‘The future of arts provision’: Saffron hall celebrates 10th anniversary

Saffron Hall, a concert hall in the Essex town of Saffron Walden, is set to celebrate its 10^th anniversary this winter. To celebrate a decade of performance at the venue, the Hall’s Trust has put together a weekend of celebratory events running from 1-3 December.

The venue has grown from its first season of 12 concerts to present around 125 events a year and has nurtured partnerships with both the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia as resident orchestras. Last year Saffron Hall welcomed over 45,000 audience members.

Angela Dixon, who has been CEO of Saffron Hall Trust since 2014, said: ‘When the curtain first went up in 2013 it was unclear if the experiment would work, but since then the calibre of artists performing in the Hall, the number of tickets sold and the thousands of people’s lives we have touched have exceeded all expectations. In Saffron Walden and the surrounding area, quality arts provision is embedded and valued within the community. I believe that this innovative scheme is the future of arts provision and in the next ten years we intend to spread what we have learnt across Essex and seek to establish the model nationally.’

Although the Saffron Hall Trust receives no public funding, its engagement with the community over the last decade has been transformational. As well as supporting amateur groups, local schools and people living with dementia, the Hall has established the Saffron Centre for Young Musicians and brings in £1.36 million GVA (Gross Value Added) to the local economy every year.

Located within the grounds of Saffron Walden County High School (SWCHS), the Hall was opened in 2013. Saffron Hall serves as SWCHS’s main hall and visiting artists are often integrated into the venue’s schools and community programmes. The school’s chamber choir will perform alongside The English Concert and soloists including Lucy Crowe, Iestyn Davies and Christine Rice, in a production of Handel’s Rodelinda as part of Saffron Halls’ anniversary weekend.

The anniversary weekend in December will feature an evening of Jazz, soul and contemporary music with saxophonist Dan Forshaw, vocalist Juliet Kelly and pianist James Beckwith performing alongside former students of the Saffron Centre for Young Musicians. The weekend will also include family and community events before closing with performances from saxophonist Jess Gillam and resident orchestra Britten Sinfonia.