, programming dance with them into the Pulse theatre festival and worked with Warwick Arts Centre to programme, commission and develop work with a number of choreographers including Charlotte Vincent, Tom Dale and Aakash Odedra.
Over the last decade Take Art has hosted the Somerset county dance agency, supporting the infrastructure for the development and promotion of professional dance in Somerset. It has also run a rural touring scheme since 1987 and the services have worked and gained experience together. Take Art was the lead county dance agency in Up Close, the first south west rural touring dance project in partnership with Dance South West in 2007. The current Dance Director toured rural schemes extensively as a dancer with Pretty Good Girl Dance Theatre in 2009 and 2010. Its hands on experience of and commitment to dance and rural touring at a local level provides the partnership with a grounded perspective.
The Rural Touring Dance Initiative is a partnership project led by The National Rural Touring Forum with The Place, China Plate and Take Art. The project is funded by Arts Council England through its Strategic Touring Fund.
This short form is designed to help you asses whether or not your show is Rural Touring ready. We take you through the very basic needs of rural touring and give you a list of things to consider. We also point you to other helpful resources and pages along the way. Please note this form is NOT a way of submitting your show to be considered for touring but should be used as a tool to equip yourself with the knowledge you need to approach schemes.
