The Exuberant Trust

more Exuberant Trust concerts.

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associated concerts and events

and also our linked Other Concerts.

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Help save Summertown's

arts hub at the URC!

The Summertown United Reformed Church building has been the home for a wide range of community, arts and educational activities in Oxford for over a century, but is now being sold. The Summertown Arts Community (registered charity) is campaigning urgently to raise the last tranche of funds to buy this URC building, and maintain it as an affordable base for artistic and creative activity in the surrounding community. For more information or to support SAC in this important venture ... read more here.

2003 - 2024

Celebrating 21 years of supporting

young people in Oxfordshire with

their development in the creative

arts since 2003.

The Exuberant Trust was first registered as a charity in 2003. During the last 21 years, the Exuberant Trust has awarded a total of £75,000 in the form of 170 individual grants to young, creative artists in Oxfordshire ... Read more here.

Award Winners News

The latest news, updates and events listings for Exuberant Trust grant award-winners.

Find out more about the Multi Story Orchestra here, including the latest news and upcoming events.

The Multi Story Orchestra was started in 2011 by composer Kate Whitley (former Exuberant Trust award winner) and conductor Christopher Stark, who wanted to find new ways to play orchestral music that would escape formal concert halls and be more exciting.

The Orchestra started playing in Bold Tendencies in Peckham and broadcast the first ever BBC Proms performance from a car park in 2016, followed by performances in other car parks around the UK. Their performances bring together amassed choirs and instrumentalists to give incredibly moving, musical experiences that celebrate the local community. They also work with local schools to encourage creativity for all.

BBC Young Musician 2020

Ewan Millar wins the woodwind finals.

18-year-old oboist Ewan Millar, from Reading, has won the woodwind category final of the BBC Young Musician 2020 competition. Ewan will now go on to the semi-final with the other category winners to compete for a place in the grand final later this year.

Congratulations to Ewan and we wish him good luck in the next stage of the competition.

BBC Young Musician 2020 links:

Ewan Millar - profile.

Ewan Millar - woodwind finals performance.

Woodwind Finals highlights.

Emily Stapleton Jefferis

Ceramics Artist - Update

Read an update from former Exuberant Trust award-winner and artist, Emily Stapleton-Jefferis who is studying an MA in Ceramics and Glass at the Royal College of Art, London.

Award-winners Fiona McAlear and Rachel Wood are both jewellers/silversmiths.

Contemporary Jewellery & Hair Accesories

Read about Fiona's latest jewellery collections and news here.

Rachel specialises in handmade bespoke pieces for all sporting and country enthusiasts. Read more about her new collections and news here.

2003 - 2013

Officially formed as a charity in April 2003, The Exuberant Trust celebrated it's 10th Anniversary in 2013, culminating in the Showcase Exuberant Oxford! in September 2013 at the Pegasus Theatre, Oxford. Read More ...

The Exuberant Trust is a local charity which supports young people with a strong connection to Oxfordshire, who are developing their interest in the arts: music, drama, dance, art & crafts, multi-media, etc. and who are in need of a small one-off grant (maximum £500) for a specific project or activity.

The Exuberant Trust raises funds by organising concerts throughout the year and from donations received from its supporters. Successful applicants are encouraged to take part in concerts and other activities in support of the Trust.

Next Concert:

The Exuberant Trustees are delighted to invite you to the

2026 MUSIC AT THE LIMES season in Standlake, West Oxfordshire.

Music at the Limes

6pm, Sunday 10th May

~ ENTENTE CORDIALE ~

Come and enjoy a delightful programme of

French and English songs by Britten, Faure’, Poulenc,

Rossini, Sullivan, Vaughan Williams and others...

Mezzo-sopranos Kirsty Strange and Lesley Morris

will be accompanied by Sally Rumsey on piano.

Concert Flyer

The Pavilion at The Limes

87 High Street, Standlake OX29 7RH

The Limes driveway is next to the car park of the Black Horse Pub

Directions/Parking

This concert is a fund-raiser for the Exuberant Trust.

Entry is free, but donations to the charity are most welcome -

online (via NowDonate) in advance, or on the day.

Music at The Limes concerts are free and informal, and last one hour.

Tea, wine and soft drinks will be served after the performance.

The Exuberant Trust charity supports creative young people in Oxfordshire.

Our small grants are awarded for individual projects in any of the arts. Applications from people under 30 years of age who have a

strong link to Oxfordshire are always welcome.

The Exuberant Trust - Registered Charity No. 1095911

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We are immensely grateful to the Exuberant performers and

audiences who raised over £5000 last year (2025) for the Exuberant

Trust small grants scheme, which helps young creative

people in Oxfordshire to fulfil their dreams.

All donations received directly fund our small grants programme,

which exists to support young people (under 30 years) in Oxfordshire

with individual projects, related to any of the arts (not just music).

All of the Exuberant Trustees and other helpers work on a voluntary basis.

This ensures that all funds raised are allocated to our grant awards

scheme (less minimal running costs and concert expenses).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Please help the Exuberant Trust continue to support young people in Oxfordshire with their development in the creative arts, by making a donation to our grant-award fund.

You can donate securely online, via our Donation page at NowDonate. Alternatively find out how you can donate to the Exuberant Trust

in other ways by clicking the link below.

Other Ways To Donate > >

THANK YOU!

The Espresso Trio	Past Concerts 2026 6pm, Sunday 1st March The Espresso Trio play Grieg, Haydn and Arensky at the Limes in Standlake. Formed last year, the Trio brings together 3 award-winning artists from the Royal College of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
'Hydn Seek'	Past Concerts 2025 6pm, Sunday 16th November A second chance to hear Lesley Morris and friends perform their Haydn Seek programme in the Cello Shop, Witney, for anyone who missed the first performance in Standlake on October 12th.
'Hydn Seek ?'	6pm, Sunday 12th October Haydn Seek ? a programme of Bach, Purcell, Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Haydn performed at The Limes by local Witney-based ensemble Yuliya Rothman - soprano, Lesley Morris - alto, Amanda Bennett - piano, Ben Rothman - violin and David Brown - cello.
'Ann An Eilean' Recollections and reflections of island life	6pm, Sunday 5th October Ann An Eilean devised by William Leigh Knight, brings 'Recollections and reflections of island life' to the Limes with readings and songs. Performed by William Leigh Knight, Cath Hutchinson and John Collis (piano). William and John were on the staff at Morley College in south London for many years, and used to be regular performers at The Limes. During the pandemic, William and Cath moved to the Hebridean island of Colonsay, where they have revived the musical life of the Colonsay kirk, winning an award from the Royal Society of Church Music.
The Eugène Piano Trio	6pm, Sunday 14th September Oxfordshire ensemble The Eugène Piano Trio played works by Frank Bridge, Beethoven and Schubert for our audience back at The Limes in Standlake. The Eugène Piano Trio are Sarah Verney - piano, Stephen Drew - violin and Alison Cooke - cello.
The Pavlova Quintet	6pm, Sunday 17th August Oxfordshire ensemble The Pavlova Quintet played a wonderful programme of music for a summer evening, including the much-loved overture to Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro.
Indigo Road	6pm, Sunday 11th April Indigo Road entertained our audience in Standlake at The Limes with a wonderful programme of songs. Indigo Road is a small but perfectly formed local ‘a capella’ group combining modern grooves and musical verve, arranging pop and folk songs from around the world.
'TÊTE à TÊTE'	6pm, Sunday 27th April Back at The Limes in Standlake, Diana Hinds, piano and Coral Lancaster, cello play a French themed programme in the garden Pavilion, including sonatas by Debussy and Fauré and Poulenc’s Mélancolie.
'Inward Places of the Soul' Catriona and Lucinda Bourne	7pm, Sunday 23rd March Inward Places of the Soul at the United Reformed Church, Summertown, will be a spellbinding performance of music for Baroque Flute and Bass Viol by Catriona Bourne and Lucinda Bourne. The talented duo who are sisters will play music by Telemann, Quantz, Hotteterre and some traditional Scottish airs. Catriona Bourne is an Exuberant Trust award winner

Save Our Subjects celebrates

a major campaign win.

On 5 November 2025 the government announced that it will abolish the English Baccalaureate and reform the Progress 8 accountability measure. The news is a major boost for arts subjects and a campaign win for Save Our Subjects. The campaign has been calling for a review and reform of accountability measures, which have contributed to the significant decline in arts subjects in English state schools since 2010. Read more here ...

Commedia

David Horn in Commedia,

photographed by Bill Cooper.

Read about the Commedia Project, which was commissioned by the Exuberant Trust and funded entirely

by donations specifically for this purpose, in memory of Sebastian Graham-Jones.

Sebastian had been working on the idea at the time of his death in 2004, for a choreographed work using characters and images from fantasy paintings by Claude Harrison, with their allusions to the Commedia dell'Arte, to be set to Robin Holloway's haunting, quizzical Serenade in C (1979).

The project was finally realised in 2011 with the Commedia Ballet, developed and choreographed by Susie Crow, Ballet in Small Spaces, with costume and set-design by Ellen Nabarro (née Stewart).