Rural touring – Carn to Cove

C-scape Dance Company are part of Dance South West Associate Artists scheme, which takes dancers and choreographers into communities. Their production Blonde toured village halls as part of Carn to Cove's rural touring scheme., Simon Burt, Apex

Carn to Cove enables rural communities to bring something 'different' to their village hall, to bring wonderment and fun into the community, to make people gasp and cry with laughter, to create a social event to bring the village together or to make a bit of money for hall funds!

The village hall group chooses a programme of events from a compiled ‘menu’ of professional performers, publicises the event locally, sells tickets, hosts the event and offers accommodation to artists where needed, with support from the Carn to Cove team, based in Redruth. Carn to Cove deals with booking and contracting the acts, researching and compiling the ‘Menu’ and all other administration.

They offer professional acts at highly subsidised prices, reducing the financial risk to the village promoters and giving them the chance to make some money for their own use. As well as regular funding from Arts Council England, South West, they receive support from Cornwall County Council and all six of Cornwall’s district councils – Caradon, Carrick, Kerrier, North Cornwall, Penwith and Restormel.

In 2008/09, Arts Council England funding to Carn to Cove was £27,784, in 2009/10 it is £28,535 and in 2010/11 they will receive £29,305.