Cockermouth’s Kirkgate Centre has been given a boost for its performances.
Cumberland Council’s Lakes to the Sea investment panel has awarded £4,276 for a new portable PA system.
Operations manager Katie Gentry said: “Up until now if we have hosted live events in our Egremont Room bar, we have relied on artists bringing in their own equipment, or on using a rather small and outdated portable PA – definitely not of the standard expected by professional touring musicians!
“Hosting events in this space also makes them far more easily accessible to those with mobility issues. Although we do have a lift to the auditorium there is limited space upstairs for accommodating customers in wheelchairs, and the sound desk is not wheelchair accessible. The Egremont Room provides completely level access for all.”
“We are also very keen to encourage more local sound engineers to join our team of volunteers at the centre, with there being so many events on our calendar it’s a lot to cover.”
Volunteer sound engineer Kev Farish will be sharing his skills and experience of sound engineering with a series of training sessions early in 2025, alongside Peter Tandy, who has been a volunteer sound engineer with the Kirkgate team for the past 18 months.
Katie added: “Without the award from the Lakes to the Sea panel we wouldn’t have been able to purchase such good quality equipment for the space, which is increasingly used for live music, presentations and panel events, and this also gives us the opportunity to invite budding new sound engineers to come and learn the art of live production in a more comfortable and accessible space.”
The new equipment will also be available for use by the many rural venues hosting Kirkgate Arts Out West shows across the region.
