Applause Rural Touring

Registered charity 1165632 · since 2016applause.org.uk·Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey … [1 more]·Updated 31 October 2026

At a glance

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

Applause fits best if you are an artist or company making small-scale outdoor or community performance for rural audiences, and its stated programmes are the Outdoor Touring Programme (commissions up to £5,000, development funding up to £2,500) and Seed Funding (up to £500).
Those are maximums for single programmes; the annual report gave no usable grants total or grant range, so ask about typical awards before you set a budget.
Seed Funding is open only to artists based in Kent, Essex and Sussex, so artists based elsewhere should not apply for it.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and for an existing show you can submit its information through Open Door, which is shared with rural touring schemes, including Applause, for future consideration.

Overview

Applause Rural Touring is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1165632).

Applause Rural Touring is a registered charity that aims to open up artistic opportunities to rural communities in Kent, Sussex and Essex, working with artists to develop and champion their work in rural areas. Its stated purpose is the advancement of arts for the benefit of the general public in rural and isolated communities in the South East of England. Its Outdoor Touring Programme supports artists developing small-scale work for outdoor and community settings, and its Seed Funding gives small grants of up to £500 for early-stage ideas by artists based in Kent, Essex and Sussex. It combines funding with advice, mentoring and touring opportunities.

What they fund

Priority Areas

Applause supports artists and companies to develop new work and take performances to rural communities. Its Outdoor Touring Programme backs artists developing small-scale work for outdoor and community settings, including new commissions and adaptations of existing shows for small-scale touring. It also offers seed funding for early-stage ideas by artists based in Kent, Essex and Sussex. For indoor work, it helps artists bring performances to life in community venues across Kent, Sussex and Essex. Its approach combines funding with advice, assistance, mentoring and touring opportunities, and it works with artists and communities to bring performances into familiar outdoor spaces. Applause says it is committed to nurturing talent from underrepresented backgrounds.

Themes

Outdoor performance
Small-scale touring
Artist development

Geographic Focus

Kent; Essex; Sussex: East Sussex and West Sussex counties in United Kingdom. Priority: South East of England: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex and 6 more counties in United Kingdom.

How to apply

For an existing show, submit show information through Open Door; it is shared with rural touring schemes, including Applause, for future consideration.

Who can apply:

Seed Funding: Artists based in Kent, Essex and Sussex.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

Applause is committed to nurturing talent from underrepresented backgrounds.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to Applause Rural Touring.

Rothschild FoundationMixed deadlinesGave £8.3M Queenborough Fishery TrustRollingGave £176k Involve KentNo public process Aylesham Community TrustRolling The Brian Mitchell Charitable SettlementRolling Active OxfordshireFixed deadlines The Lawson TrustFixed deadlinesGave £643k Active SussexNo public processGave £11,122 The Ian Askew Charitable TrustRollingGave £127k The Cherry Family FoundationFixed deadlinesGave £210k

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 March 2021	£537,819	£272,945	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2021
year to 31 March 2022	£287,708	£381,423	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2022
year to 31 March 2023	£294,159	£445,214	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2023
year to 31 March 2024	£454,808	£423,389	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2024
year to 31 March 2025	£594,284	£463,771	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2025

— No grants figure for those years.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.