25th Anniversary of the Mick Jagger Centre

A programme of events took place over the last quarter of 2025 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Mick Jagger Centre which has become, over the quarter-century, a thriving arts centre. Sited in the Dartford Grammar School buildings and closely associated with us, it was opened by Sir Mick Jagger along with HRH Duke of Kent in March 2000, and it has been the home of the Dartford Music School and Dartford Symphony Orchestra ever since. 

Among the programme of events that took place at the MJC in November- photographs of which can be seen here - the centre was excited and honoured that Sir Mick Jagger accepted an invitation to return on a visit to the centre to see how things have developed. On19th November we welcomed him into school: he spent the afternoon meeting students, touring the Centre that is named after him, listening to the Red Rooster students (from local primary schools including Wentworth – his former school – and our DGS students) perform, and then meeting our basketball players. Sir Mick and Chris’ father was a school teacher and national level basketball coach, so Sir Mick presented a ‘Joe Jagger Basketball Shield’ to Gwyn’s basketball team and met all the players. For Sir Mick, it was an afternoon with a lot of handshakes! After school, he then addressed an audience of students on the importance of music and the creative arts as being essential in teaching us about our humanity, and as vital ways of understanding human empathy. 

In the evening we were thoroughly spoiled by him joining his brother, Chris Jagger, on stage to give us a very special short concert containing some Rolling Stones' music from the past. 

Sir Mick said that visiting his former school "brings back a lot of memories and it's nice to see the kids seem happy".