Visual Arts in Rural Communities is based at Highgreen, Tarset, Northumberland.  VARC  funds and manages an on-going programme of twelve-month residencies for visual artists and projects with special schools. Through the residencies it aims to offer opportunities to artists to develop new work in response to the remote rural landscape and its community and to offer benefit to the community and visiting groups in engagement with art and artists, through contact and creative activity.    It also aims to benefit young people with special needs, particularly those with autism spectrum condition, through creative projects with artists.