Dartington Summer Music School and Festival faces axe

[Ein Heldenleben]

75 years of excellence now faces the chop -

https://www.classical-music.com/news/dartington-summer-school-and-festival-on-hold-director-resigns/

Director Sara Mohr-Pietsch and her staff have resigned. It’s all another sad step in the slow cultural death of the South West .

if you feel emboldened to sign the petition here is the link

https://www.change.org/p/save-dartington-summer-school-a-beacon-of-music-education?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_37712966_en-GB%3Acv_516044&recruited_by_id=4aa50ac0-74ef-11ee-8c58-c9c3ccb7bcc8&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial&share_bandit_exp=initial-37712966-en-GB

[JasonPalmer]

I am noticing a trend in arts council cutting funding for classical music related arts, i wonder why.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I am noticing a trend in arts council cutting funding for classical music related arts, i wonder why.

As a general trend you are right but the Summer school doesn’t get Arts Council funding. The problem is more to do with the financial state of the charitable trust that runs Dartington. It’s excellent Arts focused Further / Higher Education College which had a very good music department closed some years ago,

[french frank]

Signed and paid.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Signed and paid.

Thank you, There are few areas in which we as individuals can effect change for the better but perhaps this is one. The number of composers for example who have benefited from their bursary scheme over the years to pay for the outstanding composers course (which is very reasonably priced)
Not to mention the excellent. jazz, chamber , opera ,instrumental vocal tuition …the list goes on.

[Lordgeous]

Signed & paid. Unbelievable that it should end.

[teamsaint]

As a general trend you are right but the Summer school doesn’t get Arts Council funding. The problem is more to do with the financial state of the charitable trust that runs Dartington. It’s excellent Arts focused Further / Higher Education College which had a very good music department closed some years ago,

Things do seem to have been a bit of a financial mess there for a few years.

[Pulcinella]

Richard Morrison, in today's Times:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/c4b181b7-283d-4272-8bd1-cd0c57bee490?shareToken=a779263a06c980ba86b7a9699957ba33

His final paragraph is:

I suppose we should be grateful that this little glimpse of musical paradise each summer lasted as long as it did before the harsh logic of the balance sheet consigned it to history. But right now its probable demise seems horribly emblematic of so much else in our cultural life. For the musicians of tomorrow, yet another inspiring avenue to understanding and expertise has been blocked off.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Richard Morrison, in today's Times:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/c4b181b7-283d-4272-8bd1-cd0c57bee490?shareToken=a779263a06c980ba86b7a9699957ba33

His final paragraph is:

I suppose we should be grateful that this little glimpse of musical paradise each summer lasted as long as it did before the harsh logic of the balance sheet consigned it to history. But right now its probable demise seems horribly emblematic of so much else in our cultural life. For the musicians of tomorrow, yet another inspiring avenue to understanding and expertise has been blocked off.

Good piece. Thanks for posting . The main article on Arts funding is also very interesting.

[oddoneout]

An update. Qualified(it's a one year fix, and not at Dartington) good news

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2q2lrzr723o