THE Trustees of Villages in Action (ViA), which is based at offices in Crediton High Street, say they have, regretfully, decided to end the charity’s rural touring scheme in its current format.

It adds that the season of ViA performances now taking place in Devon’s villages will therefore be the last under the existing system.

Villages in Action is a charity which works with volunteer promoters to bring world-class performers and professionally-run arts workshops to rural areas.

Unfortunately, within the last five years, the organisation has lost in the region of 80 per cent of its funding and, while three local authorities have continued to support ViA (East Devon, Teignbridge and West Devon), reserves are now depleted.

In the light of this, after very careful consideration and consultation, the Board of Trustees felt that ViA would no longer be able to offer a viable and high quality programme to villages.

Mindful of its obligation to protect and safeguard the interests of the charity and its responsibility to staff, performers and promoters, the Board said this week that it will cease the touring scheme while the charity still has the financial reserves to meet its commitments. 

The Board’s Chair, Catherine Devenish (who is a volunteer promoter herself), said: “The Board has thought long and hard about this decision.

“In the past year, we have had to ask villages to make a greater financial contribution to the cost of performers but this is not sustainable, especially when future funding is so uncertain. Nor does providing a limited programme to a few villages fulfil the remit of the organisation.

“Some villages already operate their events programme in tandem with ViA performances and we hope others may feel able ‘to go it alone’ using the experience and advice they have gained from ViA.

“We are very grateful to everyone who has supported ViA and we will be spending the next few months looking at how the ViA legacy can continue.”

Villages in Action has been funded by Arts Council England (ACE) and local authorities; however, ViA lost its National Portfolio Organisation status in 2012, although it continued to receive ACE Grants for the Arts until last March.

Further applications for funding through ACE and to charitable trusts have been unsuccessful and contributions from local authorities have reduced or ended (East Devon and Teignbridge District Councils and West Devon Borough Council have continued to fund).

There are 44 events by 17 performers listed in the current season’s programme, which finishes in April.

ViA has also worked with village promoters to run workshops with professional artists and visual arts/crafts exhibitions, has set up performances in care homes so that less mobile people can enjoy performances and upskilled young people to stage their own professional shows.

Alan Quick