Welcome
Dartington Trust is a visitor destination and centre for progressive learning based on a 1,200 acre estate 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 >
summer festival
23 Jul – 19 Aug: Over 60 concerts and events – from folk to jazz to classical and beyond – across a glorious summer of music.
barn cinema
Arthouse, kids’ films, blockbusters, live theatre streamings and more – find out what’s coming up at our beautiful independent venue.
short courses
Arts, crafts, farming, viticulture, wellbeing and much more: discover our exciting, transformative short course programme.
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
Wild orchids are barometers of healthy soil beneath our feet
The presence of thousands of these special plant scattered across the meadows of Dartington Estate reveals the secrets of the health of the soil beneath.
Polytunnels boost self-sufficiency and help beat the ‘hungry gap’
New polytunnels save money and food miles by increasing the amount of ‘home grown’ produce for Schumacher College.
Finding a better wheat for the future
Our horticulture team at Schumacher College are taking part in trials through the South West Grain Network to find new strains of wheat that are grown more effectively in our climate. We catch up with Michael Cooper, one of our horticulture interns this year to find out more…
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
Happy #BookLoversDay! What better day to head to our shop on Totnes High Street, browse our curated selection and grab yourself a summer read? We've got some fab talks in September including The Great Melt with Alister Doyle & Until The Last Oak Falls with @adrianfisk. Register for both via the Whats On link in our biog.
#books #booklovers #dartington #totnes #reading #summerreading
Jan has just harvested the first ever apricot on the tree kindly donated to our walled garden project by Tattwa Gyani. Apparently it was a delicious specimin. A huge thank you to Tattwa for her generosity - we look forward to seeing the harvest multiply in the years to come.
If you'd like to get involved with our work, from becoming a member to donating or volunteering with us, you can find out more via the Get Involved link in our biog.
#thankyou #apricot #treeplanting #fruittrees
Just a reminder we are still looking for artists, makers, independent shops, food stalls and more for our lovely winter craft fair at Dartington!
Get in touch if you would like to book a 6 x 2 ft. stand for your business - £300 for 3 days from the 2nd-4th of December.
Come and join us!
Booking enquiries – crafted@dartington.org
The @totnesfest is coming up from the 15th to the 24th of August, featuring a variety of visual arts, circus, theatre, dance, film, storytelling, spoken word, music and more. With a big selection of free events for everyone to enjoy.
Here are some fantastic highlights to check out including the Globe theatre coming to our lovely private garden.
1. @the_globe
This summer, Shakespeare’s Globe brings a startlingly relevant new production of epic tragedy Julius Caesar to Dartington Hall’s Private Garden as part of their nationwide Globe on Tour series.
August 23 - August 24
2. The StoryExplorers
Nellie and Nathaniel are guardians of the intriguingly ingenious StoryGenerator, with its secret compartments and cabinet of curiosities.
August 18 | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm | FREE
3. @rasha_nahas
Rasha Nahas comes to St Mary’s Church! An evening filled with soulful sounds from the Middle East, in aid of Palexpo.
August 19 | 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm
4. Finding Your Inner Gargoyle @ndpcircus
Devised and directed by Paul Liengaard FYIG will be a 60 minute live theatrical circus installation and performance taking place on and around St Mary’s Church at dusk on Saturday 20th August.
August 20 | 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm | FREE
5. @theoclinkard Dance Workshop
Theo’s workshop will initially explore how we can bring greater attention to our perceptive experience of ourselves in motion, those we move with and the space we inhabit.
August 22 | 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
6. Opening Ceremony
Come and join us for an afternoon of music and dance to celebrate the opening of the first Totnes Festival of Arts and Culture!
August 15 | 1:00 pm - 7:30 pm | FREE
Make sure to check it all out!
For more information and booking – totnesfestival.co.uk