Degree courses in violin, piano, guitar, and woodwind making cancelled at Newark College’s School of Musical Instrument Craft

Student luthiers fear their heritage craft could be ‘cut off at the source’ after Newark’s violin school announced it would not be taking on new degree students.

Newark’s School of Musical Instrument Crafts — one of very few dedicated facilities in the country — has cancelled BA (Hons) programmes in violin, guitar, piano, or woodwind making and repair, due to low application numbers.

The school is part of Newark College under the Lincoln College Group, and the courses were validated by the University of Hull.

Existing degree students will be able to continue the course they’re enrolled on, but current foundation course students and other applicants will not be enrolled next year.

Second year student Carla Beevers said: “[Yesterday] morning our foundation students and upcoming students that have not yet started the course got a phone call saying we are not running the course next year and basically try somewhere else.

“However, the Newark Violin Making School is known worldwide in the instrument making community. Most people have heard of it, we’ve had it here for over 50 years and it’s quite a large part of Newark’s heritage.

“I will still be able to finish my final year and graduate, but I’m passionate about the next lot of people being able to continue their education and come into the school. It’s not fair and I know a lot of my classmates feel the same way as well.

“It’s massively important, luthiery has been around for hundreds and hundreds of years. Especially in Newark as a course, compared to other ones in Europe, we have tool making, access to large machinery that maybe other courses don’t, we’ve got a really fantastic library and we’ve got access to so much information.

“For us to just not put in the next couple of years, what does that mean for the school if they’re not making money off students for the next few years?”

After receiving the news yesterday, students left their classes to seek answers, and are due to have a meeting next week with the head of the music department.

Another student luthier, Evie Daley, said: “It’s a massive heritage craft which they’re cutting off at the source.

“I’m in first year so it shouldn’t affect me, but the foundation year students have been completely cut off from the course, and maybe from their potential career.”

The craft has been taught at the school as part of Newark College since 1972, when it opened as the UK’s first-ever dedicated violin-making school.

The Lincoln College Group had confirmed it is seeking alternative ways to deliver the legacy course, and is committed to supporting its students and applicants.

A spokesman for Lincoln College Group said: “We have been made aware of some concern about Musical Instrument Craft and the changes to our BA (Hons) programme and associated pathways this September.

“Due to low application numbers, we have elected not to run this particular course for new students this year. This has been a long and considered consultation with staff and the Lincoln College Group’s senior leadership team.

“This course is solely a self-funded course and no current students or tutors will be affected by the course cancellation. All current students in their first and second years will be enrolling and will be unaffected by the situation.

“We are currently working with staff to explore and successfully establish new ways to deliver this important legacy course.

“The Violin School in Newark remains open. We remain as a college committed to this valued and respected school which has been an integral part of Newark College for many years. Our students remain our most important assets and we are here to support them with any concerns they might have.

“The small group of applicants who had expressed an interest in the course, as well as those on foundation courses that were hoping to move on to the degree course have now been contacted and signposted to alternative options.”

Among those on the foundation course at the school and who now must consider other options is Floyd Elgar, who said: “I’d been offered a place, with an unconditional offer.

“I was informed by student services that the course would no longer be running, and you would not be able defer to the next year either. That’s two years that you can’t do anything from doing the foundation course, and then we don’t know. A building not receiving funding for two years tells me one thing. If something’s bleeding you’ve got to try and save it.

“This is important. We had a masterclass from Mr Carruthers, an American, he came here and he said that 40 years ago he applied to come to Newark from America — to me that means something, that the place is respected, people respect what it offers.

“I’m not from Newark, I have no reason to be here other than coming to the school. I drive up from London in the early hours of the morning to be here. I put ample amount of time and energy, for them to remove something is distasteful — to not even be here to discuss it or tell us face to face.

“We’re hearing mixed feedback — that there’s not enough people for the course, yet there’s other information that it is not being funded. I need the clarity, because I’ve changed a lot of my lifestyle for this.”

Rebecca Montgomery, a third year student who came to Newark from the US to study, added: “I’ve been in this trade a very long time, in the US even when I was young thinking about violin schools — there’s just a handful on the planet who have a reputation in this trade — there’s Newark, which I always knew about. I moved across the ocean to be here.

“Its a really important global institution, it’s renowned and it would be a tragedy if it disappeared. It has a reputation for turning out the best of the best and it needs to continue.

“We don’t know anything yet about the future, but it makes us worry.”

Former course accreditor the University of Hull has been approached for comment.