Day 30
In 2055 where will we be? Ditch the flying cars, but take up craft tours and installations. Lyndsey Wilson, Spot On Scheme Manager, talks about her predictions for the future of community touring in Lancashire.
This November marks the start of our 30th year of bringing touring shows to communities across Lancashire.
Over the next 30 days, we’ll be sharing some of our favourite moments from the past three decades — stories, interviews, and even songs — celebrating the incredible people and performances that have shaped Spot On.
Join us as we look back, share memories, and celebrate 30 years of Spot On in Lancashire!
Day 30
In 2055 where will we be? Ditch the flying cars, but take up craft tours and installations. Lyndsey Wilson, Spot On Scheme Manager, talks about her predictions for the future of community touring in Lancashire.
Day 29
Everywhere can be a venue
Spot On prides itself on never being defeated by a space. If we can fit an artist and an audience in it, then it’s perfect.
Here we have a photo gallery of just a few of the locations where we have managed to host some extraordinary shows. No hall (shed/library/church/field) is too small for great art and great memories.
Read more about our Unusual venues
We have selected a few of those locations here, but view all 56 by following this link https://drive.google.com/…/1xZ2JyOol8UMdg8z017v…/view…
Day 28
Palaces for the People – Libraries and the Arts
‘I recently read a book by Eric Klinenberg, which discusses the importance of social infrastructure, such as libraries and parks and just how important these spaces are for people to connect with each other and engage in different experiences.’ Julie Bell MBE, former Head of Culture, Lancashire County Council
Download our article to read more of Julie’s insights into the important role that libraries play in providing a space for culture and connection in local communities.
Day 27
This Lancashire Day we want to share with you our third digital commission, No Need to Whisper. Breaking Barriers toured some of Lancashire’s libraries and museums to find out what they really sound like. They collected so much wonderful audio that there are two different versions for you to listen to. The first celebrates libraries and museums, the second focuses on librarians, celebrating the amazing work they do in Lancashire.
Read our No Need to Whisper article
No Need to Whisper audio links:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cP_K1hQh1Rm5vNeUimeiOV5FYbe4gP_l/view?usp=drive_link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AON22lg52hUAeCZ2CCu4xWXzouFW7Ukp/view?usp=drive_link
Day 26
Spot On Festival 2024: A Celebration of Culture and Community
In 2024, we decided we wanted to take the ethos of Spot On – working with people to offer fabulous nights out in non-traditional and democratic spaces right on your doorstep, and squeeze a whole arts season into one small market town over one weekend.
Were you there? What were your highlights?
Day 25
Our Forest
Did you know that for every Spot On performance we plant a tree? The Culturapedia Forest now has over 1200 trees worldwide. We don’t claim to be single-handedly saving the planet, but we do think every little bit helps.
Find out more here https://tree-nation.com/profile/culturapedia
Day 24
Finding Restoration in a Connected World
‘Ultimately, the challenge isn’t choosing between technology and nature, or between human and machine intelligence. It’s learning to choreograph them. This balance may be the defining theme of the next decade. Because when the digital, natural, and now artificial worlds work in harmony, creativity is restored in a way that’s more grounded, spacious, and deeply human.’
Ellen O’Hara, Creative business coach & consultant and co-founder of Wild Working, reflects on the power of nature in helping people navigate the fast-changing digital world we inhabit.
Day 23
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPOT ON! Cathy Hopley from the National Landscape Team at the Forest of Bowland shares her memories of Spot On.
‘The Forest of Bowland has been host to Spot On for many years, I have two particularly fond memories that stand out: one was sitting in the back of a VW camper van in the car park of the pub at Newton in Bowland with a couple of friends (it was a very select audience!) listening to stories and mix tapes from the driver. The other was at a packed village hall in Dunsop Bridge where ‘Sward’ was performed after being originally commissioned by our colleagues in the North Pennines AONB for their ‘Haytime’ project – it was a wonderful evening.’
Day 22
Spot On Lancashire has had the pleasure of working closely with Yorkshire-based rural touring and community arts company Blaize Arts who also run the artERY and Live Lincs rural touring schemes.
We have unearthed three documentary videos all originally on CDs (remember those?).
A huge and grateful thank you to Mike Bettison, Gail Ferrin, Paula J Horton, Ellen Thorpe, Jim Woodland and Gary Bridgens for their creative contribution to our thirty year story.
Day 21
Sometimes, something comes along that’s so exciting, so unusual or just simply so plain daft that we decide to make it happen. Back of the Bus was one of those projects.
After seeing New Zealand Dance Company perform Back of the Bus at the Edinburgh Festival, and hearing they were interested in UK tours, we couldn’t resist trying to bring them to Lancashire. ‘Back of the Bus’ is a dance show that happens on the top deck of a bus, and has been to New Zealand, Australia, Edinburgh and now Lancashire, picking up brilliant reviews along the way.
Day 20
On 20th November 1995, Rejects Revenge opened up the first ever Spot On Rural Touring season with a 6 night run of Crumble to communities in Eccleston, Hurst Green, Gregson Lane, Glasson Dock, Parbold and Churchtown.
We were delighted to be able to make contact with the members of the company who kindly sent us a letter full of great stories and memories.
Day 19
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain played one of Spot On’s most remembered gigs at Melling Village hall nr Lancaster on Friday 16th May 2003. The gig was remembered by Heather Fox in her interview which we shared earlier this month.
We got in touch with them and they very kindly sent us a letter and video birthday message.
We’d love to welcome the Orchestra back any time but we may need a considerably bigger venue!
Day 18
Drawing all over Lancashire
We document, celebrate and record our work in many ways- though interviews, surveys, video and photography. For many years now, we have been collaborating with artist and illustrator Cath Ford.
We have given Cath her own day to talk about her work herself, and share some of her images. Cath has also, quietly and diligently been the person who has been publishing our Spot On 30 daily treats for us on our social media platforms.
Day 17
In 2020, we commissioned Elliot Flanagan to produce a film.
‘Monument’ poignantly celebrates Spot On’s role in rural Lancashire. Created from archive photos, interviews and footage taken during Elliot’s daily lockdown rural walks, Monument is an homage to a precious thing that will no longer be taken for granted – the shared experience of watching a live Spot On show.
‘Monument’ was projected on to Blackburn Town Hall over New Year 2021.
Day 16
During COVID, when we couldn’t bring live performing arts to Lancashire, we decided to convert our normal season brochures into AT HOME newspapers.
We produced two of these full of interviews and things to do at home.
Download Issue 1: Spot-On-At-Home 1
Download Issue 2: Spot On At Home 2
Day 15
Spot On, alongside our northern partners, started hosting Canadian performers through a partnership with Atlantic Presenters Association in 2001. So far we’ve hosted 37 companies (some have returned to tour again in later seasons). That’s 131 performances in Lancashire!
To this day we still have conversations with audience members who fondly remember those very first shows and ask us if we can get those artists back. Well, keep your eyes peeled for some returns in the coming seasons!
We’ve pulled together a playlist with an example for every music offering we’ve hosted. We’re sure the CDs of these performers are still sitting in the glove boxes of cars up and down the county. There are some great tunes in there!
Click on the link to listen: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdRApzar-M_LQgDwcmLXm02Eo0S-d10_z&si=qydDRMycpETZ7kuC
Day 14
Spot On, together with our wonderful northern partners, and colleagues in the south west, has been fortunate to be able to attend showcases in Maritime Canada through the excellent Contact East showcasing programme. This has enabled us to see, select, and ultimately tour fantastically high quality Canadian companies to our rural communities. In 2001 with Barachois organised by Get Moving and Gail Ferrin, the schemes have over the years collectively toured over 30 companies to communities right across the country.
The memories are numerous- relationships developed, beer drunk, villages discovered, babies produced. Our audiences and promoters absolutely value not just the talent but also the recognition which a touring company from Canada brings to their rural community. Some of the best nights out on our networks have been provided by Canadian musicians and artists.
To celebrate our 30 years, we contacted companies we’ve toured and invited them to send us a birthday message.
With immense gratitude to Laurie Gillis and the Atlantic Presenters Association for their ongoing support and collaboration in making these tours viable. Also we recognise Canadian Heritage and all the Provincial arts funders who support the artists’ touring costs, so making these international tours affordable to our small rural venues.
Day 13
Spot On has collaborated with its wonderful northern touring partners almost from the beginning. We do this to share ideas, support each other and maximise opportunities for artists and communities. Here we celebrate some of those joint projects which have brought new shows and stories to rural communities across the north of England. Each project may have been designed and led by a different northern partner, but we, our promoters and our audiences all benefitted.
Day 12
Visions of Hildegard by Horse & Bamboo Theatre Company toured in our first season in 1995. We spoke to Esther Ferry-Kennington of Horse & Bamboo about Spot On and Horse and Bamboo’s parallel journeys.
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Visions of Hildegard, the show that Spot On took to Whalley and Kirkham all those years ago, was about a German nun, Hildegard of Bingen, an incredible composer, poet and botanist who embraced creativity not as singular practices but as a way to face the world.
‘We cannot live in a world interpreted for us by others. An interpreted world is not a hope. Part of the terror is to take back our listening, to use our own voice, to see our own light’ Hildegard of Bingen
Day 11
We interviewed two of our Spot On promoters to find out what it’s like bringing Spot On shows to their communities.
Seamus Heffernan is an independent music promoter who has hosted events within Mellor Brook Community Centre for over 21 years. The centre has a reputation for teaming live music with real ale, but through Spot On, the committee have forged a broader programme catering for a wider audience.
Ann Whitaker is Manager of The Rainhall Centre, a multipurpose business centre situated in the heart of Barnoldswick. The centre, a former school, has a number of rented office spaces alongside a front facing community hub – hosting a bank, NHS medical services, weekly community bookings and a seasonal theatre programme.
Day 10
Spot On has collaborated with its wonderful northern touring partners almost from the beginning. We do this to share ideas, support each other and maximise opportunities. Dance Across the North is such an example. Lead by our Yorkshire colleagues, Blaize, this touring project brought fabulous dance to venues across the north of England, including Lancashire. Here, Balbir Singh company explain why they do what they do.
Day 9
During the Covid pandemic lockdown we curated short films which we titled ‘Spot On Shorts’. Delve into our collection, there’s something for everyone!
Day 8
Over the decades, Spot On has been lucky enough to commission shows and new writing. We love doing this—creating work for talented artists and bringing new stories to life for tours not only for Lancashire audiences but across the UK.
Miss Nobodies was one of them.
Supported by Arts Council England.
With grateful thanks to Mid Pennine Arts for bringing Ethel Carnie Holdsworth to our attention.
Day 7
Stephen Caton, owner of Lancashire-based design agency, Source Creative, has been working with Spot On since 2000.
In this film he reminisces about Spot On’s design history over 30 years.
DAY 6
2012 saw the last Preston Guild, a huge celebration which comes around every twenty years.
Drawing on the history of the Guild, when traders came in from distant parts to trade and celebrate, Spot On collaborated with Dutch location theatre company, PeerGroup, to produce From Stephen to Avenham.
We are so delighted to have kept in touch with Dutch theatre maker, Sjoerd, who has sent us a video message.
DAY 5
Hit the North is a short film created by Matt Wilkinson and commissioned by Spot On and a group of young librarians in 2019.
Experience the joy of the diverse voices and dialects of Lancashire.
DAY 4
Glasson Dock first hosted a Spot On show in 1995.
There has been a gap, but we are looking forward to welcoming them back to the family in Spring ‘26. We are thrilled that our new promoter in Glasson will be Kate Howden, who, as part of howdenjones, has years of experience on the rural touring circuit, including many performances in Lancashire.
Kate describes her journey from performer to promoter, celebrating rural touring and her beloved community.
DAY 3
Heather Fox has been a friend of Spot On since day one, serving as an arts officer in Ribble Valley, Wyre, and later with Lancashire County Council. Her sister was also a promoter in our very first season. Heather is currently Lancashire’s Libraries and Heritage Manager.
We met up with Heather, surrounded by our archive of past brochures and posters and reminisced about thirty years of shows.
You can listen to the full conversation (about ten minutes) here:
DAY 2
To celebrate three decades of incredible music and musicians, we’ve put together a playlist featuring just some of the performers who’ve played in village halls and libraries across the county.
We thought about tagging them all, but there are 114 and that might take another 30 years!
https://tinyurl.com/SpotOn30Playlist
DAY 1
To begin the month we invited Matthew Linley, Chair of the National Rural Touring Forum, to share his thoughts on the impact of Spot On’s work and the future potential of arts in rural spaces.
Matthew Linley on 30 years of Rural Touring