Cornwall’s rural touring scheme marks 25 years at Perranporth

A quarter of a century ago, a handful of Cornish village halls agreed to try something a bit different: professional theatre, music and dance, turning up not in a city venue but in the same room where the WI meets and the panto goes up every December. Twenty-five years on, that scheme is still running, and this month it’s throwing itself a party.

Carn to Cove, the rural touring scheme run by Creative Kernow, is celebrating 25 years of bringing live performance to village halls and community venues across Cornwall with a special event at Perranporth Memorial Hall this Friday, 25 September 2026, from 6pm. Founders, promoters, performers and rural touring leaders will join current partners and guests to mark the milestone and look ahead to the next chapter of rural touring in Cornwall.

📷Gregg Whelan, CEO of Creative Kernow

An evening built around the people who made it happen

Louise Kemp, Creative Kernow’s Culture & Place Manager for Live Arts & Events, will open the celebration. “For 25 years, Carn to Cove has brought extraordinary live performance into the heart of Cornwall’s communities,” she said. “This celebration recognises the founders, promoters, artists and audiences who have made that possible, while looking ahead to the next chapter of rural touring.”

Gregg Whelan, CEO of Creative Kernow, will share the organisation’s approach to rural touring and the importance of bringing outstanding live performance to communities across the county.

📷Abigail Reeve, Director of the National Rural Touring Forum

The national picture

Abigail Reeve, Director of the National Rural Touring Forum, will place Carn to Cove’s work within the national rural touring landscape and consider the opportunities ahead.

Founders and promoters tell the story firsthand

Carn to Cove founders Ross Williams and Amanda Harris will bring the scheme’s 25-year story to life through personal memories and defining moments, before promoters Claire Marshall and Barbara Tremewan share first-hand perspectives on the difference rural touring makes to local audiences and venues.

Jane Pugh will present excerpts from The Story Detectives, a production created specifically for the distinctive setting of village halls, giving guests a taste of the kind of work Carn to Cove has spent 25 years bringing to rooms like this one.

Cake, then a cabaret to close the night

The formal programme will culminate with Ross Williams and Amanda Harris cutting the 25th-anniversary cake, followed by refreshments and a chance for guests to connect.

The celebration will close with a performance of Women on the Edge, a cabaret by Charlie Bicknell and Louise Innes, described by The Times as: “Lean way back in your seat and enjoy the ride.”

For 25 years, Carn to Cove has connected performers with audiences across Cornwall, helping communities enjoy high-quality live arts close to home. What the next 25 look like is exactly what Friday night is there to discuss.

Event: Carn to Cove 25th Anniversary Celebration
Date: Friday 25 September 2026
Venue and time: Perranporth Memorial Hall, from 6pm

📷Perranporth Memorial Hall, venue for the Carn to Cove 25th anniversary celebration. Credit: Google Maps