Welcome to the website of the Devon Performing Arts Festival. The festival has been taking place since 1923 at various venues across Exeter and for the past few years the festival has been held at the Baptist Church, in South Street, Exeter. We are grateful to the team there for their hospitality and support.   

As a Festival we provide a performance space for local performers in the areas of Speech and Drama, Instrumental, Piano and other Keyboards, and Singing. Whilst the festival is competitive, every persons performance is celebrated and every performer receives comments from a professional Adjudicator from their particular discipline.

The festival is run by an enthusiastic committee (all of whom are volunteers) who work during the year so that the next years festival can take place. We are fortunate in having committee members who are experienced in the different aspects of the festival and who freely offer their experience and expertise to make the festival a success.  

I was elected Chair in June, following the sudden death in February, of our previous Chair, Peter Macklin, who had also been Acting Treasurer. This latter post was taken up at short notice by Tafline Percy. We also welcome an additional Committee Member, Ted Draper, who has been assisting with Fundraising.

Over recent years the festival has faced challenging times, but we have been able to secure grant funding which will allow us to plan for the future. We are grateful to the trustees of these trusts for their generous support.   

Every year the festival meets and provides a week or so of performance in singing, piano, instrumental and speech and drama. The festival gives an opportunity for the performers to perform in front of an audience which for some is their first performance while other performers have performed at the festival for many years.

If you or someone you know would value performing at the festival as part of your (or their) engagement with the Creative Arts, please consider entering or ask anyone you know who might value the opportunity that the festival offers to consider entering.  Further details are to be found on the website or please drop us an email if you have any questions about the festival.

The Festival is a Member of the British and  International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech