When was the last time you went to your village hall to see a quality professional performance at a fraction of the cost you’d expect to pay in a theatre? Whatever your interests – be it music of every genre and tempo, comedy, drama, circus, cabaret, storytelling, magic or puppetry – chances are you’ll find a performance that caters to them at a village hall near you.

Surprised? Every year scores of villages all over Gloucestershire enthusiastically take part in a community touring programme of live arts events organised, administered and subsidised by a charitable organisation named Arts in Rural Gloucestershire - otherwise known as AIR in G.

Since AIR in G opened its doors for business in 2001, audiences in more than 90 isolated rural communities across the county have been able to enjoy, on their doorstep and at a very affordable price, the kinds of high calibre entertainment they’d normally have to travel some distance to experience. The financial safety net and advice offered by AIR in G has helped local promoters gain valuable experience and confidence in marketing and hosting many kinds of events and the impact on the quality of life in participating villages has been tangible.

The scheme is simple. Each year AIR in G selects a ‘menu’ of acts, negotiates fees with artistes and sets the amount of subsidy available to village halls. It then publishes a brochure listing the acts and subsidised fees and presents it to village hall promoters at an annual forum, before sending it out to village halls throughout the county. Promoters select from this brochure the performances they’d like to host and AIR in G contracts the performers, handles all the paperwork and produces a schedule of events, which it distributes county-wide.

Ed O’Driscoll, administrator and artistic director of AIR in G, understands both sides of rural touring. He and his wife, Lynn – who tackles the formidable task of scheduling a large programme of events that satisfies the requirements of 45 villages each year – toured their musical cabaret act Three’s Company to village halls the length and breadth of the country for several years. They also run Calibre Productions, a theatre production company responsible for many critically-acclaimed UK tours.

“There are more strings to AIR in G’s bow than rural touring,” says Ed O’Driscoll. “Its youth theatre has recently completed a successful trial of a Young Promoters Scheme in which its older members learn how to select, market and host live performances. Participation in the scheme leads to an Arts Award accreditation and AIR in G plans to expand the scheme county-wide. Today’s young promoters are acquiring the skills that can turn them into tomorrow’s successful village hall promoters.”

In 2008, inspired by the success of Chicago’s highly successful ‘Cow Parade’ art installation – AIR in G launched SheepScape in the Forest of Dean. A flock of 55 life-sized fibreglass sheep, decorated by local artists and school children, toured tourist attractions in the Forest throughout the summer bringing delight to all who saw them.

Earlier this year the Arts Council recognised the unique role AIR in G plays in Gloucestershire life by making the organisation part of its National Portfolio, thus guaranteeing funding for at least another four years. This good news means that, starting with its 2012-13 season, AIR in G can increase the number of performances it can subsidise each year. If you’re a village hall promoter and would like more information on how AIR in G’s rural touring scheme works you can download the latest promoter’s brochure from www.airing.co.uk.  If you’d like to attend one of AIR in G’s performances, the latest events guide on the site has all the information you’ll need.