Full details of Rural Touring Award Nominees 2019

Everyone on the Rural Touring Award shortlist has been chosen from a wider list of publicly nominated individuals, events and organisations. The nomination portal was advertised far and wide throughout the sector via email and social media.

Judges

·         Jude Henderson, Director - Federation of Scottish Theatres

·         Ian McMillan - poet, journalist, playwright, and broadcaster

·         Kate Green, Deputy Editor - Country Life Magazine

"What a fabulous, ambitious and ground-breaking collection of people and ideas!" Ian McMillan, 2019 Rural Touring Award Judge

Priority Judging Criteria

Highlighting steps forward, art form development, surprising stories, creative case. 

·         Cross section of regions represented

·         accessibility and disability lead work

·         support of new and emerging talent

·         working with young people

·         diversity in the arts

·         sustainability 

·         raising the profile of rural touring

More on Criteria for individual awards here - http://www.ruraltouring.org/work/national-rural-touring-awards-2019

Young Person of the Year

Jasmine Lowrie

BIO: I’m 20 and live in Chirnside in Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders. I have lived in the Borders all my life. I like The Borders but transport is a real problem, it is difficult to get anywhere quickly on public transport from Chirnside.

I love music, both listening and playing and am also really interested in sound engineering. I also enjoy photography and have recently started taking photographs at Live events.

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: “I’m surprised by the nomination but honoured to have been nominated and glad to be making a positive impact on rural touring”

JUDGES THOUGHTS: It feels to me that Jasmine has gone deeper into the idea of what Rural Touring is, and she seems like a really bright prospect for the future.
QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "Since Joining Boarders Young Creative Jasmine has shown real commitment to the project" Anon.

Sam Pullen

BIO: I have a huge interest in lighting and the Neuadd Dyfi has given me the opportunity to expand my interest and build my knowledge. I really do love it when the touring shows come in as I’m able to see how they work bringing pretty much everything with them. 

I feel that I am so lucky to be able to do all of this when I am so young. 

I am hoping that I can continue Learning and gaining experience so when I leave school I have the knowledge to continue with a career within this field.

JUDGES THOUGHTS: Sam is clearly an exceptional young person with a bright future in our industry. I wish him every success in his training and next steps.

QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "Sam Pullen is an exceptional young man. Since 2017 when he was just 13 he has been helping out at all the Night out Shows we have had at the Neuadd Dyfi. When I say help I really mean help. He helps with the get in with the get out. Rigging lights setting chairs and clearing away at the end. If there is nothing to do he finds something. If it’s raining you will find him outside welcoming members of the audience with an umbrella." Anon 

Break Through Performance of the Year

Sophia Hatfield from Stute Theatre

BIO: 'Common Lore' is a fast-paced, multi-skilled solo show by actor and theatre-maker Sophia Hatfield (aka Stute Theatre), which retells Angela Carter's collection of Fairy Tales for a modern, young rural audience. A fast-paced fusion of rap, spoken-word, live electronic music, multi-rolling and physical theatre, this production attempted to push the boundaries of solo storytelling through the creative use of technology - with live projections and sound cues triggered entirely by the performer on a mobile phone as part of the action. Inspired by interviews with young people in libraries across the North West, this show took relevant, inspiring theatre to libraries, youth theatres, schools and rural venues engaging young people who do not traditionally access theatre.

Stute Theatre - Live Performance in Community Spaces, Schools and Theatres. www.stutetheatre.co.uk

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: I am absolutely delighted that the creativity, ambition, passion and hard work of the wonderful team behind Common Lore has been recognised through this nomination. Whilst incredibly rewarding, creating and touring theatre for young adults can be challenging. From the very first commissioning meeting with Spot On, through rehearsals and when touring the show, I was blown away by the enthusiasm, dedication and hard work of the many rural touring organisations who made this show happen. The rural touring community took a risk on a new piece, with the hope of welcoming and inspiring the next generation of theatre audiences, whilst supporting Stute Theatre as an emerging company and I'm incredibly grateful. Thank you so much!

JUDGES THOUGHTS: This feels really ground-breaking because of its brief to appeal to young people in Library spaces. I like the idea of the show and the way it was written and performed.
QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "Sophia uses these three stories to reflect on what it is like to be an un-wealthy 18-year-old in the north, yet it is done with wit, humour and sophistication. Students, apprentices, grandparents and anyone else who was ever 18 will love this piece" Anon

Theatre company Dante or Die

BIO: Dante or Die makes bold and ambitious site-specific performances that tour across the country and internationally. The company gently transforms ordinary spaces to create unique and intimate theatrical experiences.Led by co-founders Daphna Attias and Terry O’Donovan, their original productions interrogate and celebrate contemporary human stories that take place in everyday buildings -  from hotel rooms to swimming pools to cafés. They have collaborated with leading arts venues across the UK including Traverse Theatre, The Lowry & The Almeida alongside grassroots organisations in the localities in which they make work. Dante or Die are SITELINES Associate Artists at South Street Reading, which champions performance in unusual locations

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: We are absolutely delighted to be shortlisted for a National Rural Touring Award for Take On Me. Working with the guest cast members in each location around the country was an absolute pleasure and an inspiration. To every leisure centre that said yes to making this beast of a show take over your building - thank you! We hope to see more spaces being turned into theatrical landscapes over the next year of rural touring!” - Co-Artistic Directors Daphna Attias & Terry O’Donovan

JUDGES THOUGHTS: The innovative and inclusive approach to local people and local places was really impressive
QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "Dante or Die's 'Take On Me' tour was an absolutely incredible project to be involved in last year, and definitely one of the most outstanding, unique productions that traveled to rural Norfolk in 2018." Creative Arts East

The Haunted Man by Kindred Theatre

BIO: Kindred Theatre was set up in 2016 to bring big stories into small spaces; our aim is to let audiences listen and see stories, old and new, in their communities, made for their spaces and relevant to their lives.  It was formed by two theatre professionals, both from rural backgrounds, who have spent many years working in and loving the joyful and welcoming experience of rural touring and wanting to bring theatrical adventures into small communities. 

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: “We’re thrilled to be shortlisted for this award. After many years of working with the Networks and various rural touring companies, it’s a real pleasure to feel that our first adventure with our new company touched audiences in the way it did and brought about this recognition.” 

JUDGES THOUGHTS: I enjoyed the description of transforming the space into a theatre, demonstrating that rural touring isn’t always about small, intimate performances.
QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "This was the largest staged production I have seen in rural venues. Full stage and lighting and sound really transformed the space, which felt like a theatre. The production quality was so high, and acting was superb." Anon 

Special Award

Karen Jeremiah

BIO: Growing up I was always involved in, and at my happiest when I was involved in theatre and performance.  I studied Visual Arts as a mature student and that led to my passion (fuelled also by some frustration) for the arts, in all forms, being for everyone.  I established a few of my own small festivals and sculpture trails where the focus was on the process of bringing people together and enabling anyone to take part at whatever level they felt comfortable with, rather than purely the end product.  It was through discovering this really strong belief that led me to find the part-time administrative role at Creative Arts East.  Their ethos and that of rural touring schemes as a whole seemed a perfect fit for me.  I have been very fortunate to have been given opportunities and career progression well beyond my qualifications and experience and am glad that it seems to have worked out ok for me and the lovely and very supportive team I work with!

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: Surprised, to say the least!  I am constantly blown away by the ambition and dedication of my rural touring peers, so feeling very humbled by this nomination.

JUDGES THOUGHTS: I love the idea of her pushing the boundaries of what rural touring can be and do!
QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "Karen as a person is absolutely bursting with energy, creativity, and enthusiasm, and she has thrown all of this into developing the Creative Arts East Live! rural touring scheme into what it is today. She is a real ‘yes’ person – she is constantly striving to push the boundaries of what rural touring can be and do." Creative Arts East 

Theatr Bara Caws 

BIO: Bara Caws was established over forty years ago to fulfill the demand for professional theatre for
the Welsh community in the Welsh community, and we are by now the oldest professional community theatre working through the medium of Welsh. We continue to provide a unique service to our grassroots audiences at the heart of our nation and are proud to be recognised as a mainstay of the Welsh theatrical landscape.
QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: We at Theatr Bara Caws are delighted to have been nominated and shortlisted for the National Rural Touring Awards 2019. It’s wonderful to know that our work continues to be appreciated throughout Wales, and we feel passionately that we must continue to strive with our mission of presenting a high quality diverse artistic programme at the very hearts of our communities. Recognition such as this nomination is greatly appreciated - thank you.

JUDGES THOUGHTS: I'm excited and moved by the fact that they make shows in Welsh, creating new work in a so-called minority language and challenging the rest of us about our ideas about what art is and what it can be.

QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "Theatr Bara Caws is a community theatre company who present original, relevant work to the widest possible cross-section of people, offering theatrical experiences of the highest quality, bringing entertainment and excitement, ingenuity and relevance to the hearts of communities in Wales" Anon

Sian Allen

BIO: Brought up in rural Essex with no cinema or theatre within 20 miles, I had no concept of the arts as a professional possibility till I went to University. After uni I worked in producing and touring the main house, studio theatres, touring community, TIE  and studio companies, until I found my true vocation of Rural Touring. I have had the best, most creatively rich time working with fun, innovative, clever, dedicated people. Artists, volunteer promoters, fellow scheme managers have become collaborators and friends. I love collectively making opportunities for human connection that people think and talk about long after the event is over.

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: How do I feel? Honoured and humbled (and TBH also a bit thrilled). Rural Touring is such a team effort - I don't think any one person can ever be assigned particular credit for any aspect of its gloriousness

JUDGES THOUGHTS: Sian is clearly a lynchpin in her local area; one of those ‘without whom’ people who are so vital to rural touring theatre and to their communities as a whole
QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "Sian was totally dedicated to Arts Alive for her twenty-year tenure, during which time she put on 2,500 live performances from 700 companies in front of 125,000 people, a record that will have been surpassed by very few" Anon

Favourite Performance of the Year

I Ain't Afraid of No Ghost - Little Earthquake

BIO: Gareth Nicholls and Philip Holyman, aka Walsall-based theatre company Little Earthquake, have been together for 17 years, making work with each other for 14 years and have been married for (almost) one year.

Little Earthquake observes one commandment: “Thou Shalt Not Bore” — and our next big not boring project is MoonFest, a nine-day celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing which runs between 16^th – 24^th July 2019. (Our first wedding anniversary happens to coincide with the day on which Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to land on the surface of the Moon.)

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: “We are very proud rural tourers — the network gives us a unique opportunity to connect with, learn from and, most of all, entertain audiences who live outside the catchment areas of major metropolitan arts venues, up and down the country.

It is thanks to the very existence of the rural touring sector — and to the hard work of the thousands of people who support it, both paid and unpaid — that artists like us get to build these lasting relationships with audiences in the first place.

Our “Favourite Performance of the Year” nomination has come directly from audience members who have experienced and enjoyed our work — and being shortlisted for this award is a massive validation of our most fundamental ambition for Little Earthquake: to make audiences the most important ingredient in everything we do.”

JUDGES THOUGHTS: This show had clearly really made the audience think about the issues, as well as entertaining them.
QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "I even shed a tear as there was a real element of truth to the story. I think out of all the shows I have seen this year it was the most emotionally impactful." Anon

Excalibow by Bowjangles

BIO: Bowjangles are a unique singing, dancing, comedy string quartet who are well known on the Rural Touring circuit for their musical comedy theatre shows. The group have been performing together for 11 years and in that time have travelled the world extensively performing in theatres and halls, at arts festivals, in schools, hospitals, the occasional prison and even in a forest in the dead of night. They also love performing at cabarets, private events and functions, and occasionally you might even see them on TV, or doing a street show. In 2018 Bowjangles won the coveted 'Spirit of the Fringe' Award for their show 'Excalibow' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: We have been Rural Touring for a decade now and it remains one of our favourite things to do as a group. Of course, none of it would be possible without the dedication of the staff organising the scheme menus, the devotion of the volunteer promoters or the enthusiasm of the audiences who make every show we do an absolute delight. We are truly honored to have been nominated for this award!"

JUDGES THOUGHTS: The energy in this show was palpable, and the image of people from 5 to 93 enjoying work together was brilliant.
QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "Unbelievable Performance Skills - playing, singing, dancing, acrobatics, hilariously funny. Stunning all round performance. Entirely unique concept." Anon

Brilliance by Farnham Maltings

BIO: Farnham Maltings is a cultural organisation committed to increasing the range, quality and audience for contemporary theatre across South East England. One key element of that work is exploring the ways we meet the needs and ambitions of villages and market towns with whom we commission, produce and tour new theatre work.

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: “Hearing that your efforts and ambitions chime with peers from across the country is both humbling and hugely motivating. Knowing that it matters, as we all do, that artists can make contemporary, experimental, playful work in village halls is a truth that needs to universally understand”

JUDGES THOUGHTS:  I like the idea of the intimacy of this show
QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "The story had elements that were immediately recognisable to village inhabitants. It appealed to all age groups. The audience was close to the action and became very involved in the fortunes of the characters. A little sleight of hand with the ingenious set brought the show to a magical conclusion. Ideal winter show." Anon 

Touring Scheme Collaboration of the Year

The northern consortium

BIO: Co-working and Partnerships:  Five rural touring schemes in the North: Spot On (Lancashire); Cheshire Rural Touring; Arts Out West (West Cumbria); Highlights (East Cumbria, Northumberland, County Durham) and ArtERY live/liveLincs (East Riding of Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire), along with Arts Alive (Shropshire & Herefordshire), form an unconstituted, informal strategic alliance. The schemes have collaborated since 1999,  with Arts Alive joining later, demonstrating creative programming, strength and resilience, delivering projects to the value of over £1,000,000 in jointly commissioned tours by professional touring artists and companies from the UK and internationally. The artistic quality of work in the region is increased by working cooperatively on joint ventures and increases opportunities for artists. This method of working is often cited by ACE as a model of good practice in consortia working. The methods employed use the skills and expertise of the scheme managers. Funding bids, tour programming, management, financial leadership and risk are shared amongst the participating schemes.

The five schemes also collaborate with other rural schemes in the north (North Yorkshire and East Cleveland).  Recently we formed new relationships with the emerging Rural Touring schemes in the South Of Scotland (Ayrshire; Borders; Dumfries & Galloway). 

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: Sue Robinson: "The combination of the professional trust we have in our northern consortium partners, combined with the APA's commitment to us means we have as a consortium been able to punch above our weight, touring Canadian companies to our venues for over 15 years. Without this regional and  international partnership, such activity would be simply impossible.We are very excited with this nomination!"

JUDGES THOUGHTS: This is clearly a strong and sustained partnership, delivering major benefits for their communities by working together. I loved the connection with Canada, and the reference to work in French.
QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "Together the consortium also have worked together to address issues in rural touring, such as finding diverse companies and work and supporting artists to rural tour." Anon

Carn to Cove and Villages in Action

BIO: Carn to Cove is the touring scheme in Cornwall and has been running for 18 years. It has a network of 85+ village halls and community spaces and programmes around 120 events per year in two seasons. When Villages in Action, the neighbouring scheme in Devon, running a similar sized project announced its intention to close in 2017, Carn to Cove stepped in to offer the network of promoters access to its own menu parties and

subsequently won funding to stabilise the scheme and appraise several options to ensure its ultimate sustainability.

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: We are really excited to be part of the rural touring awards this year, as they are becoming an established part of the NRTF year. We are really honoured to be shortlisted, as we know how much great work goes on in our sector and we are very much looking forward to meeting up with colleagues and friends at the Award Ceremony

JUDGES THOUGHTS: SOS rural touring: this collaboration has actually saved provision for a community, and pride in that achievement shines through in the nomination.  
QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "Villages in Action was to close.  The promoters were very front footed about working with Carn to Cove.  Despite capacity worries, the system seems to be working very well.  I am proud that people cared enough.  I am proud that Cornwall and Devon can work together so well.  I am proud that communities care enough to keep work happening across the village halls" Anon

Inn Crowd

BIO: Inn Crowd is a partnership project from Applause Rural Touring, Creative Arts East and National Centre for Writing.  The project supports rural pubs throughout the South East and East of England to host exciting and inspiring spoken word, poetry and storytelling performances in their pubs reaching and engaging with non-traditional arts audiences. This collaborative project also engages national Charity Pub is the Hub as an advisory partner supporting the project with pub industry expertise and advice. A key aspect of the project is the support Inn Crowd gives some of the UK’s best-spoken word artists to create, develop and tour their work to new areas. Started in 2016, the scope and range of the project has increased year on year with overwhelming responses from audiences and landlords alike w over 200 performances have taken place primarily in the southeast and further afield in collaboration with rural touring organisations nationally.

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: “We are delighted that Inn Crowd has been shortlisted for an NRTF award. Our Inn Crowd partnerships and collaborations make it fabulous to be a part of’. Inn Crowd team

JUDGES THOUGHTS: This is a fabulous, ground-breaking scheme bringing performance to new spaces and bringing new life and new ideas to those spaces

QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "The opportunity to host Inn Crowd performances has opened up the chance to host live events in some of our more challenging locations! Anon 

Voluntary Promoter or Voluntary Promoting Group of the Year

Gaynor Morgan Rees and Gwyneth Kensler

BIO: Gwyneth Kensler - Brought up in Holywell, I attended Bangor University in 1960. I married my husband in 1965 and then spent time living and working abroad. We settled in Denbigh in 1980.

After a career teaching French and Spanish, I stood as a town and county councilor in 1995 and remain a county councilor. I joined the Theatr Twm o’r Nant committee in 1983 and became secretary in 1988. About 12 years ago I successfully applied for grants of £.75m to make the theatre as DDA friendly as possible; our theatre is now flourishing thanks to our dedicated team of volunteers.

Gaynor Morgan Rees - Born and bred in AbercwmIboi, South Wales, I have been working as a professional actress on stage, radio, and television for over half a century. I moved to Denbigh in 1982; I have been a town councilor since 2004 and was mayor in 2012.  I met Gwyneth in 1983 and we soon became involved with Theatr Twm o’r Nant.  Since the refurbishment of the theatre 10 years ago, I have been the booking officer. The theatre has to be self-supporting since it does not receive any subsidy; we are all volunteers and give up our time for free.

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: "We are delighted to have been nominated by Night Out Wales with whom we have a close and happy relationship. Without the sponsorship of the Night Out Scheme we would not be able to hold professional performances at Theatr Twm o’r Nant. We have a full, varied and exciting programme."

"What a surprise and also an honour. With funding for the arts so greatly reduced, we are pleased to be able to do what we can to help promote the arts in Wales."
JUDGES THOUGHTS: They have obviously done an amazing job over 20 years – people like this make the world go around

QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "For over twenty years formidable double act Gaynor Morgan Rees and Gwyneth Kensler from Theatr Twm o’r Nant in Denbigh have booked performances through the Night Out scheme in both English and Welsh.  In the last four years they have promoted 36 shows (so far) and we anticipate many more to come."

David Lane

BIO: Retired businessman David has had a lifelong involvement with live performance. Realising at a very young age that he was no performer, he turned to the backstage arts, and has at various times been a makeup artist, stagehand, set builder, lighting designer and operator, director, producer, and festival organiser (all unpaid!).

He stumbled across Live & Local in 2012, and immediately knew that promoting professional shows would be a fantastic opportunity to bring great art to his busy community centre. With his fabulous team of helpers, he has put on 44 shows of all genres to almost capacity audiences.

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: How do I feel? “Thrilled and surprised to be nominated, not just for me, but also for my wonderful team of helpers. Grateful to our audiences who are prepared to give something new a try; to the brilliant performers who thrill and surprise us; and to the fab Head Office staff who are always there to help us.”

JUDGES THOUGHTS: I was particularly impressed by the extent of David’s engagement with companies to expand their thinking about rural venues and audiences.  This is a person who clearly lives and breathes rural touring, to the benefit not only of his own community but to people all over the UK.
QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "David is an outstanding example of a forward-thinking, committed rural touring promoter who goes the extra mile, and his efforts deserve recognition." Anon 

Yvonne Brown and the committee at The Dog Inn, Belthorn

BIO: The Community of Belthorn bought the Dog Inn, their village pub, from a developer in 2015, and became Lancashire's first Community-owned pub. Part of the commitment to the community was to host a variety of events - the village doesn't have a village hall, church or church hall, so the Pub has always been the main focus of activities. We hosted our first Rural Touring event about one year after opening, in our new Community room upstairs at the pub - even before the room had a carpet! This was a performance by Howard Haigh and was a sell-out. Since then, we have hosted 2 or 3 performances each year, which have attracted both local audiences, and those travelling from further afield. Performances such as the ones we have hosted are new for the Community of Belthorn, but appear to be very much in demand. "

QUOTE FROM NOMINEE: " We are absolutely amazed to be nominated and short-listed for this award. With the help of Spot-on Lancashire, we have brought new and varied arts performances to Belthorn, and these have been well-received, and we intend to continue to offer these experiences. "

JUDGES THOUGHTS: This is a fantastic, multi-generational initiative, putting the pub at the heart of community life.   I like the fact that the committee is nominated along with Yvonne, although she’s clearly a driving force!
QUOTE FROM PUBLIC NOMINATION: "All of the work Yvonne and the committee do is aimed at combating social isolation in this rural community by using the pub as a central point of contact for its residents. Spot On is incredibly proud to be one of many activities that ensure Belthorn is a thriving community and it is people like Yvonne Brown who make that happen." Anon