Hat-trick of gongs for Highlights

In its 21st birthday year, Highlights become the stars of their own show, treading the boards to accept a raft of awards at the annual NRTF (National Rural Touring Forum) awards in Worcester.
Frei Douglas a promoter at Appleby Town Hall, Appleby Hub and Dufton Village Hall, Janet Wood of Shap Memorial Hall, Mike Greener who took the award for Voluntary Promote of the Year, Ian McMillan, Tom Speight  chair of the NRTF and a promoter at Watson Institute at Castle Carrock, Barbara Slack, Co Director of Highlights and recipient of the Special Award and Rosie Cross Co Director of Highlights.Frei Douglas a promoter at Appleby Town Hall, Appleby Hub and Dufton Village Hall, Janet Wood of Shap Memorial Hall, Mike Greener who took the award for Voluntary Promote of the Year, Ian McMillan, Tom Speight  chair of the NRTF and a promoter at Watson Institute at Castle Carrock, Barbara Slack, Co Director of Highlights and recipient of the Special Award and Rosie Cross Co Director of Highlights.
Frei Douglas a promoter at Appleby Town Hall, Appleby Hub and Dufton Village Hall, Janet Wood of Shap Memorial Hall, Mike Greener who took the award for Voluntary Promote of the Year, Ian McMillan, Tom Speight chair of the NRTF and a promoter at Watson Institute at Castle Carrock, Barbara Slack, Co Director of Highlights and recipient of the Special Award and Rosie Cross Co Director of Highlights.

The awards, made during a ceremony at Worcester University last month, recognise achievements in the rural touring sector and celebrate the amazing people who make it happen – the promoters, volunteers, touring schemes, artists and companies. In making the awards, an independent panel of judges, made up of arts industry and rural experts, were looking for examples of excellent and dedicated practice, and, from hundreds of award nominations submitted from industry peers across the country, announced Highlights as winners in three of the six award categories.

Highlights tours shows to village halls across Cumbria, County Durham and Northumberland, but it was in Northumberland that it did particularly well with two of the three awards being for Northumberland promoters and projects.

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The first award for ‘Voluntary Promoter of the Year’ went to Mike Greener, from Spittal Improvement Trust.

Highlights then took the award for ‘Best Touring Collaboration’ for its partnership with Morpeth theatre company, November Club and their new musical, Beyond the End of the Road, which toured with Highlights in June. The show appeared at eight village halls in Northumberland and involved communities in craft workshops, cake baking and story gathering as well as appearing in the show as actors, choirs and musicians. The project allowed Highlights to work more in-depth with its promoting villages and helped November Club to reach new audiences in their first rural tour.

To end the evening Highlights also took the highest accolade – the NRTF Special Award for an outstanding contribution to the world of rural touring. This award went to Highlights co-director Barbara Slack.

“It’s not so much what Barbara has done in the last 12 months,” one of those who nominated her said. “It’s more what she has done in the past 21 years”. Barbara was the first director of Highlights when it began in 1997. She has grown the organisation from working with a handful of village venues to programming in the region of 160 performances per year in around 65 village and community venues across Cumbria, County Durham and Northumberland. “

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She has been not only a dedicated manager and leader for Highlights, but also an advocate for rural touring across the UK.”

Barbara said: “Working with so many volunteers, artists and colleagues who are passionate about the arts, has been a real privilege. It was a great honour to receive the award.”

The awards were presented by poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan (BBC Radio 3’s The Verb). The ‘Bard of Barnsley’ had himself toured to BURC with Highlights in March with his aptly titled show Words, Music, Glee & Delight where he spoke of his connection to Spittal and his fond memories of family holidays in the area.

The annual awards ceremony is hosted by the National Rural Touring Forum who represent the interests of the 33 member schemes across the country – including Highlights. Highlights works with 20 village promoters across Northumberland and a further 50 across Cumbria and Durham and work together to bring performances from national touring companies into the heart of rural communities.

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Central to the schemes is their partnership with a network of mostly volunteer promoters who, like Mike, bring their time, energy and enthusiasm to promote and host events for the enjoyment of their communities. They make a significant contribution to their communities.