Mountain Arts Festival in Cumbria

The second Mountain Arts Festival, in support of Community Action Nepal, will take place at the Rheged Discovery Centre, near Penrith, in October.

A programme of walks, talks, lectures and films will feature a number of prominent figures, including Doug Scott, Chris Bonington, Andy Kirkpatrick and Gwen Moffat.

There will also be a free art exhibition, based around the title ‘A Day in the Hills’, a ceilidh evening, and a mountain bazaar.

The event runs from 19^th to 23rd October at the Rheged Discovery Centre, Penrith, Cumbria.

The programme includes guided walks led by Professor Terry Gifford, Claire Hind and performance artist Clare Qualmann, an interview with legendary ‘Rock Queen’ Catherine Destivelle, a conversation with Andy Kirkpatrick and Doug Scott, and climbing activist Claire-Jane Carter in conversation about climbing with Ben Ayers and legendary climber Gwen Moffat.

There will also be a number of films, including some by the late Jim Curran, and lectures by a number of acclaimed writers and speakers including Sir Chris Bonington.

You can find out more about the festival at the website http://www.themountainartsfestival.org/

Proceeds from the Mountain Arts Festival will support the Nepal Earthquake Appeal of Community Action Nepal, the charity set up over 20 years ago by Doug Scott and friends including Sir Chris Bonington, who is now the charity’s patron.

In response to the earthquakes that struck Nepal in 2015, CAN launched an earthquake appeal, with 100 per cent of proceeds devoted to providing emergency relief, rebuilding all the projects and replacing homes using earthquake-tolerant methods, recycled materials where possible, and local labour.

More information on Community Action Nepal can be found at http://www.canepal.org.uk/