Community Events
As a charity, the Petworth Festival’s work in the Petworth community is a fundamental part of our mission. In addition to the annual summer and literary festivals – and now the Petworth Proms – work with partner organisations in the area, schools and community groups is a crucial ingredient in any given year. In 2024, the clearest expression of this was in the delivery of ‘The Big Sing’, our latest in-school project that saw all 150+ pupils at Petworth Primary School actively engaged in writing songs with composer Richard Taylor, songs that were subsequently performed as the opening event of that year’s Petworth Literary Festival. In 2025, ‘The Big Sing’ gets bigger, a second project with Richard bringing together a similar number of pupils from four different local schools alongside the established children’s creative writer and workshop leader, Hazel Gould. Watch this space for further news.
The Festival’s relationship with local schools elsewhere continues this year firstly with a ‘live theatre’ day as part of the Summer Festival when once again, all pupils from Petworth Primary will attend performances by Wild Immersive Theatre of The Wizard of Oz at Coultershaw’s Heritage Site, and secondly with a substantial art project led as in previous years by the Young Arts Group within The West Sussex Arts Society. Running over four days (16-19 July) at Fittleworth Village Hall, this project will see art specially created by the twenty local schools listed below:
Amberley C of E Primary School, Billingshurst Primary Academy, Bury C of E Primary School, Dorset House School, Duncton C of E Junior School, Farlington School, Fittleworth C of E Village School, Graffham Infant School, Northchapel Primary School, Petworth C of E Primary School, Seaford Prep School, Seaford College, Shipley C of E Primary School, Slindon C of E Primary School, St James C of E Primary School, St Mary’s C of E Primary School, The Weald Community School, West Chiltington Community School, William Penn School, Wisborough Green Primary School.
In 2025 we continue to develip our relationships with a number of national, regional and local organisations with the aim of creating opportunities for young people, enhancing their experience of the arts and supporting local schools and organisations.
Our partners are
- The Arts Society of West Sussex
- Coultershaw Heritage Site
- Leeds International Piano Competition
Midhurst Rother College - Musicians’ Company
- National Trust (Petworth House)
- Petworth Primary School
- Royal Academy of Music
- West Sussex Music
Free and subsidised tickets for young people are available for most festival events and we strongly encourage parents, teachers and anyone connected with young people and young persons’ organisations to take advantage of generous ticket price offers.
We are also keen to develop opportunities with young people to work for the festival both during and the build up to the summer and autumn events. Please contact melody@petworthfestival.org.uk to find out more.