At the heart of Chiltern Arts is a commitment to excellence, opportunity and innovation, as well as a belief that the arts are central to the quality of life and should be accessible to all. Their aim is to inspire audiences, create new work, and create a community that adds to and supports the rich tapestry of culture in the local area.

Founded in 2017 to bring the highest-quality arts and music to the Chiltern Hills, Chiltern Arts runs an annual week-long festival in May with occasional ad hoc events at other times. Artists have included Dame Evelyn Glennie, Nicola Benedetti, Roger McGough, Steven Osborne, Roderick Williams, James Runcie, Tenebrae and the Academy of Ancient Music. Events blending music and literature take place in churches and other beautiful local spaces — and even afloat on the Thames! In 2024 Chiltern Arts launched ListenUp & ListenIn, a new outreach project inspiring a new generation of audiences, offering opportunities for young people to attend live professional classical music concerts and to engage with and discover music in a variety of ways through online resources.

For more details see here

Image credit: Matthew Johnson Photographer