Author: lornaamor

The nights are drawing in. There’s magic to be felt in striking out after dark and joining the hum of a gathering in a well-lit village hall. Keep eyes peeled for touring arts from organisations like Highlights and the National Rural Touring Forum, who make it possible for rural communities to engage with quality shows and workshops on their doorsteps.

See ~ A colourful co-commission from National Festival of Making and British Textile Biennial, Margo Selby’s Breathing Colour is showing at the Ashton Memorial in Lancaster, October 16^th-19^th. Also in Lancaster, there’s Litfest Autumn Weekend (17^th-21^st) and Explore Week (27^th-31^st) ahead of Light Up Lancaster in November.

Explore ~ HereNowThis promises intriguing new perspectives of Morecambe in an undercover scavenger hunt from Canadian theatre company, Zuppa. Sign up for news of secret locations and further details of events held over October 24^th-25^th.

Away from the Bay ~ Wayside magazine has launched and sent its first issue out into the world. A collection of poetry, art, prose and photography; curios rooted in the landscape and tenderly shared. And at the Florence in Egremont, Wrestle (till November 2^nd) celebrates Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling with artwork from Janet Moss and photography by Chris Routledge.

Dig in ~ If there’s time in between, keep it seasonal with an apple day, stock up on Cumbrian apple juice and cider, and fill your boots with spring bulbs from Abi and Tom’s.

And happy Morecambe Bay Day! Arguably an everyday event here, but Morecambe Bay Partnerships has made it official.  
 

Summer’s unearthing ended under the blue skies of West London with an unexpected shared appreciation of bus rides round the Bay and a tale of the origins of Ulverston’s Kadampa Buddhist Temple. (This inspired a revisit of the Beside the Seaside chapter from Stuart Maconie’s Pies and Prejudice – Two men meet on a still, silent day in the middle of the desert. Both have their hands on their hats. One says to the other ‘Ah see tha’s from Barra as well.’)

Now, September’s almost through in a blink already, and/so there’s The Apple Situation to deal with, and the region’s autumn/winter programmes to pore over. Time to up tools and get grafting.

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.

Late to the party this month, but there’s still plenty to do.

Celebrate ~ Goods Things Collective in Morecambe is celebrating ten years of creative communion with an open house weekend, 18-20th July. Home to the Morecambe Community Riso Press and a range of creative clubs, there’s a cheerful line up of events and hands-on activities along with the launch of their gift shop, live performances and a pop up cafe.

See ~ There’s a nice amount of art to see in Kendal throughout July, including some beautiful pieces and a good dose of inspiration to get your hands dirty in Expanding Landscapes: Painting after Land Art at Abbot Hall, collage by Amy Story at The People’s Gallery in Kendal Museum, and Confluences at Cross Lane Projects, a group exhibition curated by Rebecca Scott exploring interactions between co-director Mark Woods and artists in London and Cumbria. The exhibition builds on ‘the idea of artist as tributary…’

Browse ~ hunt for treasure among restored furniture and collectibles at Silverdale’s newest shopfront, Le Bricolage.

Stay ~ book some off-grid time away at the dreamy camping barn, exclusive use campsite, or secluded cottage at Dodgson Wood near Ulverston.

Ignore the weather and focus on these collabs, tours and fresh works instead:

~ As part of the National Landscapes Association’s arts programme, dial in to the first of their Nature Calling Conversations on 4^th June, with Forest of Bowland commissioned artist, Rob St John and geo-therapist and artist, Ruth Allen, in relation to their collaboration Everything Happens for a Season.

~ The Gregson is hosting a free exhibition For Dom, Bruno and the Amazon (previously at Halton Mill)  until June 7^th to go with the launch of Dom Phillips’ book How to Save the Amazon.

~ In Morecambe, hold onto your hats and keep a keen eye on Jwllrs for quarterly film/video exhibitions (Youth of the Rural North by Juliet Klottrup currently running at the library through till July 28^th), monthly showcases of international and locally significant artworks (look forward to an evening of live improvised music by cellist Ute Kanngiesser and experimental audio by Fortresses, alongside video art by Jamie Jenkinson on June 28^th), and a critical discussion group every two months (this month, Jennifer Jasmine White presents on June 11^th).

~ Support the LICA Festival, graduation show for Lancaster University’s creative departments, with work by architecture, design, film, fine art, and theatre students. Runs June 19^th-26^th.

~ Bringing supper club energy to Lancaster dining, Marra* is open for bookings for their June menu with Lewis Bassett. Open the last weekend of the month only, ticketed six weeks in advance.

~ For families, catch the matinee show of Gaby Gulliver’s Travels on June 22^nd over at the Coro in Ulverston, by Hull-based puppeteers Indigo Moon.

May on the Bay busts at the seams with chlorophyll and growth. Harbingers of summer sun lace the landscape and draw us out into the light. It’s more than high time to end the wintering and step into Spring adventures.

Warm up by:

~ Listening in to Nigel Thompson’s The Morecambe Bay Podcast, a pandemic project that’s blossomed into a welcome amplification of the people, culture and enterprise around the Bay.

~ Supporting the energising connections made between Cumbria’s creative hubs by Cumbria Arts and Culture Network through weekly zoom showcases and deeper dives via their Behind the Scenery podcast.

~ Dive into Art Gene’s digital programme, Torn Together, curated by artist Sophie Lindsey, which explores what has to give to let us get on, together. There’s a short live screening of some of the programme’s videos at 6pm on 1st May.

Then head outside to:

~ Build a nest of belonging with Henna Asikainen as part of her exhibition, Lintukoto, with Lancaster Arts.

~ Feast your eyes on the walls as well as the pastries at Tuck in Lancaster, where Emma Field’s Here. Landscapes of Lancaster and the Bay opens May 2nd.

~ Support the community lunch and teen cafe at The Farmer’s Arms’ at Lowick, or sign up their twelve-week gardening school with new collaborators at Ford Park in Ulverston.

~ Soak up some printed beauty and join one of the many workshops and talks on offer at Printfest Ulverston, 1-4th May.

~ Have the courage to take on the 100k in May challenge with Fueling the Bold, champions of good coffee and community spirit in Hest Bank, Settle and Silverdale.