About Severn Arts

Severn Arts, a thriving charitable arts company formed in June 2018, brings high quality music and arts to a wide range of people across Worcestershire. We lead Worcestershire's Music Education Hub, funded by Arts Council England, teaching music in all types of education settings, on our travelling Music Box and in our music groups, bands and orchestras which meet outside of school. We are commissioned by Worcestershire County Council to deliver the County Arts service and by Worcester City Council to support community festivals and are working in partnership with Malvern Hills District Council and Reimagine Redditch to support the creative sector to grow, increase engagement and develop audiences. Severn Arts is committed to offering new, inclusive arts activities that focus on widening access to the arts for all, with a particular emphasis on children and young people.

Our patron is Julian Lloyd Webber

Our vision

“At Severn Arts we are passionate about the power of creativity to transform and enrich lives. Through the quality and relevance of our work and partnerships, we aim to bring opportunity to children, young people and the wider community of Worcestershire. We believe in parity and will be bold in our efforts to reduce the inequalities of opportunity that currently exists.”

Our strategic priorities are to:

Ensure organisational growth
Widen our reach
Build talent
Embed equality, diversity and inclusion

Download Severn Arts Business Plan Executive Summary

Music education experts

Our largest responsibility is as lead for Worcestershire’s Music Education Hub (WMEH). For over 60 years the Severn Arts team has been providing music education to young people across Worcestershire as one of the national music hubs, supported and funded through the Department of Education via Arts Council England. Severn Arts has an established reputation for high-quality delivery and the work we do in schools is fully integrated into national music education policy.

We galvanise partners to work together to provide multiple ways in which young people can develop their musical journeys, from music industry courses and recording studios at Kidderminster College, to programmes with industry partners Charanga, singing with Soundabout and ground-breaking work with Open Orchestras in special schools. Our Music Awards Scheme is for families who can't afford the cost of music lessons.

See our music education pages for more information

Donate to Severn Arts Music Awards

Arts specialists

Our portfolio of work includes delivering an arts programme which meets Worcestershire County Council's Corporate Plan priorities and supporting access for our communities to take part in arts activities and projects in Worcestershire. As part of our remit to support creativity in education, we are part of the Worcestershire Cultural Education Partnership and provide networking opportunities for the creative and cultural sector. In addition, we are committed to developing new creative talent by offering workspace, apprenticeships, placements, internships and volunteering opportunities in the arts to people living and working in Worcestershire.

See supporting young people into work for more information

From January 2019 to March 2023 Severn Arts was a lead partner in The Arches Worcester Project and the delivery partner for the festivals strand of this project. Over the four years, the project funding provided by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), administered by Arts Council England (ACE) enabled the festivals team to produce four Light Nights, In Memoriam, an art installation by Luke Jerram, Same But Different, Atmosphere and The Rising festivals.

Following the success of The Arches Worcester Festivals Programme, especially Light Night, we are currently seeking funds to enable this festival to continue.

See festivals for more information

Our aspiration is to grow and support a high-quality cultural offer in the county through outreach projects and partnerships with our colleagues in the cultural sector.

Diversity and inclusion

Severn Arts has grown immeasurably since becoming a charity and we are ambitious in our desire to be at the forefront of creative education and cultural provision. Our long-term strategy for the organisation is to have a culturally diverse programme of work led by a diverse workforce and recognised by our population base as relevant, inspiring and inclusive. For more information download our strategy and action plan below.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) Strategy

New ideas and collaborations

We seek out innovative work, individuals and opportunity and are always open to new collaborations and partnerships. If you have an idea, are passionate about arts education, and really enjoy working collaboratively, come and talk to us about opportunities.