The Strad, 9 May 2025: Petition launched to protest Newark Violin Making School changes

Prospective students at the Newark School of Violin Making have launched a petition to protest the announcement that the school will be closing its doors to new BA (Hons) students for the 2025–26 academic year. Several foundation-year students have said they had been told within the past two weeks that they would be progressing to the Musical Instrument Craft (MIC) degree programme, but each received a phone call on 8 May saying that the offer was withdrawn and that a lack of applications meant the degree programme would not commence in September 2025 as planned.

‘Lincoln College has announced the cancellation of the 2025 intake for the instrument-making degree programme, citing low student numbers. This threatens the survival of a critical heritage and jeopardises foundation-year students’ paths forward,’ said foundation-year student Floyd Elgar in the petition. ’We urge Lincoln College and educational authorities to: reverse the cancellation of the 2025 instrument-making degree intake; engage actively with the global instrument-making community to support the programme; [and] launch outreach initiatives to secure the Newark School’s future.’