Music and memories, thrift and thread for the Highlights Spring season

The new Spring season brochure is out from the Highlights Rural Touring Scheme for Cumbria and Durham. It includes details of fifteen exciting shows covering the whole range of performing arts and also has information about this year’s Contemporary Craft Tour, Thrift & Thread.

Performances for everyone
The Spring season includes over 50 theatre, dance and musical performances in more than 30 different venues across the region. These range from children’s puppet theatre in Alston and Askham, to jazz cabaret in Castle Carrock and Barnard Castle. Familiar names include singer songwriter, Kirsty McGee and storyteller, Hugh Lupton and the season also includes topical dance performances from the C Scape Dance Company.

“Highlights is all about offering professional, entertaining and exciting events in local communities,” explains Barbara Slack, one of the Scheme’s two programme managers. “This is the thirteenth year of Highlights in this area and we have a network of local promoters, each one choosing, organising and publicising the events at their venue on a voluntary basis. The result is a touring programme with something for almost everyone and taking place in venues that are right on the doorstep of rural communities.”

Rosie Cross is the other Scheme manager: “The programme is heavily subsidised with support from local arts organisations and councils as well as Arts Council England. This means that we can bring top flight companies and musicians into the area and offer tickets at a fraction of the commercial costs. First time visitors are usually stunned by the quality of the performances – they can’t quite believe that something so good is available in their local village hall!”

Contemporary crafts
Highlights is also promoting its sixth contemporary craft tour, Thrift & Thread, in 2010. The tour receives additional financial support from the Northern Rock Foundation and the exhibition will be on display at three venues (Dufton, Bowes and Stanhope) during May.

Karen Babayan is the recently appointed Crafts Officer at Highlights: “This year’s tour is all about textiles with an evocative flavour of make-do and mend,” she explains. “We are extremely privileged to be showcasing the work of Mandy Pattulo, who recycles and re-uses old textiles to create contemporary heirlooms and garments. Until 2007, Mandy was course leader for the Foundation Degree in Textile Design at Newcastle College. She left to pursue her own practice in printed textiles, embroidery, knit and fabric manipulation and has exhibited in the UK and in Japan. As well as the Contemporary Craft Tour, Mandy will also be working with dancer and drama specialist, Virginia Kennedy on a series of workshops in schools and community centres across the region.”

Karen, who is a visual artist herself, has previously worked in galleries across the north of England, both as a curator and education officer. She has a particular interest in textiles, so is extremely enthusiastic about the theme of this year’s tour. “Each year, the Contemporary Craft Tour brings something different and this year’s will be no exception. The opportunities for families and school children to participate in textile, dance and drama workshops and then see their own work displayed alongside Mandy’s during the tour, will be tremendous.”

“We know from past experience that the Contemporary Craft Tour usually surprises visitors with its diversity and sheer quality of craftsmanship,” Karen concludes, “and Thrift & Thread promises to be one of the best yet.”

A brochure with full details of the current programme is now available from libraries, Tourist Information Centres and local promoters across the area or from the Highlights offices in King’s Head Court in Appleby or it can be downloaded from the Scheme website at www.highlightsnorth.co.uk.