Lincoln College's Newark School Moves to Close Musical Instrument Craft Courses

The College says it has not received enough applicants for the 2025/26 year to make the course financially viable

The UK's Lincoln College has opted not to accept new students onto its Musical Instrument Craft courses, citing low application numbers as the catalyst for the decision. Founded in 1972, the school has trained many of the UK's finest luthiers, and is widely regarded as a major center for the discipline.

The College says students who are currently partway through the course will be unaffected by the decision, and will be able to complete their qualifications.

In a statement, Lincoln College said the course was not financially viable unless a minimum number of prospective students were to apply, and that those numbers have not been reached for the 2025/26 academic year. Those who did apply have been informed over the phone that the course will not run.

A petition has been launched calling on Lincoln College to reverse its decision, saying that if the course does not proceed with this year's cohort, it will "be starved of future funding, deter potential future applicants, and ultimately endanger [the course's] very existence."

You can view the petition here.

"Due to low application numbers, we have elected not to run [the Musical Instrument Craft] course for new students this year," the Newark School said in a statement. "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."