About us...

Wotton under Edge Arts Festival’s aim is to encourage artistic talent, both local and from further afield.  The endeavour is to present a varied programme of arts to appeal to all the community.

The longevity of the Festival is due in no small part to its strong community base and the support of local people and organisations.

Please read on (below) for information on the 2017  Festival.

The 2017 Festival...​

The Festival began with a prelude weekend -  St George's Day was celebrated with a toast to St George and the Queen, followed by Morris dancing and Mummers at the Town Hall on Saturday morning.  In the evening Wotton and District Silver Band were joined by "Sackbut Frenzy" for a well attended concert in St Mary's.

The following weekend the Festival was launched with a preview of the Art Exhibition.  The standard of entries was very high this year and the exhibition was enjoyed by many people.  The Stuart Singers from Minchinhampton gave a light hearted concert in St Mary's and the profit from this has been  donated to Longfield Hospice.

The Wotton Art and Gardens Trail, organised by Under the Edge Arts, enjoyed brilliant sunshine and a wide variety of gardens was visited by nearly a thousand people.

Philip Taubenheim and a colleague gave an interesting review of sixties memorabilia and discussed items brought along by the audience, but sadly there were no "Antiques Roadshow" moments!

Turning the Tables proved a very popular event once again with Ali Vowles discovering fascinating aspects of the lives of two very interesting people.

Pupils of the local schools entertained with songs from the shows, jazz, rock and roll, and solos. The performers showed impressive talent and confidence.

There was an encouraging number of entries for our first Photography Competition and the judges had a difficult job selecting the winners.  Several pictures were chosen to be included in next year's Wotton under Edge Calendar.  The success has encouraged us to continue with this competition next year.  The theme will be announced in the Autumn.

Bristol Ensemble once again rounded off the week's entertainment with a varied programme incorporating the sixties theme of the Festival.  Local young oboist, Ella Yorke, delighted the audience with her excellent performance.

The Festival would not have been complete without Band on the Hill, attended by a larger crowd than ever and blessed with sunshine.  The Festival Evensong Service in St Mary's brought the week to a close.

Now that the committee has got its breath back planning for next year's Festival has already begun.  Many of our traditional events will be included together with new ideas.  We would welcome any suggestions you may have for new events - please use our Contact page to let us know.

Details of the 2017 programme have been left on the Programme page to give a flavour of what we did this year. 
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