Happy Friday one and all and welcome back to ‘A Rural Review’. This week began with the day we seldom see – the 29th February. While others were using this extra day to propose to spouses, here at Rural Arts we saw it as a opportunity to cram in even more exciting activities during the week. Of course, although that was an exciting start to the week, the end of the week is even more noteworthy, with Sunday being Mothers Day. Therefore, as a special treat we would like to dedicate this blog to all Mums everywhere – this one is for you!
What’s been happening
Quality Metrics – Stockton Performance
Since October, Rural Arts have been trialling a new way of collating feedback at events. As part of a national trial, ourselves and other performance companies from all over the country have been using Quality Metrics. The metrics are 9 set questions to evaluate performances and are recorded on a cloud-based i-pad system. If you attended the ON Tour ‘Salaam’ show in Loftus or our ‘Hey Clay’ event in December you may have seen us wondering around with I-pads
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| The Talented performers in action! |
and even filled in a evaluation yourself! As part of the process, one of our staff members travelled over to the Arc Theatre in Stockton to give an independent review of their show Stowaway by Analogue Theatre. Safe to say it did not disappoint – it was a hugely powerful performance centring around the story of a man from India who hides in the wheel well of a plane bound for the UK, in a bid for a better life. We want to thank The Arc for inviting us to the show and will definitely be back soon – in the meantime we will be completing our final quality metrics evaluation for our FRESH exhibition at the end of March – so keep your eyes peeled for that!
Holy Moly and the Crackers ON Tour
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| One word to describe it: cracking! |
What a way to kick off our ON Tour season! Holy Moly & The Crackers, who already have provided two fantastic shows for our ON Tour Autumn season, we’re back for a one- off performance. On Saturday, Gilling East Village Hall was packed to the rafters with punters, and with Helmsley Brewery on hand to make sure the drinks were flowing, it was a pretty special atmosphere! A sell out show, a fantastic band and barrels of beer, – you don’t need me to tell you if the event was good or not do I? Big thanks to Holy Moly and Gilling East for setting the bar so high for the rest of the season – this show has just made us even more excited for our next performance, Abi Moore from the 16-19th March (which you can buy tickets for HERE)
A Taste Of… – New Program Alert!
Yes it would not be a blog without a mention of our adult arts club which has quickly become one of our most popular projects we run. However this is a special announcement as our program for our A Taste Of that are running from April to June have been released! The sessions include driftwood painting, mosaics with recycled ceramics and abstract paintings to name but a few. To have a peruse at all the workshops and to book yourself a place on them – you can click HERE. As I am sure you are aware by now these are hugely popular so we would suggest booking quickly to avoid disappointment – our Indigo Type Shibori Dying workshop was sold out and had a waiting list almost as long as a list of Donald Trump’s political gaffs (#topical). Book now!
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| Some beautiful examples of work made at ‘A Taste Of…’ |
What’s coming up
Free performance event!
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| What you will see if you come along next tuesday! |
We spoke about this last week so you probably know all about this by now (if not you should read it, it mentions Bryan Adams and everything). Rural Arts are hosting a free performance event at Newton-le-Willows village hall, where you have the opportunity see an in-development show, try some homemade Indian food and get involved in a discussion about the work Rural Arts does and your own community – all free of charge! We are very excited to offer this opportunity, which is funded by Creative Case North, as we don’t always get the chance to hear your feedback, but when we do, it is incredibly valuable! Therefore we would love as many people as possible at Newton-le-Willows from 3:00pm to 4:30pm on Tuesday 8th March – we hope to see you there! (sign up HERE)
Henry Raby
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| Henry mid-poem |
Sticking with the theme of ‘ free exciting performance you should totally come too’ Henry Raby is kicking off our FRESH performance season! FRESH is our monthly performance nights that take place at our venue, The Courthouse in Thirsk, where exciting new performers have the opportunity to showcase their work for an audience. This audience does not pay a set amount for the show – rather they pay any amount they can at the end of the performance. It is a concept that worked fantastically well in 2015 and we are thrilled to have Henry Raby opening the 2016 season for us. Henry is an active presence in the York poetry scene in both a performing and organising capacity and is classified as ‘nerd-punk’ poet, whose favourite topics to write about include friendship, growing-up and dinosaurs. If this doesn’t sell it nothing well! To book yourself place on what is sure to be a brilliant evening, please click HERE
As You Like it…
What do our National Theatre Live screenings, Light switches and Ross and Rachel all have in common? Yes it’s that they always seem to be on again-off again. But just as Rachel got off the plane and lived a happy life with Ross (we think and hope) we are also determined to make our NT live screenings work. After unfortunately having to cancel the live screening of this show in February, we are pleased to be doing a showing of Shakespeares classic comedy, As You Like it, on the 22nd March. We can also guarantee (this is dangerous isn’t it?) that this performance will be going ahead! We are really excited to have the opportunity to showcase this wonderful piece and really hope you will be able to make it. To book onto the show please click HERE
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| It’s happening we promise! |
Thank you so much reading, and we hope you have a fabulous weekend either pampering your mother or being pampered yourself, or even doing both. We will be back next week for another ‘Rural Review’, and we hope to see you then!
