About Us
As the rural and community touring scheme for Northamptonshire, Northants Touring Arts exists to provide communities with access to high quality arts events by supporting volunteer promoters to host performances and workshops by professional artists in their community.
Each year we present a programme of more than 60 events that take place across Northamptonshire. This programme includes theatre, music, dance, comedy, storytelling and events for children. We believe that the arts have a valuable role to play in enhancing the quality of life for individuals and developing community cohesion, and that the opportunity to access the arts in a community setting should be available to all.
Our work is made possible through the funding we receive from Arts Council East Midlands and the county and district Councils of Northamptonshire. This includes: Northamptonshire County Council, Corby Borough Council, Daventry District Council, Kettering Borough Council and South Northamptonshire Council.
Northants Touring Arts is managed by New Perspectives Theatre Company. With over 40 years’ experience of rural and community touring, New Perspectives has built up an extensive knowledge and understanding of the sector, and is able to deliver all aspects of NTA’s programme using its dedicated team of staff. New Perspectives is funded by Arts Council East Midlands and is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee.
Latest News
Seven Ages comes to Northamptonshire
December 12th, 2012
Kepow Theatre Company's production of Seven Ages will visit two venues in Northamptonshire in 2013.
Praised for it's wonderful combination of comedy, drama and pathos, Seven Ages explores the idea that we go through seven stages in life; from infancy - through love and wisdom - to growing old disgracefully.
Formed in 1991, Kepow are now one of Europe's leading improvisation and mask-based theatre companies and one of Britain's funniest. Over the past 21 years Kepow have produced 25 shows and have toured the world, performing in Hawaii, New Zealand, America, Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany, Norway, Bali and Holland. The company have also collectively, worked with some of Britain's leading theatres and theatre companies including the National Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
Praised by audiences and critics alike, this groundbreaking comedy theatre production recently celebrated it's 400th performance at Riverhouse Arts Centre in Surrey earlier this month.
WATCH the Seven Ages trailer here
Ghostly Goings-On as A Christmas Carol Comes to Northamptonshire
November 20th, 2012
Dickens' classic tale A Christmas Carol will continue to play in village halls across Northamptonshire in the lead up to Christmas.
To mark the bicentenary of Charles Dickens' birth, New Perspectives Theatre Company presents this heart-warming, spine-tingling Christmas story as a one-man version, featuring drama, storytelling, an original musical underscore and an array of Victorian-style theatre effects.
i“This is one of the greatest-loved stories of all time, written by one of our greatest-loved writers. It was always our idea that one actor would create the world of A Christmas Carol - Dickens did it to great effect - so we’ve decided to go down the road of an old Victorian style piece of theatre using effects that were available in that period” - Matt Cullum, Director.
The show has already been performed at three venues in Northamptonshire and has received praise from audience from audiences, promoters and critics alike:
"A thoroughly engaging production that packs small but plays big. A one-man show of the highest quality." - Neil Bonner, The Stage
Read the full review here
The show will play at:
Gayton Village Hall on 2 December - For tickets call 01604 859444
Ecton Village Hall on 12 December - For tickets call 01604 402582
More information about New Perspectives Theatre Company and A Christmas Carol can be found here.
Watch the behind the scenes trailer here
The Incredible Dr Guttman comes to Northamptonshire
November 14th, 2012
We're delighted that The Incredible Dr Guttman will be coming to Old Village Hall on Saturday 24 November as part of Northants Touring Arts.
The production is a world premiere and tells the remarkable story of Dr Guttman, a doctor at Stoke Mandeville Hosptial, who staged the first ever games for ex-service men and women on the same day as the 1948 London Olympics.
The brainchild of Producer Karen Simpson, the show has been praised by audience and critics alike. Karen began working on the project three years ago when living and working in Oxford:
‘When I first started to tell people about my idea for a new play based on Ludwig Guttmann, everyone I met outside of Stoke Mandeville said “ who?” Even though he lived in Oxford for most of his life it was really hard to get anyone to take the idea seriously but maybe I’m a little bit like Guttmann. I don’t like to give up on a good idea!’
Earlier this year, Karen who is an experienced theatre director and producer was successful in attracting funds from the National Lottery to develop the play with TV and theatre-writer Nicholas McInerny. Since then they have been working with staff from Stoke Mandeville, ex-patients and people who knew the man to try and capture what made him so special.
Read a review of the show HERE
Take a look at the full selection of production photographs HERE
The Incredible Dr Guttman plays at Old Village Hall, Northamptonshire on Saturday 24 November at 7.30pm. For tickets call 07867 778073.
Northants Touring Arts Review of 2011/ 12
April 30th, 2012
It’s been a wonderful year for Northants Touring, with an exciting range of events and performances taking place across the county throughout 2011.
'We are pleased with the programme delivered - It has been varied both in terms of art forms, styles and geography, 7 regionally based companies and artists performing as part of the scheme. Overall we have maintained very similar audience totals for the year with a total of 4198 people attending the 71 performances that took place.
Despite the tightening funding environment, NTA sourced more work with a wider range of costs to allow us to programme flexibly and as we continue into 2012 - 13 season we will endeavour to offer a wide range of events to encourage promoters to choose a variety of work to attract different audiences.'
Chris Kirkwood, Northants Touring Arts
To read the Northants Touring Arts 2011 – 12 report please click on the link below
NORTHANTS TOURING ARTS 2011/ 12 REPORT
Become a Northants Touring Arts promoter
March 14th, 2012
Here at Northants Touring Arts we strive to bring professional performances to rural places, however we couldn't do this without our network of dedicated promoters who voluntarily promote an exciting range of events in communities across Northamptonshire.
Promoting, in the sense we are using here, means all the activities involved in putting on a professional performance in your local hall and encouraging your community to come along and enjoy themselves and we ensure that promoters are offered a wide variety of events and are given the support and tools they need to promote these events successfully.
Here's what a couple of our promoters had to say:
“Old Village Hall Charity has been booking theatrical events through NTA for some years and has built up a regular and enthusiastic audience of 50-80. The plays are always very well recieved and, through NTA, we are assured of quality in performance and a wide choice of thought-provoking and entertaining subjects to suit a variety of tastes and age groups. It is a joy and privilege for our small local community to widen their horizons and come together to share the experience of live theatre locally - and for most people, at a venue within walking distance and within their pockets." - Katie Lindenbaum, Old Village Hall
“Byfield is over 20 miles from the nearest regular live theatre - in Northampton - and as such having the opportunity to present good quality professional arts events in the village hall is a godsend to many parishioners, especially those who would not or could not travel to Northampton. Staging these events also brings a necessary income to the village hall and keeps the hall in use... The wide range of events offered by NTA allows small communities to experience live theatre that they may never think of attending from Shakespeare to Blues to Comedy.” - Angela Weller, Byfield Village Hall
If you'd like to find out more about becoming a promoter in you community then please don't hestitate to contact the Northants Touring Arts team on 0115 927 2334 or email info@northantstouringarts.co.uk.
Alternatively you can click here to read more promoter testimonials and find out about starting out as a Northants Touring Arts promoter.
Welcome to Our Brand New Site
December 13th, 2011
We are delighted to welcome you to the launch of Northants Touring Arts' brand new website
Having led the way for rural touring websites throughout the UK, the website has received a brand new look, which will coincide with exciting changes that we will be making to the scheme in the coming months.
The scheme will allow more flexibilty for promoters to book events in their communities and give performers more of an opportunity to put their work out there. The website will assist with this by allowing performers and promotrs access to the latest information all year round.
Audiences will also benefit, as the website has been designed to be more user-friendly and offers a wide range of access to information, including links to videos, images, venue information and much, much more!
Chris Kirkwood, General Manager at New Perspectives Theatre Company, who runs Northants Touring Arts is thrilled with the new site:
At Northants Touring Arts we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of developments in the rural touring sector. This website, developed in partnership with De Facto is the first step in providing volunteer promoters in villages across Northamptonshire with an even better service for booking high quality professional performances right in the heart of their community. We are thrilled with the result!
