An exhibition by young artists The Art Room Charity offers art as therapy to children and young people aged 5-15 who are having serious difficulties and may be at risk of exclusion from school. They use art to raise their self esteem, confidence and independence and help them cope with their challenges and all come …

Prepare your senses for an exotic journey back to 1940′s Casablanca.  Enjoy an evening of authentic dining and entertainment in the stunning surroundings of Dorchester Abbey and the Cloister Garden marquee. Download your ticket application form here

Tower abseil and Teddy bear hot air ballooning Brave volunteers (including The Rector, Sue Booys, and many other familiar faces) will abseil down the 100 foot tower to raise money for the Festival charities. Come and cheer them on! You can support our brave abseilers by donating using our justgiving.com site.  Please donate now! Buy …

What do you get when you cross two of the UK’s most brilliant kids performers? The Line Kings – that’s what! First – Ian Billings, writer for stage and screen (including BBC’s Chucklevision) and author of many fine books. His giggle-riddled stand-up comedy show has taken him to theatres and schools and libraries throughout the …

RhythmZone Andy from RhythmZone will be running fun and engaging African Hand Drumming Workshops for all ages. Participants will learn basic technique and traditional West African rhythm patterns. We will also learn signals to lead the group, play musical games and develop our own musical pieces.

Tickets for Sunday 1 May 2011 are now only available on the door. Tremulous crowds followed Mark ‘ghostly’ Williams’ during the 2009 Festival, and now you are called to be chilled to the bone as he recounts his tales and tells of newly discovered apparitions in the shady spectrum of Dorchester’s spectres. Dare you brave the After …

Tickets for Sunday 1 May 2011 are now only available on the door. Following the breathtaking sellout performances of Joseph in 2009, this year’s production of The Wizard of Oz is one of the ‘must see’ events in the programme. Performances of the Wizard of Oz are at 7:30 pm on 30 April and 1pm & 8pm …

Come and be inspired by the brilliant John Hardwick; experienced musician, songwriter, storyteller and juggler who travels the world leading worship. ‘…one of those unique individuals who somehow seems to have received more than his fair share of gifts!’

All are welcome to a fun session of circus skills in the tent. Spin some plates to work up an appetite for Sunday lunch or to wear off energy with juggling before going to see the Festival performance matinee.

Tickets for Sunday 1 May 2011 are now only available on the door. (Art at the Beginning – an afternoon of worksops designed for the adult beginner to try out arts for the first time.  Three of these sessions run twice so that you can try more than one workshop in the afternoon.) This 2 hour workshop …

Tickets for Sunday 1 May 2011 are now only available on the door. (Art at the Beginning – an afternoon of worksops designed for the adult beginner to try out arts for the first time.  Three of these sessions run twice so that you can try more than one workshop in the afternoon.) Amanda introduces you to the …

Tickets for Sunday 1 May 2011 are now only available on the door. (Art at the Beginning – an afternoon of worksops designed for the adult beginner to try out arts for the first time.  Three of these sessions run twice so that you can try more than one workshop in the afternoon.) Come and learn the …

Tickets for Sunday 1 May 2011 are now only available on the door. (Art at the Beginning – an afternoon of worksops designed for the adult beginner to try out arts for the first time. ) The Beginner’s Palette : a 4 hour  introduction to watercolour painting skills with artist and tutor Rebecca Hind. Please bring watercolour materials – …

Bring along a picnic tea and dance along to a great Oxford ceilidh band! Cat Kelly and Jamie Huddlestone are the most popular ceilidh duo in and around Oxford, and as a one off special for this evening have invited guitarist Tristan Seume (from the Jackie Oates band) to join them. Cat’s driving fiddle playing …

Continuing the annual tradition Dorchester’s a capella group will welcome May in by singing from the Abbey tower and then in the Abbey. Proceeds from this event go to The Noah’s Ark Project for AIDS orphans in Kenya.

Saturday Morning picture show (on Bank Holiday Monday!) Did you ever go to the Saturday morning cinema shows in the 40s and 50s?   Do you remember seeing Donald Duck, Laurel and Hardy, Popeye, The Three Stooges and Buster Crabbe travelling from planet to planet in a tin spaceship?   Did you thrill to the excitement of …

An afternoon of free concerts – just pop in and enjoy some diverse and amazing music. 1pm: Women of Note 2pm: 33 Steps 3.30pm: Kevin O’Regan

This event is now sold out – sorry! Nick will be doing an intimate cookery demonstration aimed at the home cook and will include menu design/planning, preparation hints, tips and questions, viewer participation and wine matching suggestions. Very limited space, so book early! Nick Galer’s career as a professional chef spans 10 years, emerging from …

A combination ticket to a brilliant afternoon of 3 Pegasus workshops: Street dance 1-2pm: A chance to have fun and learn a new street routine. The style orientates towards nu-skool hip-hop, blending original hip-hop dance styles such as locking, popping and house with some more contemporary-based movements. Come along, have fun and challenge yourselves! The …

A chance to have fun and learn a new street routine. The style orientates towards nu-skool hip-hop, blending original hip-hop dance styles such as locking, popping and house with some more contemporary-based movements. Come along, have fun and challenge yourselves! The evolution of street dance has begun…. (photo David Fisher) Pegasus Theatre is at the …

(This event is part of the Busking in the Abbey afternoon – it is free but donations to the Festival charities are welcome as you leave) Women of Note’s close harmony repertoire of swing and jazz standards contains a selection of accompanied and unaccompanied numbers from the Great American Songbook by such greats as George …

(This event is part of the Busking in the Abbey afternoon – it is free but donations to the Festival charities are welcome as you leave) “33 Steps” features Charlie Finnie on guitar and Sharon Warnes on violin: together they perform a variety of well-known music encompassing a broad range of tastes.  Their repertoire features myriad genres, …

Use your voice to create music, beats and rap. You will learn to create your own lyrics and put them to a rhythmic beat. Become the new Benjamin Zephaniah or even Eminem but most of all feel the beat and have fun! Pegasus Theatre is at the heart of a diverse community in East Oxford, …

Interactive “Arcade” dance mats – Pegasus is hosting its very own grand-scale dance mat tournament. Challenge your friends and family members to step to the beat. With up-to eight mats active at a time, this is bound to be a popular event! Pegasus Theatre is at the heart of a diverse community in East Oxford, specialising …

(This event is part of the Busking in the Abbey afternoon – it is free but donations to the Festival charities are welcome as you leave) Kevin’s songs are a distinctive blend of folk and blues which are guaranteed to have an audience singing along – from songs of great wit to modern ballads of …

Schola Cantorum of Oxford is performing at the Dorchester Festival on 2 May 2011

Send your child on a little magic train adventure, with wonderful sounds, illustrations and stories.

The Little Ballerina Dance Academy introduces children to the early movements in classical ballet through fun and endearing stories.

BAFTA award winning Brian Tufano is one of Britain’s most illustrious cinematographers, and is also known in the film industry as the man with the Midas touch – Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, East Is East and Billy Elliot rank among his recent successes; Quadrophenia and Blade Runner among his earliest.  Brian will share the challenges of …

Come along to Baby College and learn new ideas for play at home, a chance to learn what you need to know about how they will develop and a sociable and supportive morning with other parents and babies. Baby College is a fun and innovative weekly class run in venues all around Oxfordshire. Baby College is parent …

A wonderful selection for adults and children alike: belts, bags, jewellery, sculpture, paintings, natural skincare products, cards and gift wrap, goodies for children, clothing and scarves … and, whether you’re visiting the Festival events, taking in the wonder of the Abbey or simply want to have a day out treating someone to a light lunch …

Come along to Baby College and learn new ideas for play at home, a chance to learn what you need to know about how they will develop and a sociable and supportive morning with other parents and babies. Baby College is a fun and innovative weekly class run in venues all around Oxfordshire. Baby College is parent …

Ceroc is a fun modern partner dance – a fusion of jive, salsa, latin and ballroom – but so much easier to learn!  There is no need to bring a partner and no previous dance experience required.   Just turn up and join in.  We will have you dancing like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers before …

All welcome to a fun session for the under 5’s. Coffee, tea and fantastic cakes on sale. All proceeds to Dorchester Pre-school

What does it take to make a brilliant villain and would you make the grade?  Come and enter the evil world of Mark Walden, the creator of the bestselling Higher Institute for Villainous Education (H.I.V.E) and find out!  Mark will talk about villains, villainous deeds and read excerpts from his books. The first H.I.V.E was …

Dorchester Festival hosts a unique residency by Shedman – the writer and poet John Davies. Shedman’s home, a shed in the Abbey grounds, will be auctioned for festival funds. Help him explore the wonderful world of sheds by contributing your shed stories and memorabilia. Shedman is inspired by all things shed – garden sheds, bike sheds and railway sheds, …

A rare opportunity for autistic schools to enjoy the therapeutic effects of music live in the Abbey. People of all ages and abilities are welcome to come to this event.

Enjoy this Murder Mystery evening in Drchester Abbey

John Rutter, one of the UK’s foremost choral composers, will lead a Come and Sing Day in Dorchester Abbey. Music will have a flavour of Spring and include some new compositions from John Rutter himself as well as pieces by other composers. Copies will be provided and enthusiasts at all levels are welcome to participate …

Comedian, writer, producer and comic artist Kev F writes & draws Bash St Kids adventures in The Beano and has worked for Marvel Comics, Viz, 2000AD, Funday Times, Dr Who, and Red Dwarf. In these fantastic 2 hour masterclasses with Kev you will produce your very own comic strip and he will draw a caricature …

An evening of spoken word, sound and song with: MacGillivray a Scottish singer who has performed as support for The Fall, Arlo Guthrie and Arthur Brown and is currently working on her third album Somewhere the Night. Her first album Wolf was played on BBC Radio 3 Late Junction and The Verb and has been …

Enjoy a traditional service in the stunning setting of Dorchester Abbey, led by Canon Sue Booys with Preacher Roger Royle. Reverend Canon Roger Royle was ordained in the Church of England in 1962 & served his first curacy at St. Mary’s, Portsea, Portsmouth. During his career he served as Conduct & Senior Chaplain of Eton …

One of the best concerts of 2009 and a real treat for music fans of all ages! Come and hear some of the best music from Oxfordshire’s schools. The students of Wallingford, Cranford House, Botley primary, The Oratory prep, The Manor and Magdalen College will amaze and delight you with their talent and enthusiasm.

Last Night of the Festival Proms Back by popular demand, the BBC Elstree Concert Band is delighted to bring a taste of the last night of the Proms to the Dorchester Festival. Under the musical direction of Andrew Morley, this versatile and entertaining group will not only regale you with several of the most popular …