Creative organisations and practitioners can finally look forward to more opportunities, support, and investment after a 10-year funding gap.

Mendip District Council is supporting Take Art through a grant of £10,000 to deliver events in the rural parts of Mendip. This initiative gives occasions for people to attend events and provides opportunities within the creative sector, which has been severely impacted during the Pandemic, and it brings funded Art back to Mendip.

Sarah Peterkin, Director Rural Touring &Co-Director Theatre said: "We are thrilled to be working with Mendip District Council on this exciting new venture and grateful to the Council for investing in us to deliver this work".

Take Art are now working in Mendip to recruit a small number of volunteers from rural communities to become new arts promoting groups in their own localities. An exciting range of live, affordable, and high-quality performances will be on offer that could take place in village halls, schools, recreation grounds or any other appropriate local community space.

Theatre, dance, spoken word and music performances will all be offered through a carefully selected Menu. Volunteers use this Menu to choose the most appropriate show for their own locale and then work with Take Art to make the event happen.

This includes not only choosing the show in the first place, but promoting and publicising it locally, selling tickets and hosting the performers on the day/night. Take Art will be responsible for creating the Menu, liaising with the performers, forming the legal contracts, providing posters, flyers and tickets and generally offering advice and support throughout. Take Art will pay the full company's fee and will charge the volunteer promoting group a proportion of the true cost.

Cllr Liz Leyshon, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services and Projects said, "I can highly recommend village performances as a brilliant way to bring people together, and that's never been needed more than after so many months in lockdown.

"TakeArt's team have decades of experience so you will benefit from their knowledge and contacts, helping you to find the joy in being a village promoter. I was in the audience at Croscombe recently for a wonderful evening of amazing circus and theatre performances in the green space next to the village hall and can't wait for another opportunity to enjoy thearts in a rural setting."

TakeArtwill be launching their Winter-Spring 2022 Menuof available shows onSunday 15th August from 2.30-4.30pm. They are inviting any interested parties from across Somerset, including new people from the Mendip area, tojoin them for aPromoters & Performers Cream Teaat Curry Mallet Village Hall Garden, Near Taunton, TA3 6SY.

This will be an informal gathering where you can meet and chat with volunteer promoters from all corners of rural Somerset, many of whom have been part of the Take Art network for more than 25 years. You can also meet some local Somerset performers to hear about their work as well as hear more detail about all the shows on offer.

If you would like to come along, please bring a picnic rug or chair, refreshments will be provided.