PETWORTH FESTIVAL

Dear Friends,

2024 has proved to be a special year for the festival: two highly successful firsts, the Petworth Proms in association with the The National Trust, and The Big Sing involving every pupil at Petworth Primary School – both remarkable successes first time out. And then a second successive Literary Festival (featuring Judi Dench, Robert Harris, Pam Ayers, David Baddiel, Clare Balding….) to break all previous records, and a summer festival with multiple memorable highlights: Rhapsody in Light Blue, Simon Keenlyside, Alim Besimbayev, Rumours, Mark Watson anyone…?

This was also the year in which we benefitted from matched sponsorship funding from the national Big Give campaign, and welcomed Sofas and Stuff as our first ever Principal Corporate Sponsors. Together with our host of individual givers and supporters and a new and refreshed board of management, the Festival approaches 2025 with a definite spring in its step.

Thank you for the many many notes, mails and messages sent in appreciation of what the festival does. The Festival is for our audience, our community and our locality, and only with your continuing endorsement and enthusiasm can we do as we do.

One sadness we wish to mark is the loss of the long time board member Sir Geoffrey Pattie. An extremely distinguished servant of the Festival we offer our thanks for his years of wisdom and support and our sincerest condolences to Tuema and her family.

Stewart Collins and the Petworth Festival team

The Petworth Festival would like to record its condolences to Lady Tuema and the family of Sir Geoffrey Pattie, who died on 8 October. Sir Geoffrey was a member of the festival’s Board for many years and brought with him great deal of wisdom and experience not to mention the trademark twinkle in his eye. His counsel at all times was hugely valuable and we – along with many, many others – will miss him.