How four new theatre shows with 140 dates will boost rural touring nationwide

30 July 2025

The transformative power of Create Tour Connect will bring professional theatre to 12000 people in rural communities.

Create Tour Connect is a unique national arts project to support new drama and theatre by connecting touring networks across the country offering joined-up opportunities for small scale touring productions.  

NRTF interviewed Dawn Badland, Executive Director, Applause Rural Touring, which is leading the initiative about the size, scale and significance of the project.

Tell us about Create Tour Connect?

Dawn Badland: Create Tour Connect (CTC) is a unique national arts project to support new drama and theatre by connecting touring networks across the country offering joined up opportunities for small scale touring productions.  

Lead by Kent-based Applause Rural Touring, Create Tour Connect is hoped to reach more than 12,000 people in rural communities. 

Funded by Arts Council England, CTC will develop the creation of four new theatre shows and support a nationwide tour to community venues such as village halls, libraries and pubs.

Rural and underserved communities will have access to this high-quality professional theatre enabling them to experience cultural events they may otherwise have difficulty reaching due to social and economic barriers.  

Who is involved?

Dawn: CTC will bring together 17 partner organisations across the country, to share expertise, resources and localised knowledge. Each show will be chosen from applications specific to their region. There will be one show selected from each of the North, South West, South East and Midlands regions.

It feels like this really is a ‘first’ for rural touring? why is it so important? 

Dawn: It is the first time that four new theatre shows have been toured to rural areas on this scale across the country with 140 touring dates over two years. So it is a really exciting time! 

There has been an increasing lack of touring 2-4 hander drama and theatre, relevant to contemporary rural audiences across the country for some time.

Dawn: This has been caused by many factors including the pandemic, high costs and the lack of available strategic funds to underpin them.

Wild is one of the shows that will tour nationwide

Wild is one of the shows that will tour nationwide

A lack of access to high quality professional theatre excludes local communities and their residents from enjoying the social, cultural and financial benefits of the arts.

Thanks to the funding from Arts Council England, this project will address these issues and proactively boost rural touring for the future.

Which artists / theatre companies are the first to be involved? 

Dawn: Wild, from Black Country Touring in the Midlands will be the first show to tour from Autumn 2025.

Just Some Theatre’s new show Eyes Down is representing the North and will tour the country in Spring 2026.

The callout for the South West closes on 29 August and we have just launched the callout for the South East, which closes on 27 October.

How long with it last for?

Dawn: The shows will tour throughout 2025-2027.

What are the next steps?

Dawn: Organisations in each region are currently booking the shows that have already been selected into venues in their areas and we and our partners are looking forward to announcing the shows for the South East and South West later this year.

How can rural touring artists get involved? 

Dawn: They can head to https://applause.org.uk/about-us/projects/create-tour-connect/ for more information about the project and sign up to our newsletter via our website to keep up to date with stories about the project and how to get involved.

Organisations involved: 

Northern Consortia: Spot On (Lancs), Highlights, Cheshire Rural Touring Arts, Blaize (Artery & Live Lincs), Arts Out West, Rural Arts ON Tour 

Southwest Consortia: Artsreach, Carn to Cove, Take Art, Villages in Action, Air in G.

Midlands Consortia: Black Country Touring, Live & Local, Arts Alive. 

Southeast Consortia:  Applause, Creative Arts East, Farnham Maltings.

Eyes Down will tour the country through Create Tour Connect

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