Applause

Applause Brings Exceptional Performances to the Heart of Local Communities

We are a cultural organisation, funded by Arts Council England. We are here to develop opportunities for rural communities to work with us, and to provide engaging cultural experiences for all.

Applause is cultural charitable organisation working with people across Kent, Sussex, Essex and the wider region to create opportunities for creative experience close to home.

Communities are at the heart of everything we do and being far flung from a building for culture shouldn’t be a barrier to experiencing it. Our work offers the opportunity to bring people together for inspiring, shared experiences celebrating the positive impacts culture has for a community. It’s power to unite, inspire, connect and heal.

From halls to pubs to libraries, from fetes and festivals to village greens and to wide open spaces. We connect exceptional artists and performers with a network of passionate volunteers and programmers. Our work with artists and performers helps connect the dots to tour performance as well as develop new creations that empower people to reimagine where they live.

Every year Applause  commissions small-scale outdoor shows, developed especially for outdoor events including village fetes and local festivals.

When our outdoor commissioning period is open, we look for work that entertains and engages a diverse audience and is self-sufficient (i.e. not require technical or other support / involvement by the host organisation) and can be accessed by all. The shows can be walk about, static productions (of no more than 25’ in length), installations or interactive events and are intended to suit a range of time frames and to slot into existing events and activities. Previous commission have included a mix of outdoor live arts, contemporary circus, dance, storytelling, installations, walkabout and music.

We usually offer two funding options, one for commissions of new work specifically created for Applause and the other for existing outdoor work that may require some reshaping/development to tour rurally across our network of promoters in  Kent, East and West Sussex and Essex.