Ambitious New Theatre Project Begins Its Nationwide Tour

Groundbreaking new theatre project Create Tour Connect - the first time work has been created and toured to rural communities across England on this scale, will launch its inaugural tour in the West Midlands on 8th October.

Designed to progress the way small-scale theatre reaches audiences, the initiative marks a bold step forward for the sector.

Wild, by Black Country Touring is the first show and will begin its tour in Smethwick before heading across the north, midlands, southeast and southwest of the country for a total of 32 dates in community venues.

The full tour list for Wild be found here Wild — Black Country Touring

Drawing on the voices of more than 70 people, the show explores what the idea of ‘wild’ means to us, both in nature and human behaviour. It features an ensemble cast, live music and evocative soundscapes with audiences seated on either side of the performance space.

Create Tour Connect (CTC) will enable four different shows to travel across the country from 2025 to 2027, each one specially created or adapted for the project and showcasing the artistic talents from their own regions.

Led by Kent based arts charity Applause Rural Touring, and supported by Arts Council England, CTC includes 17 partner organisations nationwide and is expected to reach more than 12,000 people in rural areas.  By working together, local knowledge, resources and expertise can be shared on a scale that has never been seen before, lowering costs and the risks involved in programming and coordinating tours.

Applause Director Dawn Badland said:

"The decline in small-scale touring theatre caused by the pandemic, rising costs and reduced funding has meant many rural audiences cannot easily engage in cultural experiences and the opportunities to come together in their communities. CTC is designed to reverse that trend, by bringing more high-quality, contemporary work directly into village halls, libraries, theatres and pubs to give people the chance to reconnect and better support touring artists".

For more information about Create Tour Connect, please contact Lisa Whitbread (Applause) - [email protected].