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This term, Highlights’ Participate programme has continued to bring high quality creative experiences directly into primary schools, connecting children with professional artists and opening up new ways to explore movement, storytelling and self-expression. From dance and drama to poetry and puppetry, schools across Cumbria, County Durham and Northumberland have welcomed a wide range of workshops […]

Article by: Dickie FeltonFirst published by NRTF, 16 March 2026 It’s Friday night in north Cumbria and the local village hall is packed to the rafters to see a performance by four dancers. With a population of 1100, Lazonby is located eight miles from Penrith and 24 miles south of the Scottish Borders. At the heart

Autumn Season 2025 Review As we put the finishing touches to our Spring 2026 programme, we’re taking a moment to reflect on an Autumn 2025 season that was ambitious, wide-reaching and full of memorable moments; from brand new venues and sold-out shows to national partnerships and joyful audience responses. Here are just a few of

It was a triple celebration for Highlights last week, as we opened our Autumn 2025 season with a sold-out show in a venue new to the network. Over 100 people packed into Bardsea Malt Kiln Village Hall last night, to enjoy the first performance of the Highlights season: Bob Marley – How Reggae Changed the

Highlights at the Riddu Riđđu Festival, Norway – by Kate Lynch Since I started working for Highlights in 2018, I’ve enjoyed some very special moments. Along with attending the most beautiful and inspiring events in village halls, I’ve been to brilliant conferences, attended Edinburgh Fringe, enjoyed folk festivals and travelled to Canada for showcase events.

Spring 25 has just gone out in an absolute blaze of glory here at Highlights! It was better than the West End in glittering Kentmere on Friday night when The Bench came to the Institute. Just about all of Kentmere plus 2 dogs were rammed into that tiny venue to experience razor sharp writing and

Lila Dance Fault Lines @ Appleby Public Hall Sat 10th May 2025 ‘A beautiful, faultless performance of modern dance in the old market hall of Appleby’ Contemporary dance is not something that Appleby audiences are treated to often. But Lila Dance’s inspiring performance of Fault Lines, part of Highlights’ Spring Programme, showed how it rightly

Ma Bessie’s Prohibition Party @ Dufton Village Hall, Sat 12th April 2025 As the sun set on another warm spring day, the village of Dufton came alive with the sweet sounds of American blues performed by the phenomenal Ma Bessie’s Prohibition Party. The hall was full of an enthusiastic audience some of which came from