In a shock move, the school has informed foundation-year students that they will not be progressing to the degree course in the 2025–26 academic year
The Newark School of Violin Making has told applicants for its 2025–26 academic year that its degree programme for instrument making will ‘not commence’ in September.
A source at Newark told The Strad that the current foundation-year students were told the decision was made because of a lack of applicants. The current students on the degree programme have been told that their courses will not be affected by the decision, and that a meeting has been scheduled for 14 May to clarify the situation. Students who had already been accepted for the course were told over the phone about the decision on 8 May.
Read: Petition launched to protest Newark Violin Making School changes
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As yet, there has been no confirmation as to whether the degree course will continue in the 2026–27 academic year, or whether the other instrument making courses run by Lincoln College in Newark will be affected. However, the pages for the woodwind and piano making courses on the Lincoln College ‘School of Musical Instrument Crafts’ website have been taken down.
Founded in 1972, the Newark School of Violin Making celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. Many of the world’s leading violin makers trained at the school, and it has an international reputation for teaching. Newark is also the venue for the UK’s annual ‘Lutherie Day’, which this year took place on 3 May.
UPDATE: The Newark School has released the following statement:
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 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.
UPDATE 2: Lincoln College has clarified that the piano, woodwind and guitar making degree courses will also not be accepting new students in 2025-26.
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