A DALE folk duo has teamed up with village hall officials in Boldron to help to celebrate the 21st anniversary of a grassroots theatre scheme and raise funds to ensure its continued survival.
Mike and Rosie Bettison – who perform as Notes from Teesdale – will play traditional songs from the dale during an afternoon tea from 2pm at Boldron on Sunday, June 3, in support of the Highlights Rural Touring Scheme.
Highlights brings live performance to small villages across County Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria.
Boldron is one of ten village halls across the Highlights area helping to mark the anniversary.
Entry to the tea party is by donation – suggested minimum £5.
Rosie (hammered dulcimer, bassoon, vocals) and Mike (melodeon, guitar, vocals) will play a collection of traditional songs and music collected from Teesdale over the past century, including the old lead miners song Fourpence a Day and the amusing Â- if politically incorrect – High Force Agricultural Show.
Through to August 2019, Highlights is part of a scheme whereby every £1 raised will be doubled by Arts Council England and will be invested in keeping performances in the villages.
Holly Goodfellow, Highlights fundraiser, said “This is an exciting opportunity because it gives us the chance to generate funds that will really make a change to the way we work.
“By providing a match investment for every donation we receive, the Arts Council has chosen to support performance in our region and we hope this will start to address some of the funding pressures that are hitting us and village halls across the North, ensuring that we have sustainable methods to continue to support you and local activity for years to come.”
Barbara Slack, Highlights co-director added: “We are looking forward to working with promoters, audiences and friends from across the region, in this our biggest and most ambitious fundraiser, to celebrate our 21st Birthday.
“Feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive,” she added.
Highlights Rural Touring Scheme supports local promoters and subsidises performances, making them affordable for small communities and contributing to the social and economic life of the village.
Highlights currently works in partnership with a network of over 75 village promoters who, for the most part, are volunteers who give their time to provide a great night out for their community.
