The Trust would operate on a not-for-profit basis, while the Council would continue to own the venue and rights to the Festival, and would seek to continue the current approach to high quality and diverse programming through funding support and other legal agreements.
Following advice from industry specialists, officers make the case that transferring staff and operating the services at arm’s length, under the guidance of a Chair and Board of Trustees would offer a secure platform for future sustainability and development.
Councillor Sarah Brown, Executive Councillor for Community Well-being said: "The Cambridge Folk Festival and Corn Exchange are great assets to Cambridge, of which the City can be proud. When surveyed, residents of the City consistently say they hugely value these events, but do not see them being directly delivered by the council as a priority.
"Under the proposals, the Corn Exchange venue and rights to Folk Festival will still belong to the Council, and thus the citizens of Cambridge, but operated by a Trust will provide greater opportunity to thrive."
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