Darvel is recognised internationally as a Music Town

Few small towns would dare to set themselves the goal of international recognition. Darvel did – and its residents chose music as the way to get there.
The Darvel Community Action Plan 2014–2019 set out a vision of the town recognised internationally as a Music Town: a great place to enjoy music at the Darvel Music Festival, with more regular music events throughout the year, and with music promoted right across the town.
The ambition grew directly from what residents told the steering group. The Darvel Music Festival was one of the most praised features in the Community Views Survey, and the plan described it as already successful. Combined with the town's walking routes and heritage, the festival was seen as a key ingredient in a potent mix that could drive the town's regeneration.
Developing Darvel as a Music Town became the first priority under the plan's Local Economy and Tourism theme. The plan proposed three steps:
• support a town-wide initiative building on the work of the Darvel Music Company and the Darvel Music Festival
• develop a feasibility study and business plan for "theming" Darvel as a music town, covering what facilities, resources, events, activities and education should be developed, and how they should be organised and run
• take joint action to move the proposals forward
The organisations named to lead the work were the Darvel Music Company, the Community Council, East Ayrshire Leisure Trust, East Ayrshire Council and local businesses.
A second, linked idea sat under the Community Facilities theme: a community-run arts and music centre. The plan suggested this could be a new use for one of the town's derelict buildings, giving Darvel's music town ambitions a permanent home and a focal point.
To learn from others, the plan pointed to examples from elsewhere in Scotland, including Sanquhar, New Galloway and Peebles. Creative Scotland was named alongside the Darvel Music Company and East Ayrshire Council as a partner for this work.
The Town Hall was also central to the vision. Residents stressed that it was key to the Music Festival, and keeping it open was one of the plan's top priorities.
The plan also highlighted a practical obstacle. At the time, there was no accommodation in the town itself, meaning many festival-goers ended up staying elsewhere and their spending was lost to Darvel's economy. Turning a festival town into a music town, in other words, would take more than music alone.