Dartington denounces breakaway festival

The Dartington Trust has issued a statement claiming to counter ‘misinformation’ of recent weeks. It specifically attacks any presumed link  between the former Dartington International Festival, which it has discontinued, and a successor event to be held in Norfolk.

The Dartington Trust does not mention any plans of its own to revive the cherished festival.

Here’s tonight’s statement:

4 December 2023

Open Letter from Dartington Estate’s interim acting CEO, Robert Fedder

Recent weeks have seen a great deal of misinformation about the state of affairs at Dartington Hall, plans for the estate and the role of the Trust. The turnaround team, led by me and engaged by new Trust chair Lord Triesman only this summer, is squarely focused on two things: firstly, continuing to rescue the estate from financial disaster, to which it has been heading for some years; secondly, to develop a strategy for a sustainable recovery so that all stakeholders benefit from a prosperous Dartington for many generations to come.

At the forefront of our strategy will be preserving the pillars of heritage, culture, education and innovation in sustainability which have, for almost a century, defined Dartington and its relationship with not only the local community, but potentially with those worldwide interested in all forms of arts and music, progressive ideas and nature. Our mission has made good early progress, but there is no ‘big reveal’ to be communicated in the near future and we must continue working hard to successfully conclude several discussions presently underway with potential funders and business partners. These new relationships will dramatically enhance the appeal of Dartington, securing a viable future for the estate and its businesses and encouraging deeper involvement from those who have supported us through very tough times.

In the meantime, our team needs to address some misconceptions that will only hinder our mission, to the detriment of all stakeholders. Let’s remember some inescapable facts: while the Trust is a registered charity, it is constrained not to make a continual loss. If it does, everything of value will be lost. All the activities of the Hall and Estate, as administered by the Trust and its executive management, are ultimately commercial businesses; they are not community or social enterprises, nor Community Interest Companies. In this respect, notwithstanding the valued and critical relationship between these entities and the local community, they are not in any official sense accountable in terms of governance, transparency or strategy.

Looking at specific claims:

The present team aims to treat all staff as fairly and generously as possible, with appropriate flexibility in contracts and working arrangements to accommodate personal circumstances. No ‘gag orders’ have been made.
Local businesses operating on the Estate pay fair, if not favourable, rents. These must include those which have, inexplicably, paid no rent at all on a long term basis. Dartington will always remain a centre for the arts and progressive thinking; our aim is to consolidate and enhance its reputation in those areas.

Schumacher College, as an important element of the Estate’s activities, naturally forms part of the present financial and strategic review. There are no plans for closure and it will continue to be an important part of Dartington.

Since the relatively recent appointment of a turnaround team, the primary focus has been tackling very urgent financial challenges. We continue to address these as a priority, but we now have a little more bandwidth for engaging more proactively with external stakeholders close to home. Early discussions with councillors and businesses very familiar with Dartington have already taken place and we will invest a great deal more time in these important relationships.

One particular rumour from recent days that needs dispelling relates to the Dartington International Summer School and Festival. The Dartington Trust is not moving these to Norfolk. They have both been core activities for us over many years. We are presently reviewing our entire operations, putting existing ones on a sounder footing and exploring new ones. However, moving these proprietary Dartington events to another side of the country is not one of our plans. Anything claiming to be relocated Dartington events is absolutely not an official, Dartington-branded activity.

I will leave the last word to a prominent local entrepreneur and architect, Ben Morris, owner of the Dolphin Boatyard located at Dartside Quay on the river Dart and himself a former Dartington student. He says:

“It’s good to see that the Dartington Trust’s turnaround plans for the estate include preserving key events, while progressing as a matter of urgency some ideas for generating new revenue that will benefit the community and local businesses, as well as appealing to a new generation of visitors. There is huge potential for this beautiful estate and now is the time to harness it.”

Robert Fedder

Dartington Trust

5 December 2023