Curating programmes across music, film, live performance and contemporary visual art, Dartington Arts aims to animate our rural space with global perspective and profound experiences.
We are inspired by the era-defining artists of the 20th Century Dartington Experiment, and our goal is to create a new story for the arts at Dartington.
Music
The Summer School fosters a unique community of professional, student and amateur musicians, all sharing a commitment to learning and music development. Since 1953, it has taken over the Dartington estate for four weeks every summer.
Film
Our 15th century Barn Cinema was converted to an auditorium by architects Walter Gropius (founder of the Bauhaus movement) and Robert Hening in the 1930s. It offers a year-round programme of the best in international independent film – from popular blockbusters to the classics – alongside event cinema from some of the finest international performance venues, with something for film lovers of all ages.
Performance
Artist residency and public performances make up Dartington Live: a programme international in outlook that is collaborating with a wide range of artists and companies to develop and present new work here. We see Dartington Live as a catalyst for a culture of change, encouraging the growth of artists and creative ideas and developing exceptional artistic experiences with and for people.
Visual arts
Residency and partnership form the basis of the contemporary visual arts at Dartington, which is currently in development. Our Aller Park building is home to a collective of contemporary artists who curate events and opportunities to engage with their practice; art.earth leads on the curation of events and exhibition at Space Gallery with a particularly focus on ecological themes and inspiration; Arts Lab runs a series of workshops, events and exhibition at Space Studio 20, and we work with local and young artists to exhibit in The Green Table café.
Engage
We work to support local arts organisations and help them flourish. Some of these relationships have been in place for many decades, having had their genesis in the era of our founders, Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst – such as Dartington Community Choir and The Dartington Playgoers. Some partnerships have their roots in the contemporary history of Dartington College of Arts, with SoundArt Radio and Devon Baroque amongst these. Our more recent partnerships aim to serve our creative community by supporting local arts organisations – such as Arts Lab, art.earth, Dance in Devon, Devon Theatre Club and Totnes Early Music Society.
Studio hire
It is possible to hire our studios for workshops and events. Please see our venue pages for further information. Information about workshops and events presented by third parties can be found within our ‘What’s On’ events listings.
FAQs
How do I book a ticket?
We recommend you book online via the Event pages. Just select the time of the performance you require and follow the online process. The box office is available on 01803 847070 12.30pm – 7pm, every day or by emailing boxoffice@dartington.org
Can I bring my production here?
Our programming policy is available here (pdf), and applies to touring work and companies interested in hiring our venues for performance.
How do you programme your summer concerts?
The Artistic Director of the Summer School & Festival programmes the concerts, which are delivered by artists in residence during the Summer School period.
Who is the summer school for?
The Summer School is currently aimed at adult learners of musical instruments and voice, with courses suited to a range of abilities.
I am an artist, can I have some studio space?
We have a selection of studios available to hire subject to availability. Details can be found here. We accept bookings up to 6 months in advance of the hire date. We do not currently have studios available for visual artists, however makers can access studios through the Craft Revolution.
Can I book the Barn Cinema for a screening or event?
We have limited availability as we are a full time cinema, but we can hire our space on an ad hoc basis. Please contact projection@dartington.org
Can we work in partnership with you?
We work with a number of local arts and community organisations through our Engage programme. Occasionally, we will partner on projects that align with our vision and purpose. Proposals should be made to the Executive Director (Arts) via: amy.bere@dartington.org
Can you fund our project?
The Dartington Hall Trust is not a grant making charity, and we actively seek funding and sponsorship for our work. Therefore we do not fund or sponsor third party projects.