Applause Rural Touring is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation based in Tunbridge Wells, a rural touring scheme that supports communities throughout Kent, East Sussex and West Sussex to access professional theatre, music and performing arts.

They connect extraordinary performers with a network of passionate volunteers and programmers, bringing people together to enjoy exciting theatre, music, dance and storytelling in their local community spaces.

Communities are at the heart of everything Applause does. They empower people to bring the arts to their local area, they bring people together for positive, shared experiences and help to enhance creative communities.

They work with artists and performers to ensure that performances are high quality, and that they entertain, challenge and delight audiences of all ages. They subsidise the cost of all events, meaning that prices can be kept affordable, and local – whether that’s a village hall, pub or field!

Their work with artists nurtures the creative process both through developing existing work and commissioning new work specifically for rural touring. Applause supports the artists to ensure they can reach isolated and rural audiences in Kent, Sussex and beyond.

Applause continue to explore new ways of cultivating creativity in communities. Engaging with young people & children through schools and libraries. Partnering with other cultural and rural organisations for special projects, focussing on the positive mental health & wellbeing effects of creative activities for the elderly and isolated, and working to reach audiences in new ways with digital communications.