Swaledale Festival appoints first patrons

Swaledale Festival, an annual music, arts and walking festival in the Yorkshire Dales has announced the appointments of writer, lecturer and arts advocate Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason and antiques expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan as patrons for the festival.

The two new patrons build on their recent lecturing work with the festival as part of its annual Reeth lecture series. Archer-Morgan presented the festival’s most recent Reeth Lecture, reflecting on his extraordinary life and talking about his new book. Kaneh-Mason gave the 2022 Reeth Lecture, focusing on her experience of bringing up seven gifted musicians following the publication of her memoir House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons in 2021.

Kanneh-Mason, who is a strong advocate for the benefits of regional music-making and for diversity in classical music, said: ‘I am delighted to become a Patron of Swaledale Festival. This festival is close to my heart as several of my children have performed here over the years since 2017! I have been lucky enough to watch many of their concerts here as well as to give the Reeth Lecture myself in 2022. Swaledale is a vibrant, imaginative and inclusive festival, rooted in the community and committed to the importance of music, creativity and the performing arts. I am very proud to become a Patron.’

Archer-Morgan and Kaneh-Mason will bring to their new roles a vast experience of the arts as well as variety of skills and insight gained across their varied careers. Their first festival as patrons will take place in 2024 from 25 May to 8 June, the full programme of concerts, workshops and walks set to be shared in the new year at the Swaledale Festival website.

Festival artistic director Malcolm Creese said: ‘Gaining the support of two inspirational ambassadors like Kadiatu and Ronnie is a great endorsement of our work. I hope that their broad experience will help the Festival to flourish and potentially grow in new directions.’