It is here that Petersfield shines. The Petersfield Musical Festival
is possibly the second oldest in the country, having been founded
by the sisters, Misses Alexandra and Edith Sellars, in 1901. Choirs
from all over East Hampshire and beyond take part in this springtime
event.  More
recently it has included Children’s Concerts which are high
spots in the annual festival.
Petersfield Theatre Group
May is the time for the Petersfield Theatre Group to produce the
best of the musicals. Its successes include ‘Me and My Girl’,
Oklahoma! ‘My Fair Lady’, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’
and ‘South Pacific’ and more recently Lionel Bart’s
Blitz.
There are two dramatic societies, each with a fine reputation for
putting on good entertaining plays, usually at the Festival Hall.Lion
and Unicorn Players
The Lion and Unicorn Players
sometimes appear at St Peter’s Church, and have found that
the drama studio at the Petersfield School suits their own particular
formula. This is to produce the more adventurous productions whose
appeal may be limited, but ones which nevertheless merit attention.
They also stage performances at The Festival Hall.
Winton Players
Since their founding in 1948, the Winton Players have established
themselves as a theatrical force to  be
reckoned with. The Players produce the more popular plays with a
high entertainment value. The Town’s pantomime is a production
of the Winton Players and always plays to packed Festival Hall Houses.
The Petersfield Orchestra
The much respected Petersfield Orchestra stages three concerts a
year at the Festival Hall, one of which forms part of the Petersfield
Musical Festival. A good number of its players can also be seen
in the orchestra pit at the Festival Hall playing for the musical
shows.
S.O.C.S.
The Southern Orchestral Concert Society brings professional musicians
to entertain, both at the Festival Hall and at venues around. Many
musicians of national stature can be heard playing classical music
of the highest order.
Petersfield Youth Theatre
Amongst the best entertainment enjoyed by audiences at the Festival
Hall are those given by members of The Petersfield Youth Theatre.
Many youngsters have gone on to perform on the professional stage
having been given a thorough grounding by appearances in the likes
of ‘42nd Street’, ‘Bugsy Malone’ and ‘Oliver’.
The Youth Theatre regularly organises workshops for youngsters during
school holidays.
Petersfield Arts and Crafts Society
Every year at the end of August The Festival Hall becomes a Mecca
for the artist. The Petersfield Arts and Crafts Society then holds
its annual exhibition of paintings, sculpture, ceramics and wood
crafts. The standard always receives acclamation as being the highest
for miles around.
Choral Singing
Since the turn of the twentieth century the Town has been a centre
for choral singing. The present choirs cater for singers of all
abilities and provide for all tastes.
Museum
The Town is proud of its fascinating heritage and, due to local
voluntary efforts and with the help of the Hampshire County Museums
Service, now has its own independent museum.  This
is housed in the old magistrates court (1890), with the bench itself
now the centre for the study of historic maps.
Each year one of the surrounding villages provides a feature of
its own past and there are also annual themed displays of local
significance.
The Museum, which you will find situated off the pathway that runs
alongside the Police Station in St Peter’s Road, has ever-changing
displays of the heritage of the Town and around and features a comprehensive
documentation of the past. This documentation includes many historic
local photographs as well as material useful to those wishing to
undertake genealogical and other studies. Entry is free! Come back
as many times as you like.
Following the Museum’s appointment of its curator, it has
received a lottery grant to fund a two year position of Outreach
Worker. Exciting plans are being laid to widen the scope of the
Museum’s facilities.
Recently the Museum has been donated the Bedales Historic Costume
Collection which, together with the recent acquisition of the Flora
Twort collection of paintings, gives Petersfield the rare honour
of featuring amongst the best small museums in the country.
The items from the costume collection and a selection of the paintings
will be displayed at the Flora Twort Studio. Gifted by Miss Twort
to the town, the studio can be found along the path immediately
to the west of St Peter’s Church.
Flora Twort (1893-1985) lived in the Town for many years and, through
her art, gave an excellent and fascinating record of Petersfield
as it was between the wars and in the early fifties.
Blue Plaque Trail
The blue plaques to be seen around the town indicate buildings
of great interest. A leaflet can be obtained at the museum and the
Tourist Information Centre called The Blue Plaque Trail.
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