National Lottery Project Grant Recipient

01/05/2026

Thaxted Festival is delighted to announce it has been awarded an Arts Council England / National Lottery Project Grant of £46,500 for its work with schools, families and young people 2026-2028. This grant will support our aim to provide access to high-quality music for children and families across the rural area of Uttlesford over the next three years. Each year, four local rural schools (primary and secondary) will benefit from two-day workshops with professional musicians, enabling the pupils to flex their creative skills and to devise and perform their own piece.

Our Education Plan has been created alongside, and supported by Essex Music Hub, Orchestras Live and the London Mozart Players so we can create long-term relationships with local schools to strengthen music provision and expand opportunities across the local rural area. The Festival itself will benefit from more family concerts, sensory workshops for babies and toddlers and art workshops for tweens. There will also be heavily discounted tickets for those under 18, and family friendly concert timings meaning more opportunities for all to access our exceptional music concerts with world-class musicians.

“Our Year 4 and 5 children work with London Mozart Players every year, and the impact of this partnership is extraordinary. Having professional musicians come into school to lead workshops not only inspires our pupils creatively, but builds their confidence, teamwork and love of music. To now have the opportunity to perform as part of a London Mozart Players concert is beyond exciting — it is an unforgettable experience that shows our children what is possible when passion, talent and opportunity come together.” Emma Dymond, Deputy Headteacher, Thaxted Primary School

We are incredibly grateful to have had our outreach work recognised, and to have received such vital financial investment. Thaxted Festival is also grateful to other local and national organisations, including Orchestras Live, Hunts Charity and Yardleys Charity for supporting this education programme as we seek match funding to secure our programme year-on-year. We look forward to witnessing the tangible benefits for our community over the coming years.