Britten Pears Arts begins work on the Britten Pears Building: the next steps towards realising a sustainable and creative campus at Snape Maltings
Today – 1 September 2025– sees the start of work to upgrade the Britten Pears Building at Snape Maltings, the first phase of Britten Pears Arts’ £13.8 million Capital Programme, which will deliver increased activities for the organisation’s communities, enhance lives and improve health through creativity.
Britten Pears Arts is delighted to have appointed Hutton Construction, a regional leader in construction, to deliver the modernisation of the Britten Pears Building originally converted in 1979. The architechts delivering the Capital Programme for Britten Pears Arts are De Matos Ryan. A new lift will be installed to ensure that everyone can use the revamped studios and performance spaces, creating more welcoming and inclusive environments for all. Five larger music studios will be created, and all the technical facilities will be modernised. A new upper floor learning facility will be created and the building will be thermally and acoustically insulated, part of Britten Pears Arts’ ongoing drive for more sustainable buildings.
The transformation of the Britten Pears Building will enable increased levels of community use and the expansion of the Britten Pears Arts Community and Creative Health programmes. This includes the following:
Residencies which are currently oversubscribed, and the works will allow the organisation to work with more artists.
Increased opportunities for Artist Development.
Expansion of Britten Pears Arts’ work with adults living with long-term health conditions including SkyLarks – Britten Pears Arts’ singing group for people living with Parkinson’s and their companions and Participate – relaxed and fun music workshops for adults in Suffolk.
Increased activity for Families & Young people including Group A – Britten Pears Arts’ vocal initiative for young people in Suffolk; Aldeburgh Young Musicians – creative and collaborative training for promising young musicians aged 10 – 18; Mini Music Makers – fun sessions of music and play for 0 – 5 year olds; Music Makers for 5 – 7 year olds and 8 – 11 year olds.
Over the next decade, continue to increase and embed Britten Pears Arts’ work in Creative Health across the wider music programme, bringing together a diverse community of musicians, practitioners, researchers, clinicians and communities to develop and deliver a nationally impactful programme. This includes Think Tanks; Cross Sector Training; Creative Health Residencies and MOTs.
More space for Britten Pears Arts to host local community groups.
Britten Pears Arts’ £13.8 million Capital Programme will realise the organisation’s plan to create a truly sustainable and accessible creative campus. It will ensure that Britten Pears Arts’ buildings and sites have improved accessibility and comfort for everyone, are financially sustainable and help the organisation on its path towards net zero carbon emissions. This work will also be transformative for Britten Pears Arts’ Community and Creative Health programmes and will allow the organisation to respond to an increased need by expanding existing programmes, adding new strands and reaching significantly more people through activity, knowledge exchange and partnership working.
Britten Pears Arts’ Chief Executive, Andrew Comben commented, ‘It’s really exciting to see work start on the Britten Pears Building at Snape Maltings today and to have local company Hutton Construction leading the modernisation of this space. Our founders Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears believed in the power of the arts to connect and be useful to communities. Their vision was for Snape Maltings to be a Creative Campus and this work will help more communities enjoy this very special place, from artists and performers through to visitors and audience members. The upgrade to the Britten Pears Building is a major step towards this site being sustainable and accessible for everyone, for decades to come.’
Hutton Construction’s Managing Director, David Ball commented, ‘We are honoured to help shape the future of the Britten Pears Building, a cornerstone of creativity and community in Suffolk. Our work will deliver modern, sustainable facilities that reflect Britten Pears Arts’ vision for an inclusive and environmentally responsible creative campus. As proud members of the National Federation of Builders’ Heritage Group, we bring specialist expertise, to ensure this historic space is preserved and enhanced for future generations.’
Capital Programme overview
Britten Pears Arts continues to work with the Alde and Ore Estuary Trust (AOET) and East Suffolk Water Management Board (ESWMB) to design a scheme to raise the Snape Maltings flood defences to ensure that the Snape Maltings site and its world-renowned Concert Hall will be protected. Collectively working hard towards consent to move ahead in 2026.
The modernisation of the Britten Pears Building to enable increased levels of community use and the expansion of the Britten Pears Arts Community and Creative Health programmes. A new lift will be installed to ensure that everyone can use the revamped studios.
A series of upgrades to Snape Maltings Concert Hall to improve access, audience comfort, and programming flexibility and to reduce carbon emissions. There will be auditorium seating improvements, upgraded lighting, flexible acoustic baffles, an extra passenger lift, refurbished toilets and better kitchen facilities. Work is due to start in January 2027.
Britten Pears Arts will significantly lower carbon emissions by installing roof insulation, use of photovoltaic panels, and by connecting the music buildings to a renewable heating system.
Snape Rooms: As well as improvements to existing artist accommodation at Snape Maltings and in Aldeburgh, ten new bedrooms will be created at Snape Maltings for visiting musicians, arts practitioners and visitors. Work is due to start in early 2027.
There will be a new visitor exhibition at The Red House and a Discovery Centre at Snape Maltings, to tell the fascinating stories about the heritage sites.
Funding for the Capital Programme
Britten Pears Arts Capital Programme is supported using public funding by Arts Council England, as well as individuals and trusts & foundations, including Paul Hamlyn Foundation; 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust; East Suffolk Council Rural Business Investment Fund; East Suffolk Council Rural Business & Community Hub Fund; The Foyle Foundation; Garfield Weston Foundation; the Wolfson Foundation; the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership; the John and Penelope Lebus Trust; the Vanneck Charitable Trust.
Individual donors include Charles & Pascale Clark; Matthew Greenburgh & Helen Payne; Keith & Frances Griffiths; Peter & Veronica Lofthouse; Angela & Lawrence Mallinson; Lindy and Mark O’Hare; David Robbie and Fred Goetzen; Simon & Victoria Robey; Clive & Eileen Schlee; Alan Swerdlow & Jeremy Greenwood; Sarah Zins; Paul & Sybella Zisman and other anonymous donors.
Subject to securing the remaining money, the majority of the works are planned to take place in 2026 and 2027. Although some music activities will have to be re-arranged, most regular activity will be able to continue throughout this period. The Aldeburgh Festival and Britten Pears Arts summer performance programme will not be impacted.
A fundraising public appeal will be launched in 2026 and there will be naming opportunities for various elements of the project.