The National Rural Touring Forum (NRTF) has announced the shortlist for the first ever awards celebrating rural touring in the UK. And we’re on it! Over 700 individuals nominated productions, venues, promoters, schemes, and staff for the award (please find the shortlist below). The shortlist will now go before an independent judging panel comprising Guardian journalist Lyn Gardner, writer and researcher Francois Matarasso, Ed Collier of independent producing studio China Plate and Beccy Speight, Chief Executive of The Woodland Trust. Carn to Cove has been shortlisted in the Most Supportive Touring Scheme category, alongside our colleagues at Arts Alive and Highlights. We’re honoured to be in such esteemed company!
Nominations across all categories were made by audiences (who made around 55% of nominations), as well as touring scheme staff, artists and promoters. Audience numbers in 2015/16 were in excess of 332,000 across NTRF shows, and since the first Nation Rural Touring Forum figures in 2006/07 there has been an increase in audience numbers of 26%, reflecting a huge increase in the amount of work that is reaching and being enjoyed by rural audiences, which requires the support of the local schemes that make up the NTRF.
Director and NRTF board member Elizabeth Freestone said, “We are delighted by the number of nominations that we received for our first ever rural touring awards. It shows the interest and enthusiasm that exists amongst audiences, promoters, touring schemes and artists for this area of work. It's thanks to the efforts of dedicated volunteer promoters, of hard-working performers, of committed touring schemes and of loyal audiences that rural touring is vibrant and thriving. The RTAs will allow us to publicly show gratitude to those individuals who have made a real difference to a community over the past year.”
The presentation of awards will take place on 28th June at Nottingham University at the NRTF annual conference.
Full list of Nominees:
Rural Touring Newcomer
Lila Dance, South East
Tony Leonard, Landlord of Roebuck Inn in Laughton and The Snowdrop Inn in Lewes, Sussex
Hannah Prior, Arts Alive Board member and co-director of I-gnition, Shropshire
Best Promoter
Sue Cottam – Bradworthy Village Hall, Devon
Des George – Neuadd Dyfi, Wales
Rebecca Smith – Cheriton Fitzpaine, Devon
Most innovative and/or inspirational show
The Deluge – Lila Dance, South East,
Paradise Lost (Lies unopen beside me) – Lost Dog, South East
Labels – Worklight Theatre, South West
Most Supportive Touring Scheme
Arts Alive – Shropshire and Herefordshire
Carn to Cove – Cornwall
Highlights Rural Touring Scheme – Cumbria, County Durham, Northumberland
Most Welcoming Village Hall
Felton Village Hall – Northumberland
Melbourne Assembly Rooms – Derbyshire
Quatt Village Hall – Shropshire
NRTF Special Award
Duncan MacInnes, Artistic Director – SEALL, Isle of Skye
Ian Scott, Director – Artreach, Dorset
Christine Smith, Promoter – Night Out Wales
