History of Creative Oundle
Creative Oundle has grown out of almost forty years of commitment to the communities of Oundle and surrounding area. Our goal is to provide education in and exposure to high quality artistic and cultural experiences.
We came into being first as Oundle International Organ Week in 1985, following the installation of a new organ by the renowned Danish organ builder Frobenius in Oundle School Chapel. It was decided to set up a Summer School for young organists – the first course of its kind in the UK – and to place it alongside a music festival, in which internationally acclaimed organists could perform. Over the years, the scope of the music festival expanded, exposing students attending the course to an extraordinary range of music and performing: a truly unique opportunity.
We’ve been through numerous guises over the years; in 1995 we expanded the Festival into a much broader cultural programme, and renamed it the Oundle International Festival. Then in 2009, we became Oundle Music Trust.
Today
Thanks to a generous grant from the Cultural Recovery Fund in August 2020 following the COVID-19 Pandemic, we were able to plan for the future once again and continue expanding our offering in order to serve the community – and young organists from the UK and around the world – even better.
With the addition of the Cinema to our brand, as well as comedy events to our programming, we decided it was time for a new name and fresh, modern look. The challenge was to create a brand that reflected the diverse cultural offerings of the organisation: from music and comedy, to the Open Gardens, organ courses, Party at the Wharf, and cinema screenings. So, in February 2021 we became Creative Oundle.
In 2022, we went one step further and took the decision to transform and expand Oundle Festival from what was once a week-long event into a year-round celebration of the arts. We wanted to improve accessibility as well as the range of audiences we are able to reach, and the breadth of events that we are able to organise, all while staying true to our roots.
We look forward to welcoming you to one of our events, courses, and community!
