The first ten years

1995-96

Applause started life when Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and a wider West Kent Arts Development Consortia trialled a pilot for rural touring.

1998

Following a temporary lapse Applause Rural Touring is reborn, with a dedicated project manager, who starts to build a programme of professional rural arts across the area.

2000

Applause joins the newly emerging National Rural Touring Forum as a touring provider for West Kent

2002

As the network grows, Applause works with its primary partners to create a more sustainable model. Applause becomes an independent company limited by guarantee to help support its development across West Kent.

2004

Applause launches its first website!

2006

Applause develops partnerships with East and North Kent local authorities to offer shows across the county of Kent.

2007

Applause expands into the East Sussex area working with Rother and Shepway and later on across East Sussex.

2010

Applause launches its Applause Outdoors work alongside PANek (Performing Arts Network East Kent) to develop a new outdoor offer.

2011 and onwards

2012

2012 Olympics activity boosts Applause’s Outdoor programme to 71 fetes, fairs and festivals.

2013

A new relationship with West Sussex County Council and Creatives Across Sussex saw Applause expand into another county.

2014

Applause works with Ideas Test to increase new promoters in Medway and Swale.

2016

Applause becomes a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Inn Crowd is launched to work with Pubs.

2018

Applause secures Arts Council National Portfolio Status.

2019

Inn Crowd Pubs + is launched, including touring partners from 6 Rural Touring Schemes.

Applause Outdoors partners with the Roundhouse and Turner Contemporary for Turner Prize Year.

2020

12 performances took place in 2020 before the COVID 19 pandemic forced the country into Lockdown. Live performances were cancelled, but Applause supported What’s Coming Out Of the Box to produce and record The Quest – three audio shows for families. Sara Clifford’s Cherry Soup was made into a radio drama and aired on BBC Sussex. Over the summer season, between lockdowns, 12 outdoor shows and 4 Inn Crowd performances took place.

Inn Crowd Pubs + commissions 10 Lockdown Residencies teaming communities and artists together to create new bespoke work.

2021

Inn Crowd Pubs + partnered with Pub is The Hub to develop Winter Warmers, a project to celebrate pubs, publicans and their communities in Lockdown.

Applause welcomes three new members to its Board of Trustees.

Applause and South Downs National Park announce Full Harvest – a series of audio stories and poems inspired by the South Down landscape available as podcasts.

13 Outdoor Covid safe shows were commissioned and toured during Summer/Autumn 2021

Applause and 101 Creation Space host a free two-day residential rural touring training and development lab for artists.

INN CROWD and Pub is The Hub launched a new poem for Loneliness Awareness Week 2021; encouraging more publicans to think about how they can help tackle loneliness in their local areas.

Applause and East Sussex Libraries collaborated with artist Frank Wurzinger of Tree Fellas to develop a bespoke interactive storytelling workshop; this was specifically designed for a young libraries audience.

New Season Indoor Menu launched for Autumn/Spring 2021/22 featuring 23 shows.

Applause launch first ever Outdoor Festive menu for winter 2021.