The first tour from the Create Tour Connect project launches on 8th October, in the West Midlands.
Wild, by Black Country Touring will travel to Smethwick before heading across the north, midlands, southeast and southwest of the country for 32 dates in community venues.
Tour dates
The full tour list for Wild can 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.
Bold step forward
Create Tour Connect (CTC) enables four different shows to travel across the country from 2025 to 2027. Each one is specially created or adapted for the project and showcases the artistic talents from their regions. It has been designed to progress how small-scale theatre reaches audiences. The initiative marks a bold step forward for the sector because it is the first time work has been created and toured to rural communities across England on this scale.
Working together
CTC is led by Applause Rural Touring, and supported by Arts Council England. It includes 17 partner organisations and is expected to reach more than 12,000 people in rural areas. By working together, local knowledge, resources and expertise can be shared, helping to lower 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 has been designed to reverse that trend, by bringing more high-quality, contemporary work directly into village halls, libraries, theatres and pubs so that people are given the chance to reconnect and touring artists are better supported.”
To find out more about the project go to Create Tour Connect
