Keswick's Alhambra Cinema is set to benefit from this year's Christian convention, thanks to a new partnership.
Cinema bosses have teamed up with Keswick Ministries, the charity which runs the annual Keswick Convention, to run afternoon screenings for people attending the three-week event.
It is the latest move to promote the range of activities on offer in the town to the 12,000 to 15,000 conventioners who attend each year.
Carol Rennie, co-owner of the Alhambra, said: "We're delighted to be working in partnership
with Keswick Ministries to bring conventioners to the Alhambra. "They might be watching Toy Story 4, but we'd like to think they will also appreciate the heritage cinema experience.
"We can't claim to be as old as the convention, which put its first tent up outside St John's
Church just next to us a full 38 years before we were built, but I imagine conventioners have
been passing through our doors ever since.”
Details of the screenings were announced at the latest town liaison forum meeting this week.
The forum was launched to encourage more communication between Keswick Ministries and the town and encourage conventioners to try out town activities.
It followed concerns raised by town residents and businesses about the impact of the event on Keswick.
At the forum, David Sawday, chief operating officer for Keswick Ministries, said: “We’re all very positive about this dedicated afternoon at the cinema. We are working hard to ensure the benefits of the convention flow through to the town, so we are continually exploring ways to encourage a deeper engagement between conventioners and local businesses.”
Discussions are taking place for guided walks and outdoor activities to be held each week,
which people can sign up for.
After the forum, Mr Sawday said: “Last year Keswick Ministries freed up the afternoon
schedule of convention activities so that conventioners can spend more time enjoying the
town and the local area. We will do the same this summer.”
Keswick Ministries will continue to work with Keswick Tourism Association and local
traders with the Friends of Keswick and Enjoy Keswick initiatives.
It was also agreed that Keswick Ministries will distribute programme schedules to
businesses around the town, particularly pubs, restaurants and food outlets, so traders are
aware of when peak times will be and can co-ordinate their meal offerings around
convention meeting times.
There are also plans for a dedicated area in the convention’s Base Camp marquee at
Rawnsley for local businesses to promote themselves.
Activities at this year's convention will include an afternoon theatre performance of The Turbulent Priest by writer James Cary during week one.
The Keswick Lectures, which are open to all, will be given by Keith Fox in week two and former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron in week three.
Town councillors Jean Murray and Adam Paxon raised questions from residents about litter,
noise management and armed police in the town during the convention.
Bob Johnston, counter-terror security advisor for Cumbria police, said armed officers were
deployed as considered necessary by the area commander for West Cumbria.
This was usually based on numbers of people rather than the nature of the event and while
sometimes armed presence is visible that is not always the case.
Updates were also given about the refurbishment of the former pencil factory, which has just received planning consent.
The forum heard that phase one of the rebuild will see the demolition of the warehouse, the
provision of toilets on the ground floor of the pencil factory and building the standing for the
marquee, ready for the convention to be on one site in 2019.
Further phases will see the full renovation of the pencil factory by 2023.
The next town liaison Forum is set to take place on May 14.
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