Tim Smithies is stepping down from leading Cornwall’s rural touring performing arts scheme Carn to Cove, and the rural community cinema screening programme C Fylm, following 17 years of working for Creative Kernow.
Under Tim’s leadership, Carn to Cove, along with C Fylm, has grown from a venue network of six villages to encompass more than 100 active communities and a group of 350 volunteers who host events all over Cornwall. Its Covid-19 comeback live programme demonstrated its resilience and popularity amongst audiences, and its superb Autumn and Spring programme helped build back its established promoting base. Carn to Cove succeeded in winning the award for Most Supportive Rural Touring Scheme in the inaugural National Rural Touring Forum Awards ceremony in 2017, and in 2021, Carn to Cove celebrated its 20th anniversary with a special anniversary film commission from Awen Films.
Tim was one of the founders of the Supporting Performing Arts in Rural Settlements of Europe (SPARSE) programme which began in 2017 and for which Carn to Cove provided the model rural touring scheme. The project came to a close in 2021 with an established network of partners, and launched new rural schemes in Italy, Lithuania, Estonia and Romania. This is one of just many unique projects which has brought new investment and opportunity for the people of Cornwall through the sharing of our experiences and learning with others in a spirit of generosity.
Tim would like to thank all the performing artists, all the volunteers and promoters scattered all over Cornwall who love making things happen in their communities, the audiences who support the events, and all of Carn to Cove’s funders and partners. Finally he would like to thank his colleagues at Creative Kernow who have made his time at Carn to Cove such a great and joyful experience. He leaves a strong team with a bright future for Cornwall’s creative and performing arts sector at Creative Kernow and wishes them well.
The Board of Trustees join me in thanking Tim for his years of dedication and passion which have created such a rich infrastructure for the performing arts in Cornwall and an excellent knowledge base within Creative Kernow. We wish Tim all the best in his future projects.
Fiona Wotton
Chief Executive