Following a selection process at the 2025 Royal Wootton Bassett Arts Festival, the Rotary Club sponsored two musicians to go forward to the Rotary District Final of Young Musician. This took place at Dean Close School, Cheltenham on Saturday 21st February and both of candidates gave superb performances.
Thalia Sprunt, a vocalist, sang ‘Waving Thro a Window’; ‘Two Days in College’; and ‘’She Used to be Mine’.
George Baker, a classical guitarist, played ‘Chorus N1’ by Villa Lobos; and ‘Rondo Rodeo’ by Gary Ryan.
While neither were selected to represent the District in the ongoing national competition, it was clear that both of them, along with all other participants, were delighted to perform in this high calibre event with professional adjudication. We would like to congratulate both students and to give our heartfelt thanks to the Rotary Club for being so generous and so supportive of our festival, year after year.
Our Music section of the festival continues to thrive, and so this year we have taken the decision to split the disciplines to allow for development and growth. Julie Williams continues to be Singing and Instrumental Chair, and Sandra Dukes continues as Classical Guitar Chair.
But, we are delighted to announce that Sarah Loddington has agreed to take on the role of Piano Chair. Welcome Sarah! And thank you Julie and Sandra.
We are delighted to announce that this year we are introducing a new Competition: Story Writing for Years 3 & 4, Years 5 & 6 and Years 7 – 9. The judge will be Alex Evelyn who is a children’s author who lives locally, in Sherston, near Malmesbury.
Meet Alex Evelyn
Alex is the author of The Secret Wild. She has a degree in Journalism from Cardiff University and has worked in public relations, as a food writer and photographer creating content for blogs, local magazines and The Times.
Her travels often inspire her writing, from a childhood spent in Brazil to working as a cook on a dive research boat in the Red Sea. A summer stint helping on a ranch in the Big Horn mountains was inspired by her favourite childhood book The Green Grass of Wyoming. Born in Wales, she lives in the wilds of Wiltshire with her family and far too many pets. She works part time at a forest school nestled amongst the roots of the amazing trees at Westonbirt Arboretum.
This year’s Festival will take place over only single weekend: the 14th & 15th November, 2026. The venue remains the same, at the RWB Academy.
We plan to release the syllabus on the 1st April, and online entries will open on the 1st September. Do watch out for our emails and our regular updates (here or on Meta) for important deadlines.
Thank you as ever for supporting us! Do save the date!
We will advertise the opening date and where to access our online entries system on our Latest News page, on X, and on Meta. (The system will open later than it has previously, while we do some administrative work, but the Festival will continue as ever this year!)
In the meantime, you can browse our classes from the syllabus. Once entries are open you can then directly choose your classes: whether they are Speech and Drama, Music, Dance, or Musical Theatre. You will find all the information you need on-line, and all the classes are listed too, plus you can pay by BACS.
Two of our committee members, Helen and Lara, made it to the BIFF Annual Conference last Sunday representing Royal Wootton Bassett Arts Festival.
The British and International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech (BIFF) has been supporting amateur performing arts festivals to provide performance opportunities in their local communities for over 100 years, and we are proud to be a member.
This year, alongside our annual Poetry Competition which is now open to Adults, we are running a Radio Script Writing Competition!
The winning play will be performed and broadcast on local radio and on the web! Find your entry form here. Deadline 14th October!
Opname van een hoorspel. [1949]. LET OP! Dit is een minimaal bewerkt lowres bestand. Wilt u een groter en/of bewerkt bestand neem dan contact op met 023-5185150 of verkoop@spaarnestadphoto.nl.
Entry can only be by the RWBAF Radio Entry Form and potential authors cannot enter on Run My Festival.
We are continuing to grow each year thanks to the wonderful support of all those who join us in sharing their creative talents!
A few days ago, we had a special celebratory tea to honour Sheila Dunn’s work on the festival. Sheila has been a smiling stalwart and a huge supporter of the festival over the years. We presented her with flowers, Theatre Vouchers and a new trophy in her name – The Sheila Dunn Trophy for Excellence in Musical Theatre – which she will present at the Highlights Concert in February to the best overall Musical Theatre performance.
Sheila is a wonderful singer, and has been from a very early age and still sings now. She learnt her stage art from belonging to various societies, including: S.A.L.O.S. Gilbert & Sullivan society, Highworth Amateur Drama Society and W.B.L.O.S. – whom she has been the President of.
Sheila’s association with the RWB Arts Festival goes right back to its conception it 2005. Back then, it was something of a ‘one man band’ under the baton of Brian Taylor, before Sandra McDowell, our Speech and Drama Chair, was brought on board and helped expand the festival to the scale and scope that it is now.
She was asked to ‘help out’ in those early days, and has been ‘helping out’ ever since! After 17 years of service, Sheila is – quite deservedly – putting her feet up. She wishes the Festival well, and values its input in helping the hundreds of very talented students and young adults in their singing careers. Your valuable input will be missed; your trophy is well deserved!
The whole committee, and no doubt all the entrants, would like to say a huge thank you, Sheila!
HM The Queen at Buckingham Palace on 26th November 2001. Part of a series of photographs taken to commemorate the Golden Jubilee in 2002. (Photo by Lichfield Archive via Getty Images)
The Royal Wootton Bassett Arts Festival would like to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II whose loyalty and service to our nation over the past seventy years has been exemplary. We were deeply saddened to hear of her passing, and our thoughts are especially with her family at this time. Her fortitude and dedication in serving her country and the Commonwealth with unbounding spirit and devotion is to be hugely admired. Her Majesty was always supportive of the theatre and the arts and was patron of over 50 musical and cultural organisations, and over 600 charities around the world.
HM The Queen at Buckingham Palace with Paddington Bear, taken to commemorate the Platinum Jubilee in 2022. (Photo via BBC Images)
We feel privileged that our festival carries the name Royal. Her Majesty touched the hearts of people and was a shining example of grace and dedication to her nation. Our thoughts and prayers are especially with His Majesty King Charles III, the Queen’s successor, as he prepares to step into office. We send our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family at this time.
The Poet Roger McGough paid tribute to Her Majesty this way:
RWB Arts Festival 