Welcome
Dartington Trust is a centre for progressive learning in arts, ecology and social justice based on a 1,200 acre campus near Totnes.
What’s On
For the latest news on dining, getaways, plus our gardens, shops and much beside, head to our Visit section.
Below are some selected highlights from our programme. For our full calendar of events, click here >
jubilee weekend fun
2-4 Jun: Three days of live music, comedy, family activities, afternoon teas, gin making and much more.
short courses
Arts, crafts, farming, viticulture, wellbeing and much more: discover our exciting, transformative short course programme.
camp dartington
One eye on the summer holidays? Our stunning site, with pitches and glamping pods available, has you covered.
Learning at Dartington
We offer transformative learning, at undergraduate and postgraduate level, delivered by world-class tutors in a truly unique campus experience.
Our learning is delivered through two faculties: Schumacher College, which has been at the forefront of engaging ecological, economic, and social challenges for over 30 years, and Dartington Arts School, which draws on our rich international heritage and our wealth of dance, theatre, music and art studios to deliver compelling courses for a fast-changing world.
We offer a variety of opportunities for part-time learning, with courses ranging from a few hours, to weekly classes, to longer residential experiences.
Schumacher College delivers a unique brand of small-group, residential experiences which embrace themes of ecology, wellbeing, and sustainability. Our programme of arts courses spans music, performance, writing, dance, and contemporary visual art. And a wide, exciting range of craft courses run year-round in collaboration with over 50 makers from across the south west and beyond.
A variety of other programmes run throughout the year – including four weeks of shared music making, learning and listening at our renowned Dartington Music Summer School & Festival.
Learning is the beating heart of our year-round programme of events, which spans genres from film to craft to exhibitions.
We programme a blend of virtual and in-person events, many of which are free or by donation. Throughout the year, you’ll also find festivals that focus on themes of arts, ecology and social justice.
Learning at Dartington is mainly delivered through the courses and events we offer year-round, but a range of resources are also available online to help get a flavour of what we offer.
Schumacher College has an wide range of talks and interviews available on their YouTube channel, and our long-running online Earth Talk series is also available in full to watch online.
You can read the latest learning-related news here, and explore the history of the estate online here.
Other resources include our Arts and Learning podcast channel, which includes playlists such as our Laser Talks – inspired by the school climate strikes, Dark Mountain and Extinction Rebellion.
Latest news & blogs
Annual survey aims to gauge health of our bird population
Every week until the end of June, our conservation wardens will be gently checking our bird boxes in order to contribute to a UK-wide analysis of avian activity.
Introducing Dartington’s new head gardener
Dartington’s new head gardener, Neville Evans, talks about his love of trees and his passion for exotic plants – which has taken him around the world from Bicton to Belize.
Composer Harrison Birtwistle dies
We are very sad to hear of the death of Harrison Birtwistle, who had a long history with our Summer School as both a student and teacher.
celebrating 30 years of schumacher college
A programme of events and initiatives to mark 30 years of leading the way in transformative education – spearheaded by our Bursary Campaign, which aims to equip the next generation with the tools to address the social, environmental and economic challenges we all face.
Follow us
Follow Dartington Hall’s social media exploits for regular updates on all our events and activity
Come and celebrate Vaughan Williams' 150th anniversary with us at the Dartington Music Summer School & Festival in August!
In the final week (13th - 20th August) of the Summer School and Festival there are several chances to get your Vaughan Williams' fix:
Critically acclaimed conductor William Vann will be leading Dartington's Big Choir in a special a cappella programme who will learn and perform works by Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, Imogen Holst, and Rebecca Clarke, culminating in a special concert that will be the grande finale of this year's Festival on Friday 19th August.
Meanwhile, our talented students will conduct Dartington's string orchestra in Vaughan Williams’ stirring Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (along with a world premier of work by Imogen Holst and a new work by Cecilia McDowall) in an evening performance on Thursday 18th August.
So, whether you'd like to join Big Choir in Week Four of the Summer School and sing a programme that includes Vaughan Williams, or come along to the Thursday 18th strings concert and the Friday 19th choral concert, make sure not to miss this beautiful way to celebrate the life and work of one of Britain's favourite composers in style.
#vaughanwilliams #dartingtonmusic
The Woodchip Handbook author Ben Raskin, Head of Horticulture and Agroforestry at the Soil Association, shares his insights into this surprisingly useful organic substance in the next instalment of our Farming for the Future Series, tomorrow 24 May. Come join us online and find out more about how to use this readily available and renewable material. Check out our what's on page to book, link in Bio!
#farmingforthefuture #talks #events #schumachercollege #whatson #renewablematerials #horticulture @chelseagreenbooks
Charlotte du Cann leading an evening session on myth and task - sorting grain from beans - with students on our short course When The Mountain Speaks With Us, running all this week. Today they were joined on their journey through story, myth, plant medicine and natural materials by artist Caroline Ross, of @foundandground, as they forge a co-creative practice that challenges the dominance of the modern industrial mindset and aims to regain our original kinship with the more-than-human world.
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There's an opportunity to join Charlotte and fellow course leader and @darkmountainproject author Nick Hunt tomorrow night here at Dartington for an Earth Talk and readings from their new non-fiction and fiction works, 'After Ithaca' and 'Loss Soup and Other Stories' - see dartington.org/shortcourses for more information.
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Caroline Ross will be leading her own week-long course, Found and Ground - Natural Art Materials, at Dartington in September.
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@dartingtonarts @schumachercollege #headhearthands #earthtalks #earthart #environmentalart #naturalart #dartington #totnes #darkmountainproject
A beautiful salad made as part of our edible gardens and forest food systems course. Happy @vegetarianweek #vegetarianweek
Photo: @jacmiceli