The simple fact is that rural communities are not automatically well-off and pretty places. Some are industrial, remote and suffer from all the attendant problems of a degraded and neglected environment.

In 'Same Scenery, Different Lifestyle: Rural Children on a Low Income' (The Children's Society 1997) Jim Davis and Tess Ridge argue that "rural poverty is not an area phenomenon but rather consists of marginalised groups of deprived people whose experiences are obscured by the relative affluence of others around them."

Rural communities have as much right as their urban counterparts to enjoy a full cultural life. Yet only one paragraph (out of 150 pages) in the Rural White Paper highlights the importance of culture. Nor are the arts generally perceived by government as being an effective tool for delivering on rural issues. This is exacerbated by the unfortunate tendency within the arts establishment, dominated as it is by metropolitan values and perceptions, to sideline creative practice that originates from within a rural context. Innovation and quality in the arts is usually associated with major conurbations.

The rural perception is somewhat different. Village halls, churches and schools are the hub of rural life, offering an environment in which the arts can flourish. Traditionally, neither artists and arts companies nor the local people have really worked effectively together, but since the 1980s rural touring schemes have played a major role in bridging that gap, contributing much to the vitality of village life.

Each scheme offers a range of arts events at affordable prices to a network of voluntary promoters acting locally, who promote and sell tickets for each village event, nurturing audiences and building confidences in the quality of what is on offer. This collaborative approach brings innovative and exciting arts events to non-traditional arts spaces in small, and sometimes isolated, communities.

Many schemes also deliver a participatory programme. The two areas of activity complement each other and have led a number of schemes to take on a broader rural arts development role.

Quite often this work is undertaken with targeted groups of participants and involves partnerships with other agencies and bodies. It frequently entails working alongside local authority arts units and the formal /informal education sectors and bodies like Primary Care Trusts, Social Services, Youth Offending Teams, Social and Economic Regeneration Initiatives. It invariably means working with the voluntary sector and other arts development agencies.

Each has a distinctive profile. What binds them together is a passion and commitment to their work, coupled to their knowledge of their area and contact with other significant players.

In January 2003 the National Rural Touring Forum commissioned Francois Matarasso to carry out research into rural arts touring and, specifically, the outcomes in relation to the social and, more widely, the cultural and economic impacts. In his work-plan for "Rural Virtues: understanding rural arts touring" Francois writes:
…there is a growing awareness, within Government and its agencies, of the benefits of arts activity. The DCMS, for example, led a cross-departmental policy review into the role of the arts and sport in addressing social exclusion…
However, little attention is given to rural areas and their arts interests in a debate which tends, understandably perhaps, to concentrate on the more evident problems of our cities and towns. The interest of local authorities varies widely, while the Local Government Association has considered the arts in rural areas intermittently. Nor have those departments and agencies concerned with rural affairs yet shown much interest in the potential contribution of the arts to community life and its sustainability, though the Countryside Agency is beginning to consider what role the arts might play in achieving its objectives."

Although the research will concentrate on investigating touring scheme case studies, it will also look at the work of other bodies and organisations engaged in arts work in rural areas.

It is an exciting time to be developing arts practice in a rural context. From a modest baseline, rural touring schemes are making a difference, developing and implementing a number of interesting initiatives. The continuing maturity of the NRTF also means that progress is being made at a national level and the signs are that funders and policymakers are starting to take notice.


Farm Visit Workshop -Delegates' Hayride. Rural Shift conference. Photo ©Kate Bellis

Contact: Alice Porter, Co-ordinator,
NRTF
Tel: 01759 303624.
www.nrtf.org.uk