Festival Cancelled as Company Enters Liquidation
The Kernowfornia music festival, scheduled for early September on East Looe beach in Cornwall, has been abruptly cancelled after its organisers, Gracenote Promotion LTD, declared insolvency. The company, which also ran the debut Morvala Festival of Arts last week, announced it has no choice but to enter liquidation, leaving creditors and staff facing financial losses.
In a statement, the company said: "Following recent financial developments and a full review of the company’s overall financial position, Gracenote Promotion LTD has taken professional advice and has been left with no responsible alternative but to begin the process of entering liquidation, as the company is insolvent."
Director Faces Personal Bankruptcy
Jon Stafford, lead singer of Liskeard band Haunt the Woods and director of Gracenote Promotion LTD, revealed that the collapse has led to his personal financial ruin. He said: "Having personally guaranteed a number of the company's financial obligations, I have been left with no choice but to enter into personal bankruptcy, the consequences of which will remain with me for many years to come."
Stafford added: "The collapse of the company has left me personally financially ruined alongside the business itself. This is not the outcome any of us ever imagined, nor one we ever believed would happen."
Apology to Artists and Suppliers
The organisers issued an apology to all involved: "To every artist, supplier, contractor, freelancer, member of staff, volunteer and every individual or business who worked so incredibly hard to make Morvala possible, we are so deeply sorry. We know many of you placed your trust in us."
The statement continued: "The fact that so many of you are now facing financial loss is something that weighs incredibly heavily on us." The company pledged to cooperate with the appointed insolvency practitioner and ensure creditors are contacted directly.
Festivals Created with Ambition
Kernowfornia was envisioned as a three-day event celebrating music, art, and community on East Looe beach. The Morvala Festival of Arts aimed to bring together music, literature, wellbeing, and community. The organisers said: "Morvala Festival of Arts was created because we genuinely believed Cornwall deserved something different."
Despite the cancellation, the statement expressed pride in what was achieved: "Although our journey has come to an end far sooner than we ever imagined, we remain immensely proud of what Kernowfornia achieved and the community that grew around it."
