2025 is our 30th anniversary!
Celebrate with us throughout the year with our 30th anniversary events…
30th Anniversary Summer Film Festival – from July 19th
Anniversary Party! – Saturday 11th October
30th Anniversary Raffle – to be drawn mid October
With 30 prizes for our 30 years including a private film screening with dinner for two from Wild Zucchinis, a house concert from At The Drop of Another Hippopotamus, bespoke glass art, a voucher for The Kirkstile + a case of beer and many more! Raffle entry is £5 either online or through our box office.
Seller registration is now open for our Autumn 2025 Cockfrock event. This ever popular sale of pre-loved ladies fashions and accessories is the biggest pop up sale of it’s kind in the North West! For more information on being a seller with Cockfrock click here.
We have an exciting new opportunity at Kirkgate Arts & Heritage click here to find out more about a new voluntary role working alongside our executive team.
The Kirkgate Centre is an entertainment and cultural venue at the heart of the lively community of Cockermouth, Cumbria.
We celebrate our local talent and heritage, and bring top quality professional entertainment to our town and many other communities across the area to the west of the Lake District National Park.
Whether you enjoy films on a big screen, live music, theatre, exhibitions, shows for children and families or community events, Kirkgate has something for everyone. Our quirky character makes us a special venue for weddings, parties, festivals and conferences.
Our mission:
“Creative talent is valued, developed, and supported with opportunities for all to actively engage with and enjoy the arts, our local heritage and community life”
Our values:
Commitment – Our staff and volunteers are dedicated to delivering our mission.
Inclusion – We aim to make art, heritage, and culture accessible to all our communities.
Sustainability – We aim to ensure that the organisation is secure for future generations from both financial and environmental perspective.
Nurturing – We aim to provide an environment that encourages growth, development of skills confidence and enjoyment for all.
WHAT’S ON
When Autumn Falls (12A)
9th July 2025 2:00pm (Doors open at 1:00 pm)
Kirkgate Centre
Michelle enjoys a peaceful retirement in a small Burgundy village near her longtime friend Marie-Claude. She eagerly anticipates her grandson Lucas spending the school vacation with her, but an unfortunate mistake overturns these plans. Michelle loses her sense of purpose, until Marie-Claude's son gets out of prison. This spry little French-language picture… shows the director at his most understated, the ...
National Theatre Live – A Streetcar Named Desire (15)
10th July 2025 7:00pm (Doors open at 6:00 pm)
Kirkgate Centre
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams directed by Benedict Andrews As Blanche’s fragile world crumbles, she turns to her sister Stella for solace – but her downward spiral brings her face to face with the brutal, unforgiving Stanley Kowalski. The fastest-selling production in the Young Vic's history, directed by Benedict Andrews and filmed live in 2014, received critical acclaim ...
The Penguin Lessons (12A)
11th July 2025 7:00pm (Doors open at 6:00 pm)
Kirkgate Centre
The Penguin Lessons is inspired by the true story of a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. Expecting an easy ride, Tom discovers a divided nation and a class of unteachable students. However, after he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach, his life is turned upside-down. Adapted from Tom Michell’s autobiographical book, ...
Jeremy Sassoon’s MOJO
12th July 2025 8:00pm (Doors open at 7:00 pm)
Kirkgate Centre
“Jeremy Sassoon's MOJO” Musicians Of Jewish Origin 2022 Edinburgh Fringe reviews * * * * * Pick Of The Fringe – “Five stars!” * * * * * AssemblyFest, Edinburgh Fringe – “The perfect Fringe show” * * * * * North West End UK – “An eye-opening experience” * * * * * Jewish Renaissance – “Sassoon has definitely ...