Arts Alive in Shropshire and Herefordshire was established as a Charitable Trust in 1999.
It was formed from a merger between two distinct touring schemes covering the two counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire. The merger was seen as an opportunity to develop a stronger organisation with a more cost effective administration base and a grant from the Baring Foundation assisted us through the transition.
In 2019 it's status changed to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (charity no. 1182373) and is managed by a Board of Trustees.
We currently have 9 Trustees who take overall responsibility of the organisation. Trustees are from a mix of backgrounds and include a retired solicitor, a gallery owner, retired civil servant and arts marketing professional. Two trustees are also promoters.
Arts Alive organises over 1000 events a year including music, drama, dance, film, puppetry and storytelling. Arts Alive is dedicated to providing local people in rural areas with the opportunity to choose and promote professional arts events in their local venue.
Flicks in the Sticks is the touring cinema branch of Arts Alive, taking big screen films to rural communities whose access to the cinema is severely limited. Through Flicks, these communities have access to great films on their doorstep, at affordable prices and in a friendly and familiar atmosphere. As well as Shropshire and Herefordshire, Flicks also works in Mid Wales, the Malvern Hills region and areas of Cheshire.
Arts Alive and Flicks work with over 130 venues, including village halls, community centres, churches and woods; in fact any suitable local space.