CumbriaFest 2025: A catalyst for new ideas, rooted in Cumbria

This October half-term, CumbriaFest returns to Theatre by the Lake with a celebration of creativity, connection and Cumbrian voices. Running from 29 October to 2 November, the festival has been shaped to create an energetic, communal atmosphere that champions new stories and local talent.

The 2025 programme is packed with premieres, works-in-progress, scratch nights, workshops and social gatherings. At its heart is a commitment to nurturing creativity at all stages, from first sparks to fully fledged productions, and to showcasing the voices and stories of Cumbria.

New work ready to enjoy includes The Other Neville by Cumbrian writer Imogen Greenwood, a one-woman show that reimagines the life and legacy of netball legend Tracey Neville, and the premiere of Breakages by Christine Entwisle, a sharply comic short about the fragile things we hold and lose.

Works in development shine a spotlight on place and identity, from Hefted by Eireann Devlin, set on an isolated Cumbrian sheep farm, to Patience by Nina Berry, which traces three centuries of love, loss and resilience along the Cumbrian coast. U EXIT NOW by Daneka Etchells blends English and Cumbrian dialect to tell a contemporary story of community, conflict and change.

New writing takes centre stage at the Inciting Incidents Scratch Night, where five Cumbrian voices – Sophia Atcha, Lekhani Chirwa, Karen Featherstone, Grace Kirkby and Hannah Stratton – share opening scenes sparked by moments of transformation, inviting audiences to help shape what comes next. Creative conversations continue with panels and workshops, including Just Write with Keswick-based writer Julie Carter, a reflective lakeside writing session on the shores of Derwentwater, and the Inciting Incidents Workshop with Ola Animashawun, offering practical tools to capture the first spark of a story.

Beyond the rehearsal room and stage, CumbriaFest invites audiences to gather, feast and connect. Local poets step up to the mic at Yatter, a spoken word night, while the Big Fish Comedy Club serves up laughs from rising northern comedians. The Lakeside Café becomes a hub for spontaneous encounters through In the Soup, where audiences can enjoy bowls of something warm alongside bite-sized creative interventions.

Following CumbriaFest 2024, 96% of audiences told us it was important that this work is happening in Cumbria, while 88% of participating artists said that they made new creative connections through the festival. That sense of belonging and collaboration is at the core of CumbriaFest. By bringing people together in one shared week of premieres, experiments, conversations and laughter, the festival sparks ideas that reach far beyond the theatre walls.

CumbriaFest 2025 has received £27,796 from the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, supporting the accessibility of events and the development of creative opportunity across the region.

CumbriaFest 2025 plays at Theatre By The Lake 29 October to 2 November. Tickets are available here.