This month Behind the Scenery visits Whitehaven, St Bees, Keswick and the Langdales, to get under the bonnet of the arts and culture vibe in Cumbria.
Tom Speight bases himself at The Beacon Museum overseeing Whitehaven harbour, where seagulls join him in chatting to Aldo Rinaldi, the chief curator of Deep Time, the ambitious multi million pound public art project backed by Copeland borough council. He also chats to Eric Barker from the council, to find out where the project came from and how it fits in to wider attempts to revitalise the Copeland coast.
Then we hear from the Kendal born writer and performer of Theatre by the Lake’s Can I Touch Your Hair, Lekhani Chirwa. It’s a piece all about what cultural appropriation means – and growing up in Cumbria as a mixed race young woman.
To St Bees next, to hear from writer Ken Powell whose new novel, the Pukur, is based in Bangladesh, a country close to his heart. What’s the connection between there and St Bees ?
And finally to the beautiful Langdale valley, where the Merz Barn project continues to develop and evolve particularly during this, the 75th anniversary year of German artist Kurt Schwitters work there. A huge underground bunker has been built to connect with the war in Ukraine – Tom goes inside it with Ian Hunter.
Behind the Scenery, the podcast from Cumbria Arts & Culture Network, find out more at: cacn.co.uk
