The PAW Festival | 2025 Brochure | Open Studios | Rollington Barn Exhibiton | Rollington Pop-Up Studio | Rollington Installations | PYA Exhibition | Castle View Exhibition | Concerts & Events
The PAW Festival
The Purbeck Art Weeks Festival is a celebration of creativity, culture, and community set against the stunning backdrop of the Purbeck landscape. Each year, the Festival brings together an inspiring mix of visual and performing arts, featuring open studios, exhibitions, world-class concerts, thought-provoking talks, inspiring performances, and engaging workshops. It’s a unique opportunity to discover local talent, experience international excellence, and connect with others through the joy of the arts. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, music lover, or simply curious, the PAW Festival offers something for everyone to enjoy.
2025 BROCHURE FOREWORD by the Festival President
Welcome to this year’s Purbeck Art Weeks Festival!
Some 333 years ago at the Queen’s Theatre in London Henry Purcell staged the first performance of his new opera The Fairy Queen. Purcell sadly died three years later at the age of 36 and the score was lost only being rediscovered in the twentieth century. There have been many performances since this rediscovery most notably at Glyndebourne in 2009 in celebration of the 350th anniversary of the composer’s birth. PAW this year is staging Purcell’s great Restoration Spectacular as a community opera with several local schools involved in the music and the creation of stage scenery. Based on Shakespeare’s text for ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Purcell had the parts of Titania and Oberon played by children aged 8 and 9, so this schools and community production is more than appropriate and very much as Purcell would have wanted.
For those of you who have visited PAW Festival before there will be many familiar events and exhibitions, and several extra exciting events and exhibitions to explore. In keeping with the theme of fairies and magical creatures Nick Jubber, with Tim Laycock, will be giving a talk about his fascinating new book ‘Monsterland’. In addition to the tremendous work on display at the Rollington Barn there is the ‘The Spirit of PAW’ collective exhibition during the second week, featuring the work of emerging artists and is a ‘must see’. One of my favourite tasks during the festival is to visit some of the many Open Studios where artists talk about their work, demonstrate their skills and provide a wonderful opportunity for the visitor to buy unique works of art.
This year’s exciting programme has been put together by the dedicated, extremely hard working and visionary PAW Festival team. Once again, I thank them profusely for their skill and hard work. I know you will be thrilled by what they have achieved.
Philip Jackson CVO DL MA FRBS
Past Brochures
The free PAW brochure contains everything a visitor needs to know about the Festival fortnight: exhibitions, Open Studios, events, and community projects. Every participating artist will have their contact details included in the brochure and most will also have an illustration of their work too. Click on the covers to have a look at some of our recent past brochures to see what we were doing.
Past Events Programmes
Every year we strive to bring you the most comprehensive Events programme possible. Please click on the covers to have a look at some of our recent past programmes and if you would like to receive information about our Festivals in advance please click here. If you would like to become a Friend and enjoy priority booking for our Events and for our winter series of Chamber Music in Purbeck Houses, please click here.
Past Brochure Covers
