press releases

Below are press releases covering stories about the programme for 2009 including stars from a range of artforms.

The releases also cover the work of the Henley Festival Trust, including our education outreach programme SHOUT! and our brand new Henley Festival Orchestra.

If you would like further information or images please contact Miranda and Rachel (contact details at the end of each release). Further information about the SHOUT! project can be found on the SHOUT! section of this website.

November 2008
Henley Festival Artistic Director takes National Chair

Henley Festival's Artistic Director, Stewart Collins, has just been elected Chair of the British Arts Festivals Association (BAFA). In this position he will represent the UK's festivals when talking to government committees, the Arts Council, overseas festivals and festival organizations. He will also be in charge of advising the country's festivals on how to survive the current credit crunch and looming recession.

full story - online PDF

October 2008
Henley Festival Orchestra inspired to greater things

On Sunday 5th October, members of the Henley Festival Orchestra met together in Henley-on-Thames for the first of a series of 'Inspiration Days' planned for the year leading up to the Festival in July 2009. Led by Andy Baker, animateur with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the Henley Festival Orchestra played together for the first time in this academic year and began discussing and sampling their musical direction for the run up to July 2009.

full story - online PDF

October 2008
Henley Festival 2008 breaks box office records!

With the summer festival season beginning to wind up, the autumn is a time of evaluation for many Festival Directors before programming starts in earnest for next year. We talked recently to Stewart Collins, Artistic Director of Henley Festival, about the success of this year's event.

full story - online PDF

September 2008
Henley Festival's SHOUT! project takes on the World

During the week of 29th September-3rd October, the Henley Festival Trust's schools' outreach project (SHOUT!) will once again offer young people a glorious way to become involved in the arts. Over this academic year (Sept '08 to July '09), the Trust will organise and pay for a spectacular mural-making project, 'Supersize Art', involving local schools. Ten murals will be created on canvases 20' x 6', one in each of the 10 participating schools.

full story - online PDF