During 2025 we have promoted 5 significant community events, and engaged 50 different community organisations in those events and re – engaged with 3800 audience/participants. They were
Victory in Europe Concert , funded by Maidstone Borough Council, involving Brompton and Invicta Military Wives Choir, Marconi Brass, and The Maidstone Singers. Lady Colgrain, the Lord Lieutenant of Kent was chief guest, and a full All Saints Church were engaged in a splendid and emotional concert that fully reflected the occasion.
The Bandstand Concert series in Brenchley Gardens was funded by Maidstone Borough Council and featured 7 bands. They were Marconi Brass, Invicta Jazz Orchestra, Spittin Feathers, Gravesend Borough Band, Kent Police Band, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge Concert Band, East Peckham Silver Band, and the Jon Hamilton Big Band. Run from 20th July through to 7th September, we were lucky to have only one concert adversely affected by weather. A combination of the wonderful venue and the standards of performance, have made the series an important fixture in Maidstone cultural calendar. Support for these concerts have grown year on year and it is good to see so many keen and loyal audience members. It is estimated that aggregate audiences for the 7 events were well over 1250, with all seating rapidly taken.
Choral Celebrations, privately sponsored, Choral Celebrations brought together 8 choral societies and over 200 singers – Bearsted Choral Society, Cranbrook Choral Society, Maidstone Choral Union, Rochester Choral Society, Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society, Sittingbourne Orpheus Choral Society, The Maidstone Singers, and The Vigo Singers. Stephen Barlow, the internationally renowned conductor, was key to the event which was divided into 3 phases. In the first Stephen led 5 master classes with participating choirs, this was followed by a rehearsal of two pieces that were subsequently performed in the concert. The first half featured all the choirs performing their own short repertoire and in the second half the choirs came together , with Stephen leading them in Brahms “How lovely is thy dwelling place” and Vaughan Williams” in Windsor Forest”. The concert was enthusiastically received by a very appreciative audience. This was the first time in Kent that so many choirs were drawn together and there was strong support to repeat the event in the not too distant future.
Maidstone Sings Together 2 , partially funded by Maidstone Borough Council, this event pulled together 8 community choirs and over 200 singers from around Maidstone. Charles McDougall led an afternoon rehearsal of three unseen pieces that were subsequently performed in the concert. Each choir performed their short repertoire and then en masse performed a medley of Native American songs, followed by Ya Basta, a Spanish protest songs. For many of the singers it was the first time they had performed in public with other singers in such a large venue. It was a great occasion full of enthusiasm and heart and was enthusiastically received by a very appreciative audience.
Fun Palace
Fun Palaces, is a national community engagement event . It was run by a team representing the 4 principal retail outlets in Maidstone, One Maidstone , Harmony and co ordinated by Kent Arts and Wellbeing. It was run on Saturday 4th October between 10 and 3:30.
The weather was very windy, and resulted in events in Brenchley Gardens being abandoned, with adverse impact on numbers involved both from a participating organisation and public engagement perspective. Three Brenchley Garden activities withdrew shortly before the event, one was cancelled and one successfully transferred to Fremlin Walk.
Nevertheless, it involved 17 separate activities, and 35+ volunteers. The level of public activity was assessed as slightly higher than last year which was estimated at 1,600 .
We meet 80% of our objectives to
- Offer a variety of activities.
- Engage a range of organisations to promote their activities –
- Engage 1000 residents
- Enhance the image of Maidstone town centre
- Increase footfall – while Fremlin Walk recorded an increase, One Maidstone reported a significant reduction.
The feedback has been very positive
- Great atmosphere and strong community engagement across key town venues.
- Busy and buzzing town centre – positive visitor feedback
- Indoor locations (Fremlin Walk, The Mall, Royal Star Arcade) worked particularly well.
- Activities like crafts, workshops, and singing drew steady participation
- 145+ participants in craft sessions
- Everyday Active reported strong engagement and keen to return
As a consequence there is a desire to repeat the activity in 2026. There are lessons to be learned
- Outdoor spaces (e.g. Brenchley Gardens) faced weather challenges — better to focus on indoor venues next year.
- Improvement in promotion desirable to include
- Reinstatement of banners to promote the event- if funds allow
- Increase visibility in The Mall and Royal Star Arcade (larger posters, banners).
- Include a programme or timetable on posters for timed activities (e.g. TheatreTrain, Paul Cree).
- Use bunting or banners to make free activities more obvious to passers-by.
- Better engagement with elected members.
