Saffron Hall Trust

We are an arts and education charity based at Saffron Hall, bringing exceptional musical performances to local and regional audiences, raising aspirations among young people, and promoting well-being in the community. Saffron Hall, on the site of Saffron Walden County High School campus, lies at the heart of a unique partnership between Saffron Hall Trust and Saffron Academy Trust- a family of schools providing outstanding state education for their communities. Saffron Hall opened in 2013 with a season of just twelve concerts. Eight years later it boasts a world-class music programme that includes two Resident Orchestras, classical, opera, folk, big band, brass band, swing, jazz, world, and genre-defying music. Dance, spoken word and pantomime have since been added to the programme. On average we sell 42,000 tickets a year and engage with over 9,000 people a year with our schools and community work. At the heart of our programme is the belief that all are entitled to high-quality performing arts experiences. It is this spirit of equal opportunity that is endlessly appealing to audience members, artists, and participants alike. Some of the world’s finest artists regularly appear on stage with young people and amateur performers or take part in our schools and community programmes. From artists such as Nicola Benedetti, Jess Gillam, Kathryn Tickell, and Courtney Pine to ensembles such as Britten Sinfonia, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and Boy Blue Entertainment, they have all become genuinely bound to our community, making the performing arts an integral part of life in our area. We have assembled a team of experienced, highly motivated, and like-minded people with an ethos that combines a desire to share a passion for the arts with the wider community whilst exploring how this can be achieved in new and innovative ways. We think that what we do is worthwhile, how we do it, exceptional, and the environment we work in exciting.