‘Education and outreach work have always been an integral and vital part of the Festival, with an annual collaboration with young musicians and presentation of a free schools’ concert. But from early on it was always one of my ambitions to increase the scope of this work, to reach more children and work with the local community to provide more musical inspiration and opportunities for engagement.

It was with this in mind that we created the role of Education and Outreach Manager in 2019 so that we could build on the foundation we already had and to take this area of work to another level.’  Guy Johnston, Artistic Director

‘The language of music is common to all generations and nations; it is understood by everybody, since it is understood with the heart.’  Rossini

‘Our Education and Outreach work here at Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival is the beating heart of the Festival community, showcasing young musical talents and helping to inspire the next generations of music lovers through our range of concerts, workshops, classroom resources, and commissioning.

Following on from the amazing legacy of Jill Knight, the education and outreach programme here at the Festival is looking to expand the ambition of what we do, allowing learners of all ages to feel a sense of ownership and belonging to the estival. We want to inspire people through world class music making; educate people through music on issues that mean something to them; and engage audience members with the house and the musicians that work with us.

Looking forward, there are going to be plenty of ways to get involved and take ownership of the festival, through directly helping to create pieces of music in open workshops, financially through our upcoming crowdfunding campaign, or from getting involved in events throughout the year that contribute to the life of the Festival.

This is an exciting time for us, and we look forward to welcoming you to an event soon!

James Slimings, Education and Outreach Manager