A MUSIC and arts festival has handed more than £1,000 to an Oxford charity in memory of one of its founders.

Artist Dan Lewis drowned in the river at Tumbling Bay, West Oxford, last June.

The 29-year-old, from Wheatley, was part of a group which set up the Arcane Festival, which carried on in his honour in Eynsham last summer.

Following the event, his mother Patsi Jones chose to donate the more than £1,100 raised to Art Room, in Rose Hill, which helps children having difficulties at school.

Festival organisers visited the centre last week to see how the money had been spent.

Co-director Su Jordan said: “It was really great seeing it and lovely to see so many happy kids.

“It was a really bright, colourful and positive space. “They do amazing work with kids who maybe aren’t getting on so well in mainstream schooling.

“Dan was so keen on working with kids, and I think he would have loved it. The only shame was that he couldn’t be there to see it.”

The Arcane Festival does not make any profit and after paying for artists and running costs, everything else is donated to charity.

Fellow director Amy Blaza said: “Dan loved working with kids, encouraging them to get into art.

“I believe the link to the Art Room came about when his parents googled ‘art, children and Oxford’ and it was the most worthy project that came up.

“We had an idea about what they did but until we went down there we didn’t realise the scale and variety of it. It’s an absolutely brilliant thing.”

Dan’s mother added: “Me and his dad were looking for a charity suitable for donations.

“As soon as we saw the Art Room we knew it was exactly what Dan would have wanted.”

This year’s Arcane Festival takes place at City Farm in Eynsham over the weekend September 2-4.

  • For more information, see the website arcane-festival.com