Cheshire Rural Touring Network
The Mini Network has just received Grants for Arts Award for £22,000 over 3 years.
The main aim of the Cheshire's Rural Touring Network (Cheshire County Council) has been to promote high quality arts work for adults and children into rural venues throughout the County for past 9 years.
In 2003 a need was identified to provide performances and activities for early years audiences in rural areas, so The Mini Network was set up. This project aimed to bring together individuals and groups interested in arts for early years, forming them into rural clusters. They then select and promote stimulating and challenging arts work, particularly for 2-6 year olds and their carers.
Cheshire Community Action were keen to support this project, seeing its potential to improve the quality of life for the residents of some of the most isolated communities across Cheshire. An exciting partnership between SureStart Cheshire, Cheshire Community Action, Cheshire Music Partnership (involving all Cheshire's District Authorities) and Cheshire Dance developed.
The Mini Network now have 9 Clusters who have to date hosted theatre performances, sculpture workshops, dance workshops with performances and music workshops & performances involving some of the Country's leading artists and companies.
The reaction to the piloting of the project over the last 18 months has been incredibly positive. This gave the Network partnership the confidence and evidence to apply for a 'Grants for Arts Award' from the Arts Council to help develop the Mini Network over the next three years. We are delighted to announce that this bid has been successful and that The Mini Network will be in receipt of £22,000 over three years from January 06.
