For Artists

Buxton International Festival prides itself in selecting and supporting artistic work which is both high quality and surprising for our audiences. We work with a range of artists both established and emerging to create a programme each year for the festival, which takes place every July across many venues in Buxton.

In most cases our Artistic Directors will curate the programme by seeking out specific artists or performances personally. Putting a programme together is a creative project in itself, and we always try to make sure our offer to the public is varied across the 17 days of the festival.

We are always pleased to receive information about new works and indeed to become acquainted with artists who we haven’t met before.  We also understand the time it takes to put touring packs together, and that you wish to engage with us in a meaningful way.

We hope this guide will help you.

Music Series

What We Programme:

Buxton International Festival programme a range of classical music concerts from internationally renowned composers and performers.

We programme short recitals running at one hour during lunchtimes, longer concerts running at around two hours in the afternoon and evening performances. We programme works that we think will complement the spaces we work in: a church, the opera house, the small studio, the Octagon at Pavilion Gardens; sometimes we are interested in music that can be presented outside or in found spaces but generally our programming is limited by the venue partnerships we hold.

In the past we have worked with artists including Dame Sarah Connolly, Roderick Williams, Jess Gillam and the BBC Philharmonic

Concerts are usually programmed between August and December.

How to Propose Artistic Projects

If you would like to propose a music project to be considered for programming at the festival, you are invited to email an expression of interest to: programming@buxtonfestival.co.uk

Please would you put the following information in the subject line: Name of Artist & Title of Work

Please include the following information in the body of the email:

• When you are available to perform in July
• An estimate in cost
• An indication of the size of the ensemble
• An indication of what space might best fit your work
• Which audiences you imagine to be drawn by the work, and how you would intend to reach them prior to the event

Our Book Festival uses two venues, the Pavilion Arts Centre (capacity 350) and Buxton Opera House (capacity 902). Our Book Festival Director programmes established authors largely in the field of non-fiction, published by the UK’s major publishing houses. We do not promote self-published books.

If you would like to propose a book talk to be considered for programming at the festival, you are invited to email an expression of interest to: programming@buxtonfestival.co.uk