Highlights Rural Touring Scheme is back with top quality arts performances in village halls and community venues across County Durham this Autumn, with tickets going on sale on Tuesday 25 August.
After its recent success, Highlights, which is a charity funded by Arts Council England, is repeating its Early Bird discount on all standard tickets booked from Tuesday 25 August to Tuesday 8 September, offering the standard £15 ticket at just £12 for that fortnight.
Highlights works across the north of England to bring high quality arts events to small rural communities. This season sees nine performances and three arts and crafts workshops in nine village halls and community spaces across County Durham.
The performances start in September, with Toronto-based Duane Forrest bringing his internationally award-winning show Bob Marley: How Reggae Changed the World to Edmundbyers Village Hall.
Elsa McTaggart and Gary Lister bring Hebridean Fire to Hamsterley and Barningham Village Halls. These multi-instrumentalists from the Isle of Lewis perform an eclectic musical journey through the Islands and Highlands of Scotland past and present.
Coming from closer to home, are Royal Northern Sinfonia as part of their Out and About programme. Bringing a small group of woodwind musicians to Cotherstone Village Hall, this is a new collaboration to get excited about!
Our longstanding Canadian partnerships bring two very different, but equally talented, bands to County Durham this Autumn. Award-winning trio Inn Echo hail from Prince Edward Island, and will thrill Boldron Village Hall with their high-energy blend of contemporary folk and traditional music. Newfoundland-based Duane Andrews and the Hot Club of Conception Bay will be heating up Scarth Memorial Hall, Staindrop with a unique mix of traditional Newfoundland music and the swing jazz of the legendary two fingered guitarist Django Reinhardt.
BBC Radio 4 Sitcom Award-winning duo Black Liver return to Highlights with Rogues’ Gallery. combining storytelling, poetry and music in a brand new play at Frosterley Village Hall.
As we head into the dark nights of December, Bowes Village Hall welcome Light in the Darkness, a delightful evening with the Cumbria Tatie Pot Collective celebrating the stories and songs of winter.
And for the younger audiences, storyteller Gav Cross returns to Highlights with his family-friendly, silly and spooky storytelling show, Ghastly Stories for Gruesome Gremlins. For brave children aged 7+, the interactive performance mixes old and new supernatural tales, with more laughs and giggles than actual frights.
Off stage, we welcome back our Creative Highlights arts and crafts workshop with pendant enamelling, willow weaving and watercolour workshops at Hamsterley and Barningham Village Halls.
For booking information and details about the full Highlights Rural Touring Scheme Autumn Season visit www.highlightsnorth.co.uk
HIGHLIGHTS RURAL TOURING SCHEME EVENT LISTINGS
September – December 2026
Bob Marley: How Reggae Changed the World
Join Duane Forrest on an acoustic journey through the roots of reggae to the global influence of Bob Marley. Experience acoustic renditions of legendary reggae songs that have reshaped countless lives, including Duane's own. From the origin of reggae to Marley's transcendent legacy, immerse yourself in the soulful melodies and transformative power of this iconic music.
Wednesday 23 Sept 7.15pm
Tickets: £15 (£12 Early Bird offer before 8 September)
Bookings: 01207 255681
Hebridean Fire
Elsa Jean McTaggart and Gary Lister present Hebridean Fire. These multi-instrumentalists from the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, take us on an eclectic musical journey through the Islands and
Highlands of Scotland, past and present.
Saturday 17 Oct 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 (£12 Early Bird offer before 8 September)
Bookings: 07821 517991
Sunday 18 Oct 7.30pm
Tickets: Pay What You Decide £12/£15/£18
Bookings: 01833 640909 Online: www.highlightsnorth.co.uk
Royal Northern Sinfonia: Out & About
Royal Northern Sinfonia call The Glasshouse, Gateshead home, but the music doesn’t stop there. Bringing a small group of woodwind musicians to rural venues, this exquisite programme will include: Barber Summer Music (11’), Janeck Mladi (17’) and Nielsen Wind Quintet (23’).
Thursday 22 Oct 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 (£12 Early Bird offer before 8 September)
Bookings: 01833 651923
Ghastly Stories for Gruesome Gremlins
Boggarts, ghosts & things that go burp in the night.
In this silly and spooky storytelling show, Gav Cross brings a family friendly hour of nonsense and nastiness! Expect gasps and giggles and maybe even a chill down the back of your neck... Saturday 24 Oct 2pm UTASS, Middleton-in-Teesdale, DL2 3JL
All tickets £5
Bookings: 01833 660802 Online: www.highlightsnorth.co.uk
Inn Echo
Award-winning Canadian trio Inn Echo crafts a cinematic, high-energy sound rooted in Celtic traditions, blending fierce fiddle, grooving guitar, and soaring cello. A force in contemporary folk and traditional music.
Thursday 5 Nov 8pm Boldron Village Hall, Boldron DL12 9RF
Tickets: Pay What You Decide £12/£15/£18 (£12 Early Bird offer before 8 September)
Bookings: 01833 638210
Rogues’ Gallery
Step into Rogues’ Gallery — a smart, cheeky comedy celebrating the forgotten women of art history. A brand-new comedy from award-winning company Black Liver (BBC Radio 4 Sitcom Award winners).
Saturday 14 Nov 7.15pm
Tickets: £15 (£12 Early Bird offer before 8 September)
Bookings: 07718 385646
Duane Andrews & The Hot Club of Conception Bay
Juno award-winning Canadian musicians Duane Andrews & The Hot Club of Conception Bay,
unite traditional Newfoundland music with the swing jazz of the legendary two fingered guitarist Django Reinhardt.
Thursday 26 Nov 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 (£12 Early Bird offer before 8 September)
Bookings: 01833 660802
Light in the Darkness
Pull up a seat by the fire and embrace the arrival of winter. Join the Cumbrian Tatie Pot Collective for a warming evening of stories and songs, celebrating winter in all its raw beauty.
Sunday 6 Dec 7.30pm Bowes & Gilmonby Parish Hall, Bowes DL12 9HU
Tickets: £15 (£12 Early Bird offer before 8 September)
Bookings: 01833 628343
CREATIVE HIGHLIGHTS ARTS & CRAFTS WORKSHOPS
October 2026 – March 2027
Teesdale Felt – pendant enamelling
Using vibrant, non-leaded enamel powders, participants will learn how to preparecopper blanks, sift and layer beautiful colours, experiment with patterns and stencils,and fire their piece on site.
Friday 13 Nov 9.30am Hamsterley Village Hall, Hamsterley DL13 3PZ
Tickets: £35
Bookings: 07821 517991
Sylvan Skills – Willow bird feeder
A relaxing and rewarding session learning the traditional craft of willow basketry. Participants will create two of theirown birdfeeders to take home: a simple corn dolly weave conical feeder, then a more complex longer cone feeder for fat balls.
Friday 5 February 9.30am Hamsterley Village Hall, Hamsterley DL13 3PZ
Tickets: £35
Bookings: 07821 517991
Val Stamper Watercolour – credit card hills
Forget brushes! In this fun and relaxing workshop, participants will move and sculpt
watercolour on paper using a plastic ‘credit card’. Participants will create a sky using a
simple, common watercolour technique and then they will use deep, earthy colours to
create the wintery image of a fell.
Friday 5 March 10am
Tickets: £35
Bookings: 01833 640909 Online: www.highlightsnorth.co.uk
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