Applause Rural Touring is thrilled to announce its partnership with Medway Libraries to embark on an innovative and nationally significant arts development program called Rekindle. This initiative places libraries at the heart of creative and cultural experiences for rural and underserved communities.
Project lead Creative Arts East has secured a substantial grant of £567,956 from Arts Council England to collaborate with library and arts partners across Medway, Norfolk, Sandwell, Blackburn, and Buckinghamshire, this pioneering three-year project will not only boost workforce skills but will also experiment with new models of audience engagement both within and beyond library spaces.
This ambitious endeavour will empower Medway Libraries to strengthen ties with the local cultural ecosystem, bringing culturally relevant and creatively vibrant activities to library users through a sustainable and innovative approach. Rekindle aims to transform libraries into hubs of artistic exploration and cultural immersion, fostering a new appreciation for these community cornerstones.
Click here to read about the impact that Rekindle has had in it’s first year
The Library at the Edge of the World by Touched Theatre is a brand new puppet show, commissioned by Applause for the Rekindle project. The Library at the Edge of the World is a magical pop-up interactive show and writing experience for young audiences of all backgrounds that celebrates the power of stories to reconnect us to the world around us.
Past Rekindle Shows
In July 2023, Nearly There Yet presented The Flying Bazazi Brothers in Medway – a lively show blending circus, celebrity, and family tradition. In November 2023, we hosted Enter Edem’s enchanting puppetry performance, Ugly Bugs Wingding, for families. Earlier in April, we brought Thumbelina by Speedwell Dance to Hempstead Library. This June, Seed by Made By Katie Green was at Hempstead Library and Lordswood Library. A playful, interactive adventure for everyone, inspired by nature and the world around. In Autumn 2024 we presented Stories in the Dust, a funny, heartfelt and hopeful eco-fable that takes you to another world, and Curious Investigators, a cracking adventure created in collaboration with engineering experts from Lancaster University:
The Bazazi Brothers and Seed
