A major cultural event for Keswick is being planned and volunteers are being sought to make it become a reality.
The vision for the Keswick Fringe will be to showcase the thriving arts and music scene in venues and public spaces scattered around the town.
Despite the idea still being in its infancy it is already being seen as having “enormous potential” by mirroring the success of the Edinburgh Fringe which pulls thousands of visitors into Scotland’s capital city every year.
The man behind trying to make it happen is local musician Lewis Forsyth, who is a recent recruit to Keswick Town Council having been co-opted on at the July meeting.
“The plan is to promote the local arts scene and we have also got a thriving music scene as well as being home to a nationally famous theatre,” said Lewis, who plays in a band called The Steel Foxes. “If people want to come forward and volunteer their time that is a good thing.
“Nothing is yet confirmed and I have not yet got in touch with any venues. I I want to manage expectations as its in its infancy.”
Cllr Paul Titley, chairman of the town council’s Events and Christmas Lights Advisory Committee, said that the Keswick rock night would not be happening next year because it was expensive and long-winded to organise with the nail in the coffin being a fee of £1,500 the council would have to pay to put in a road closure for the square. He said the rock night had “run out of steam” and notionally the budget from this event would be diverted to the Fringe.
“The groups we have at the rock night are getting increasingly more expensive,” said Cllr Titley. “The event needs refreshing and I think that the Fringe is the way of doing it.
“It has enormous potential. But it will never happen if it’s a conversation. People need to come out and get involved.”
At a recent town council meeting, Cllr Titley warned that he was not certain whether there would be an events committee next year as a number of councillors were standing down.
He said a small team had been assembled to run the popular Scruffs dog show and there was financial support from the town council for the Pop and Proms, but its future was not guaranteed as a group of volunteers were needed to run it.
“All these things are getting put on by a small team and the fringe will need a team – probably a team of individuals that we have not come across before,” said Cllr Titley.
“I don’t think other places put on an event like this. We have the potential to put a lot on because we have got a lot of venues such as the pubs, the theatre, the cinema and the Rawnsley Centre.”
