This is an important and informative debate – my thanks to all who've contributed so far. Having attended the festival a mere three times, I've been happy to let the Sidmouth regulars make the running until now. But I believe there's one point that needs to be given a bit more emphasis, so here goes.

SIDMOUTH IS UNIQUE!

In my experience (and in that of many others I've spoken to) there's nothing else like it on offer at present.

Lots of other festivals around the UK are very good, and quite a few are excellent. But they are all good in much the same ways. If any one of them went under, it would be a misfortune, but not a tragedy. The gap could be filled. If Sidmouth goes, then all of us - the regulars, the occasional attenders, and those who say "I must go sometime, but not this year" - will lose an opportunity that would be almost impossible to replace.

Of course Sidmouth is not perfect. Anyone who's been there tends to have at least one complaint – about the content and structure of the programme, about the facilities on the campsite, about the rather inconvenient topography of the town itself … and so on.   But I've never met anyone who didn't feel that their grievances were outweighed by the benefits of the unique Sidmouth experience. Surely this is something worth making an effort to preserve?

If a genuinely independent trust fund were set up, I'm sure that many people would be willing to chip in a few quid per year in exchange for some token benefits ( A badge? A tee-shirt? A newsletter?) The Royal Shakespeare Company has been running a scheme like this for a long time, and many other arts institutions do the same.   

Of course a bigger subsidy from local or national government, more support from the BBC, and substantial private sponsorship would all be nice. But if they can't be got, then we may have to do it ourselves. Those of us who go to Sidmouth only once a decade should be willing to put our hands in our pockets, to ensure that the festival will still be there next time we fancy attending it.

Wassail!