August

It’s impossible to weather-proof our cultural lives in this corner of the north west, but there’s joy to be had in midsummer day-tripping around Morecambe Bay whatever the weather. From beaches to hilltops, wilderness to town sprawl, there’s creativity to explore and inspire all over, and the train line helps shape a cross-county cultural identity around the coast. So grab yourself an ice-cream (one of Wilde’s foraged flavours from newly opened The Wolf Cafe in Silverdale?), tuck away a book (if Lancaster Litfest’s introduction is anything to go by, Jenn Ashworth’s The Parallel Path: Love, Grit and Walking the North, will be well worth a read), jump on a train, and make a day of it.

Listen up ~ Full of Noises, Barrow’s sound art and experimental music hub, has shifted from festival to ambitious year-long programming, featuring concerts, workshops, conversations and exhibitions. The Ear to the Estuary (August 14-16^th) promises a sound and vision exhibition that will show the results of multidisciplinary artist RL Wilson’s research residency in response to the Ravenglass estuary.

See ~ Not on the Bay per se, but easily incorporated into a left field day trip, Ella Thomson’s exhibition Landing at SHOP in Preston runs August 15^th-17^th and features Silverdale as part of a research project into our relationship with rural landscapes.

Dig in ~ Lancaster Art Fair (August 19-24^th) is hosting an array of free artists’ workshops alongside affordable art, makers markets and professional development talks.

Browse ~ Tucked away behind Kents Bank train station, The Beach Hut Gallery showcases an impressive selection of work by local artists and offers a handy framing service too.