We the Undersigned wish to petition Carlisle City Council not to implement the proposal to withdraw two thirds of its funding for Brampton Live Festival in 2008 and all of its funding thereafter.
Brampton Live Festival is an important resource that contributes significantly to the areas economy through tourism. (please see the independant research "The Impact of Folk Festivals" on the Folk Arts England website www.folkarts-england.org) In cultural terms the festival brings International performers to Cumbria as well as providing opportunities for local people to come together and get involved either by participating as volunteers, performing, or enjoying as audience which after 14 years of hard work and patient building there are 3000 throughout the weekend. These 3000 people use hotels,shops,pubs and lots of other facilities. The festival also directly employs local small businesses to provide sound,lighting, catering and a whole host of other facilities. The festival attracts visitors to Cumbria from all over the UK and indeed from several other countries too. People come for the festival and then build holidays around Brampton Live in the area......
All of this will be lost if Brampton Live Festival is unable to continue and this is the most likely result unless Carlisle City Council can be persuaded that the festival is a real benefit to the area that needs to be properly supported.
We call upon them to do this and to decide not to act upon the proposal but to sit down with their co-organisers and volunteers to consider the best way forward to safeguard the long term future of the valuable resource that is Brampton Live Festival.