2026 Festival: 1 - 11 October

Two Moors Festival – Outreach Project

Following a successful pilot scheme in October 2021, Moor Music reached a total of more than 2,000 children over 35 workshops for classes ranging from Reception to Year 12. Workshops were held across many different schools on Dartmoor and Exmoor in the Autumn of 2022 and January 2023.

The project was held in remote rural locations with the purpose of exposing children on the Moors to the imaginative and creative possibilities of classical music which they may not otherwise encounter. Musicians in September were provided by Project String Quartet - the Asaka and Regency Quartets, and they were followed by harpist, Anne Denholm and flautist, Henry Roberts in November and the Thorne Trio in January.

Dunster First School with the Asaka Quartet

The sessions held are as follows:

September 2022:
Lynton Primary School
Dunster First School
Dulverton Junior School
Filleigh Primary School
Witheridge Primary School
St James Primary School Okehampton
Rydon Primary School Kingsteignton
Teign School Newton Abbot
Haytor View Primary School
Okehampton College
Okehampton Primary School
Chagford Primary School

November 2022:
South Molton United Primary School
North Molton Primary School
South Dartmoor Community College
Princetown Community Primary School
Okehampton Primary School

January 2023:
Lynton Primary School
Dulverton Junior School
Filleigh Primary School

We asked the children for their feedback and here are some of their comments:

“The music made me want to dance.”

“It made me feel alive and happy.”

“I think if you have a good heart, you have a good song.”

“It was magical.”

“A rare opportunity to hear, see and experience musical instruments played by professionals.”

“It made me feel tingly and happy.”

“The music made me feel calm, chilled, cool, relaxed and de-stressed.”

“I loved meeting real musicians.”

In Okehampton Primary School said after the workshop that “Half the class would now like music lessons.”

Okehampton College, who were visited during the pilot scheme, have now set up a string orchestra.

Lindy Buckley from Filleigh Primary School said: “Thank you for another wonderful visit for our children to experience. It was thoroughly enjoyable and engaging. We feel very lucky as a school to have such great musicians come in and perform and work with us."

Lynton Primary School with Asaka Quartet
South Dartmoor Community College with Anne Denholm and Henry Roberts

During the workshops, children were introduced to the various different instruments and taught about how music paints a picture. They were asked how they felt about different types of music and to identify well known songs by being played the rhythm only. 

All schools hugely appreciated being given a live interactive session and spoke of its huge benefit to learning. They commented that many children were now keen to take up an instrument or even consider a career in music.

The Two Moors Festival is extremely grateful to Arts Council England, Okehampton United Charities and Exmoor National Park for enabling these workshops to take place.

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