So delighted to be at the end of year show at the Newark Schools of Musical Instrument Crafts. Here’s a lovely second-year viola by Oisin Marsh who is in the UK from Ireland to study. It is based on a Maggini model from the 1590s, and is a ripp
So delighted to be at the end of year show at the Newark Schools of Musical Instrument Crafts. Here’s a lovely second-year viola by Oisin Marsh who is in the UK from Ireland to study. It is based on a Maggini model from the 1590s, and is a ripper of an instrument, and there are just a few minor elements that would make it more like the original. It’s sounds as good as it looks - pretty awesome!
Bruno Torres is a Luthier Banjos in Saint Germain de Confolens, France. He didn’t study at Newark, which is why his words are so valuable. It is not just about story of who gets trained in Newark, but all the other people who learn and share kn
Bruno Torres is a Luthier Banjos in Saint Germain de Confolens, France. He didn’t study at Newark, which is why his words are so valuable. It is not just about story of who gets trained in Newark, but all the other people who learn and share knowledge with them. The world that Newark touches is incredible. “Support and solidarity to all affected by the potential closure of Newark from a little corner of south west France - I personally know several French luthiers who trained at Newark, and the loss of this well-known institution would be a huge loss to the music community in the UK and beyond.” #savenewarkchallenge
We are not the last generation, save Newark for future generations. Adam Kology didn’t study at Newark. He has spent his entire career in a different country. This is what he writes and why it is so valuable for us to hear his voice: &ldquo
We are not the last generation, save Newark for future generations. Adam Kology didn’t study at Newark. He has spent his entire career in a different country. This is what he writes and why it is so valuable for us to hear his voice: “If I ever had a use for 7000 followers this is it. Go sign the crap out of this thing people. I even fed my cute kid to the algorithm for this. Think of it as recompense for years of free pretty pictures. I’m a continent away and I can’t name the ways that Newark has influenced my career. I may not be doing this if it weren’t for the fruits of this institution. programs like these are of immeasurable value.” #savenewarkchallenge
Iris and Tony Carr met at Newark where they studied from 1992. In 1996 Iris found a job in Charles Beares’ workshop for eight years before moving to Suffolk where they divide their time between restoring, making, and branching out into wooden b
Iris and Tony Carr met at Newark where they studied from 1992. In 1996 Iris found a job in Charles Beares’ workshop for eight years before moving to Suffolk where they divide their time between restoring, making, and branching out into wooden boat building when time allows. Iris is a superstar of restoration, a huge inspiration to Newark students and her online courses (which are only really helpful to people with a good training already behind them) are very special contribution to violin restoration. #savenewarkchallenge
Two great photographs from Geigenbau Wilhelm in Switzerland, where half the team trained in Newark - Rose Handy, Caroline Schroyen, Hannes Dreyer, Steven Ebbinghaus. Bucking the trend, the boss Mark Wilhelm was born in England although he went to th
Two great photographs from Geigenbau Wilhelm in Switzerland, where half the team trained in Newark - Rose Handy, Caroline Schroyen, Hannes Dreyer, Steven Ebbinghaus. Bucking the trend, the boss Mark Wilhelm was born in England although he went to the Swiss violin making school in Brienz, but that is just a part of the rich and wonderful tapestry of violin making around the world. On the left you can see the tiny pair of hands of one of the next generation of Newark students after the school survives! One happy smiley picture because the team at Geigenbau Wilhelm are so happy to lend their passionate support… one attempt at grumpy serious photo for Lincoln College to say we are not amused, although most violin makers@find it very hard to look really grumpy! #savenewarkchallenge
Thanks to Kathrin Hügel from Strasbourg in France. Kathrin came to Britain to work in Philip Brown’s workshop a few years ago, before returning to Europe. However she teams up with distinguished Newark Alumni, Andrew Fairfax each year to t
Thanks to Kathrin Hügel from Strasbourg in France. Kathrin came to Britain to work in Philip Brown’s workshop a few years ago, before returning to Europe. However she teams up with distinguished Newark Alumni, Andrew Fairfax each year to teach an advanced setup course which many Newark students attend as part of the extra professional training that is necessary for any violin maker from any school after graduation. What a star! Thanks for your amazing support! #savenewarkchallenge
SOUNDS OF CIVIL WAR RETURN TO NEWARK!!! Today the Newark Advertiser has published two articles. A beautiful feature on the students focussing around a viola with tangible links to Newark’s Civil War history that has been loaned to the school
SOUNDS OF CIVIL WAR RETURN TO NEWARK!!! Today the Newark Advertiser has published two articles. A beautiful feature on the students focussing around a viola with tangible links to Newark’s Civil War history that has been loaned to the school for study. Previously a current student Rebecca Montgomery and recent graduate Vic Camilleri have both produced beautiful interpretations of the instrument which is such a lovely model... thanks to Daisy Muir for some great student commentary. For friends who want to have a taste of what it looks like to be a part of the school, this is a lovely vignette. In other news published in this week’s issue to make us tentatively very optimistic, Lincoln College has “doubled down” on their commitment to keep the college open. This is not the end of the story as it is essential that the future of the school is sensible and sustainable with pathways to study that make it possible for UK applicants to apply for loans, and for EU and overseas students to be able to obtain visas to come to Britain to study. We need to make sure that compromises to keep the schools running do not diminish the quality of the training it provides, indeed we need to make sure that a sustainable solution enhances the course to keep up to date with the changing environment of the musical instrument trade. Lastly we need to make sure this is not all talk and no trousers. Reluctantly we need to keep questioning every statement from the college and keep the pressure up. Phew!
Philip Brown Violins in Newbury has a long history of employing, providing work experience and other opportunities to violin making students in the U.K., and a significant number of Newark Alumni have launched their careers after a while in his shop.
Philip Brown Violins in Newbury has a long history of employing, providing work experience and other opportunities to violin making students in the U.K., and a significant number of Newark Alumni have launched their careers after a while in his shop. He was last in Newark giving advice and experience to the students just a week before the degree course was suddenly withdrawn. #savenewarkchallenge
Some of our alumni grow up to make double basses! Thanks to the team at T&G Martin Double Basses… Save Newark Violin Making School!! Please can everyone sign the petition to save @newark_school_of_violin_making 🙏🏻 This important viol
Some of our alumni grow up to make double basses! Thanks to the team at T&G Martin Double Basses… Save Newark Violin Making School!! Please can everyone sign the petition to save @newark_school_of_violin_making 🙏🏻 This important violin making school has helped nurture the talents of many top violin makers. We are lucky to have Jonathan and David as part of our workshop team who are both Newark graduates and they wouldn’t be doing what they love without Newark. Great job to @benjaminhebbertviolins and the many others working tirelessly to save this establishment so please can everyone who hasn’t head over and sign the petition. We will put the link in our story!
Solidarity from our friends at West Dean College: In 1971 under Maurice Bouette’s determination Newark School of Violin Making was formed to serve the needs of orchestral string instrument, especially for maintaining the instruments of schools
Solidarity from our friends at West Dean College: In 1971 under Maurice Bouette’s determination Newark School of Violin Making was formed to serve the needs of orchestral string instrument, especially for maintaining the instruments of schools and county music services, with Menuhin as its patron. At the same time there was a tremendous new market for lutes, viols and other instruments for the early music movement, so again with Menuhin’s instigation, early musical instrument making became one of the inaugural courses of Edward James’s West Dean College alongside furniture making and conservation of books, metalwork and ceramics. To this day there is a real synergy between West Dean and Newark, but they both serve valuable and distinct parts of the musical world, There is a little overlap, but the two courses have always depended on the existence of one and other so that together they can cover the vast panoply of stringed instrument making. Thank you so much for your support #westdeancollege #savenewarkchallenge

“This sacred art is under tremendous threat”: Guy Johnston on the Newark School of Violin Making.”

View fullsize So delighted to be at the end of year show at the Newark Schools of Musical Instrument Crafts. Here’s a lovely second-year viola by Oisin Marsh who is in the UK from Ireland to study. It is based on a Maggini model from the 1590s, and is a ripp
View fullsize Bruno Torres is a Luthier Banjos in Saint Germain de Confolens, France. He didn’t study at Newark, which is why his words are so valuable. It is not just about story of who gets trained in Newark, but all the other people who learn and share kn
View fullsize We are not the last generation, save Newark for future generations. Adam Kology didn’t study at Newark. He has spent his entire career in a different country. This is what he writes and why it is so valuable for us to hear his voice: &ldquo
View fullsize Iris and Tony Carr met at Newark where they studied from 1992. In 1996 Iris found a job in Charles Beares’ workshop for eight years before moving to Suffolk where they divide their time between restoring, making, and branching out into wooden b
View fullsize Two great photographs from Geigenbau Wilhelm in Switzerland, where half the team trained in Newark - Rose Handy, Caroline Schroyen, Hannes Dreyer, Steven Ebbinghaus. Bucking the trend, the boss Mark Wilhelm was born in England although he went to th
View fullsize Thanks to Kathrin Hügel from Strasbourg in France. Kathrin came to Britain to work in Philip Brown’s workshop a few years ago, before returning to Europe. However she teams up with distinguished Newark Alumni, Andrew Fairfax each year to t
View fullsize SOUNDS OF CIVIL WAR RETURN TO NEWARK!!! Today the Newark Advertiser has published two articles. A beautiful feature on the students focussing around a viola with tangible links to Newark’s Civil War history that has been loaned to the school
View fullsize Philip Brown Violins in Newbury has a long history of employing, providing work experience and other opportunities to violin making students in the U.K., and a significant number of Newark Alumni have launched their careers after a while in his shop.
View fullsize Some of our alumni grow up to make double basses! Thanks to the team at T&G Martin Double Basses… Save Newark Violin Making School!! Please can everyone sign the petition to save @newark_school_of_violin_making 🙏🏻 This important viol
View fullsize Solidarity from our friends at West Dean College: In 1971 under Maurice Bouette’s determination Newark School of Violin Making was formed to serve the needs of orchestral string instrument, especially for maintaining the instruments of schools
View fullsize Chris Johnson made an amazing contribution to violin making community when he published The Art of Violin Making with Roy Courtnall, the college’s first guitar teacher. It can be found all around the world in the workshops of violin makers of e
View fullsize Here’s a Newark Story: Maurice Bouette was the driving force behind the creation of Newark Violin Making School in 1971 and though his son studied at Mittenwald to spread his wings, it was also to bring the wisdom of the German school to Englan
View fullsize Great moment from the legend that is Nigel Kennedy rehearsing with the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra ahead of the 35th anniversary of his epic Vivaldi Four Seasons album, a recording that brought monumental attention to the violin in the early 1990s.
View fullsize David Hume is a huge supporter of Newark and one of the most distant, campaigning from New Zealand. David’s history is quite different, as a violist in the London Symphony Orchestra he owes his acquisition of restoration skills to the influence
View fullsize Raising awareness of the campaign at the ESTA 2025 International Conference in Amersfoot, Netherlands. Support shown here from Hans and Hans of the ESTA 2025 committee and string teachers of the European String Teachers Association (ESTA UK). Many c
View fullsize Thanks to Naomi Powell in County Clare and at the heart of Irish traditional music scene: “#savenewarkchallenge Just a small selection of the instruments that have been built or repaired & resetup by the luthier-in-training at Newark from m
View fullsize The centre for musical instrument building in Puurs in Belgium sends us solidarity. They are a small school that teaches a variety of musical instrument making from viols to violins to guitars. A very different setup to Newark, but it is these differ
View fullsize Kind words from the Schwiezer Geigenbauschule in Brienz 🇨🇭 "We were dismayed to learn that the Newark School of Instrument crafts won't accept new students for the upcoming year. As Swiss school of violin making, we are raising our voices aga
View fullsize Recent statistics show that only half of all graduates in the UK work in a field that relates to their study. For the Newark International School of Violin Making, rigorous statistics show 77%, an astonishingly high percentage. The full story is in
View fullsize Rosie the Riveter says: “We Can Do It! Save Newark Schools of Musical instrument Making”. Be like Rosie #savenewarkchallenge

“I feel a deep connection to this great place from having seen the incredible skill and dedication of friends who learn and teach their craft there.” Jennifer Pike on her connections to Newark School of Violin Making.

Jennifer Pike.