THE future of Keswick's annual jazz festival has been thrown into serious doubt.

The town's Theatre by the Lake is unable to manage the event from next year onwards and is looking for an experienced promoter or event manager to take it on.

It says it wants to explore options for the future of the festival, which started in 1991.

Patric Gilchrist, the theatre's executive director, said: “We regret that we are no longer able to bear the responsibility for the festival.

"The present arrangement is unsustainable for the theatre and there has to be change if the festival is to survive."

"We hope to find an experienced and enthusiastic promoter who can devise a credible business plan to take the festival forward and ensure its financial stability by our deadline of 9 May 2016. 

"If no credible offers are received by that date then 2016’s festival will be the last in its current form."

A number of factors have led to the decision, said Mr Gilchrist.

They include:

  • falling ticket sales
  • cuts from public funding
  • a shortage of affordable and flexible accommodation for artists
  • the complexity of managing multiple temporary venues
  • demands on the time of theatre staff

Ticket sales have fallen steadily since 2011 leading to significant loss of income for the festival, which receives no regular support from local authorities.

The only regular cash help has come from Cockermouth-based Jennings Brewery, without whose sponsorship the festival would have become unsustainable several years ago, added Mr Gilchrist.

“The festival makes very heavy demands on Theatre by the Lake staff in almost all departments.

“We calculate that we allocate 165 days of staff time to the event each year.

“We are also aware that the people who have loyally supported the festival for many years are getting older and that younger audiences are not being attracted; 86 per cent of people who book tickets are over 65 and 42 per cent are over 75,” he said.

“At a time when the theatre is having to adapt to public funding cuts, with the prospect of further cuts to come, we cannot continue to support the festival in the way that we have since the theatre opened in 1999,” added Mr Gilchrist.

“We very much hope that we can find an individual or organisation with the investment and vision to provide the festival with a sustainable future.”

The theatre will offer a full week of jazz at its lakeside building in May 2017, even if a multi-venue festival does not go-ahead.

This year's event takes place from May 12 to 16.