Keeping COVID-19 Secure
Your safety – and the safety of our staff, artists and volunteers – remains our utmost priority, whether at The Courthouse or at one of our performances or workshops across North Yorkshire.
We hope the information below gives you everything you need, but if you have any questions please contact us by emailing admin@ruralarts.org or by calling 01845 526 536.
Latest Update (March 2023)
Although COVID restrictions in England have lifted, we have kept some of the changes we made previously to ensure everyone can remain confident throughout their visit.
We review these periodically and are grateful for your understanding and support.
We’re committed to creating as safe an environment as possible for everyone who visits, with particular regard to disabled people and those clinically extremely vulnerable.
The Courthouse – including our award-winning café and artisan shop – is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm. We are also running outreach projects and touring performances across North Yorkshire and the Tees Valley.
Unable or not quite ready to join us in person? Check out our free, recorded workshops.
Visiting The Courthouse
During your visit you may wish to:
- Wear a face-covering
- Wash or sanitise your hands during your visit
- Let us know any concerns
To keep our staff, customers and artists safe, please do not enter The Courthouse if you have Coronavirus symptoms, or have tested positive for Coronavirus.
You can also review our COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions below, and may wish to review our general information about visiting The Courthouse which may help you plan your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your safety during your visit to The Courthouse remains our priority.
- Ventilation is increased throughout the building
- Social distancing and face masks are available on request
- Perspex screens can be provided for workshops and performances/live screenings
- Wear a face-covering
- Wash or sanitise your hands during your visit
- Let us know any concerns
You may wish to review the current Government guidance on face coverings before your visit.
As of October 2022, guidance recommends you consider wearing a face covering when:
- COVID-19 (and other respiratory infection) rates are high and you will be in close contact with other people, such as in crowded and enclosed spaces
- you are coming into close contact with someone at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell from COVID-19 or other respiratory infections
Social distancing or separation via acrylic screen can be provided at our workshops, performances and live screenings.
Please request this in advance (admin@ruralarts.org / 01845 526 536) to ensure we can prepare the space accordingly.
To keep our staff, customers and artists safe, we ask that you not to attend The Courthouse if you have Coronavirus symptoms, or have tested positive.
We’re sorry if this means missing a brilliant performance or workshop you were really looking forward to. We’re grateful if you can let us know if you’re not able to attend by emailing admin@ruralarts.org
Thank you so much of thinking of us during this difficult time.
Despite being a small charity, we hope to have a big impact on the communities we work with. The pandemic has significantly affected our financial stability and the ability to enrich lives and connect communities.
There are three main ways you can support us:
1. Visit The Courthouse
We have recommencing all of our activities at The Courthouse, including workshops, performances, screenings, exhibitions, and have re-opened our café and shop. Proceeds from all of this activity supports our charity, so please visit us if you can.
2. Support us from afar
Perhaps you’re not able or not ready to return to The Courthouse yet.
You can support us from afar by:
- Buy a Gift Voucher for use against future Rural Arts’ activity
- Our Gift Vouchers can be any value and can be used on absolutely anything we do – from food in the cafe to a workshop for you or a loved one!
- Gift Vouchers are valid for one full year, or a year from the date we re-open if you purchase a Gift Voucher during a period of closure
- Transferring any current bookings into donations
- Just let us admin@ruralarts.org know and we will take care of the rest
- Share about what we do
- Whether it’s via social media or on a socially-distanced walk with friends, help us spread the word about Rural Arts
3. Make a donation
- Simple and direct, helping us to protect Rural Arts for the future
- To make a donation now, click here
- To discuss longer term ways of supporting us, email Max May, Director and CEO: max@ruralarts.org
Please do consider supporting other local small businesses and charities at this time. They are vulnerable to rapid change but are vital to making our communities vibrant and strong.
Rural Arts' in-person activities across the region
Rural Arts has performances and workshops you can get involved in across the region!
Frequently Asked Questions
The specific COVID-19 Secure measures at our ON Tour performances are decided by the community venue that hosts the event.
We support these venues by providing them our own guidelines as a framework, and keeping them updated as to changes in restrictions.
You can contact us if you would like more information about a specific performance.
We want to make sure we support artists, and bring brilliant performance to rural communities. This means if possible we’ll reschedule events, rather than cancelling them.
If for any reason this isn’t possible, and you booked your ticket directly with Rural Arts, we’ll be in touch to share options with you. This usually includes transferring to another performance, receiving credit / a gift voucher, donating your ticket value, or receiving a refund.
This will depend on the type of activity and the participants’ needs. In general, you can expect the guidelines to be very similar (if not identical) to those maintained at The Courthouse. You can contact us if you would like more information about a specific activity.
Anything else
Frequently Asked Questions
Thank you so much of thinking of us during this difficult time.
Despite being a small charity, we hope to have a big impact on the communities we work with. The pandemic has significantly affected our financial stability and the ability to enrich lives and connect communities.
There are three main ways you can support us:
1. Visit The Courthouse
We have recommenced all of our activities at The Courthouse, including workshops, performances, screenings, exhibitions, and have re-opened our café and shop. Proceeds from all of this activity supports our charity, so please do visit us if you can.
2. Support us from afar
Perhaps you’re not able or not ready to return to The Courthouse yet.
You can support us from afar by:
- Buy a Gift Voucher for use against future Rural Arts’ activity
- Our Gift Vouchers can be any value and can be used on absolutely anything we do – from food in the cafe to a workshop for you or a loved one!
- Gift Vouchers are valid for one full year, or a year from the date we re-open if you purchase a Gift Voucher during a period of closure
- Transferring any current bookings into donations
- Just let us admin@ruralarts.org know and we will take care of the rest
- Share about what we do
- Whether it’s via social media or on a socially-distanced walk with friends, help us spread the word about Rural Arts
3. Make a donation
- Simple and direct, helping us to protect Rural Arts for the future
- To make a donation now, click here
- To discuss longer term ways of supporting us, email Max May, Director and CEO: max@ruralarts.org
Please do consider supporting other local small businesses and charities at this time. They are vulnerable to rapid change but are vital to making our communities vibrant and strong.
You can speak to our cafe and shop staff directly in The Courthouse during our opening hours (Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm). They can help you with general enquiries about our activities and you can book onto events directly via them.
You can contact any of our staff via email using the addresses found on our Meet the Team page here.
Our phone lines are open Tuesday – Friday, 9am – 5.30pm. Sometimes, due to how busy our small team is, there may be no answer during these hours. If you leave a message on our voicemail, someone will get back to you as soon as possible. Messages are checked every weekday.
Information and full guidance about Coronavirus can be found on the Government’s website by clicking here.
