About The Stables

For more than 50 years, Wavendon Allmusic Plan (WAP) has been bringing people together through music.

Founded in 1970 by world-renowned jazz musicians Sir John Dankworth and Dame Cleo Laine, WAP was established with a simple but ambitious vision: to engage the widest possible range of people with music in all its diversity.

That vision began at their home in Wavendon, where Sir John and Dame Cleo transformed a group of converted outbuildings into The Stables Theatre. The venue opened with its first performance on 6 February 1970, combining concerts with opportunities for people to learn, participate and experience music first-hand.

The Stables has evolved considerably since those early days. A new theatre opened in 2000, followed by a second phase of development in 2007. Today, the venue welcomes audiences to the 398-capacity Jim Marshall Auditorium and the more intimate Stage 2, presenting around 350 concerts and 250 education sessions every year.

Over the years, The Stables has become renowned for its intimate atmosphere and exceptional live music. Artists from across pop, rock, jazz, classical and roots music have performed on its stages, with recent highlights including Courtney Pine, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Darius Brubeck, Baluji Shrivastav, Maya Youssef, The Kanneh-Mason Trio, Chineke! Ensemble, Karine Polwart and The Shires.

But live performance is only part of the story. Learning and participation are at the heart of WAP’s work, creating opportunities for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to make and experience music. Around 250 sessions take place each year, from interactive school concerts and participatory workshops to ambitious longer-term projects.

WAP’s commitment to bringing people together through the arts also extends beyond The Stables. In 2010, the organisation produced the first Milton Keynes International Festival. Now held every two years in July, the Festival has established itself as one of the UK’s leading multi-artform festivals.

Today, WAP continues to build on the pioneering spirit of its founders, creating opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and participate in music in all its forms.

The Stables is a National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England and also receives support from PRS for Music Foundation.