Dartington is doomed again

The idyllic music school and summer festival in Devon has been told by it governing trust that its 2024 plans are financially non-viable.

Artistic Director Sara Mohr-Pietsch will leave her position.

She says: ‘It has been a huge honour and privilege to hold the post since 2020, and I’m so proud of all we achieved. Thank you to everyone who made it so special! And I really hope the Summer School survives – it is an amazing thing, 75 years old and still utter magic.’

Stability and consistency have eluded Dartington for more than a decade. It can only be a matter of time before it is shuttered.

UPDATE: Here’s the official statement:
As Dartington Trust is undergoing a Financial Review, planning for the 2024 Music Summer School & Festival has been put on hold. We will not be taking priority bookings at this time, or announcing programmes, while we continue our review.

As it will not be possible to commit the planned 4-week programme for 2024, Artistic Director Sara Mohr-Pietsch and the rest of the team have decided to step down from their roles. Dartington Trust is grateful to them for their hard work over the years, and for the success of their 2023 programme, which celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Summer School with an incredible programme of 86 courses, 85 public events and 96 bursary places for emerging talent.