What is Rural Touring?
Rural touring is about more than just performances... it plays an important part in the social life of small communities, it involves people of all ages and backgrounds, it can be a catalyst for community development
Only Connect Report by Francois Matarasso
We believe people living outside cities and large towns should have access to the best live arts experiences at an affordable price. That's why we started the Take Art Rural Touring scheme, which has been successfully serving the villages, towns and communities of Somerset since 1987.
The Rural Touring service is a very well-established and successful scheme for Somerset with an exemplary track record, set up to bring professional, high quality music, theatre, dance and performance to local venues and communities across Somerset.
It relies on the partnership between local volunteer promoters and Take Art - by working together, memorable social events are organised in rural areas where people live and meet. These events can help play a vital role in keeping villages alive and vibrant, strengthening communities and improving health and wellbeing. The Take Art Rural Touring team have years of expertise to share with promoters.
The Take Art Effect
Take Art has been busy this decade. Here are some of our achievements in Somerset:
- We have put on 872 performances
- We have worked with 5567 volunteers, helping 180 communities put on performances in their village halls
- Our audiences numbers run to over 65,000 people, mainly from rural communities
- We have paid artists and theatre companies over £300,000 to bring and make work in Somerset
When are the shows and how do I see them?
You can book tickets either online or by calling the local promoter. It is advisable to call direct to check ticket prices and get info about refreshments, access, disabled parking facilities etc. Many halls run a bar, sell refreshments, or even offer a meal at the event but you may wish to check in advance. Whatever the arrangements, you will be guaranteed a warm welcome, a friendly atmosphere and a memorable experience.
You can opt to receive emails about upcoming shows via our mailing list.
RELATED PROJECTS
Taking extraordinary, family friendly circus to village communities across the South West this summer.
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A new local arts and community network for Somerset for 2021. Precipitated by Covid-19, Totally Local will strengthen and develop Take Art’s existing rural touring scheme and will establish a new network between our volunteer promoters and the wider Somerset performing arts sector.
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The Rural Touring Dance Initiative (RTDI) brings exciting and innovative dance theatre and dance performance to rural locations, using the established rural touring schemes to help make this happen successfully. 2015 - present.
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NewsBARN Growth Fund AwardsMeet the successful applicants for our BARN Growth Fund project.
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NewsBURNOUTA brand new short dance film made in collaboration with up-and-coming hip-hop artist Joshua Nash, filmmaker Gemma Pons, and teenage dance students from Unlimited Dance Company in North Devon. Commissioned by Beaford and the Rural Touring Dance Initiative.
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Taking extraordinary, family friendly circus to village communities across the South West this summer.
More info