We are looking for fabric donations and finished fabric triangles to help make the bunting. A bunting making template is available HERE. People are welcome to customise and embellish their bunting triangles, which must be posted or handed into Eden Arts by 31^st May.

“We ran community bunting making workshops in Eden villages last year and they were a lot of fun. It’s wonderful to have people working together to create something for their village. Now we are encouraging the people of Eden to work together to create a lovely community resource, while celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.” Says Eden Arts Project Officer, Joanne Leary.

We will also be running free bunting making workshops and are encouraging people to go along and help make the bunting. Fabric and bunting donations can also be handed in at these workshops, which will take place 11-4pm on 23^rd and 30th May in The Soup Shop, Devonshire Arcade, Penrith.

There is lots more happening in Penrith over the Jubilee weekend – “The Big Jubilee Lunch”, Jubilee coverage on a giant screen, a family fun day and much more! Find further details HERE

contact Joanne at Eden Arts for further details: joanne@edenarts.co.uk, 01768 899444

Watch the film HERE

The flock will be on display at Farfield Mill in Sedbergh 2 May-10 June and at Woolfest in Cockermouth on 22-23 June. We will be announcing venues and dates for summer and autumn soon!

Also being screened alongside the installation will be HEFTED. HEFTED is a film we commissioned from Cumbrian production company Dreamtime Films. It is a companion piece to our FLOCK project. HEFTED sheep recognise their own territory and on the thousands of square kilometres of open fell where they graze with other flocks, they will stay to their own heath, it is as if they belong to that piece of land. We were inspired by this notion and it made us think about how people are HEFTED too.

We are so busy and always need help! We are developing ever more projects and we are very keen to both have people help us and for people to feel involved with what we do.

Our current projects see us running outdoor picnic cinema events in beautiful locations in the summer, rural touring cinema to village halls, organising Cumbria-wide artists open studios, opening a gallery in Penrith, building towards a big fire event in Penrith, creating a new participatory event along the lines of the FLOCK project. There are loads of ways to get involved from stamp licking to helping to run the gallery and cinema events to invilgilating exhibitions.

As well as making a contribution to great events that contribute to all of our lives helping out with us is always going to be stimulating (we like fun) and also very useful for those looking to build up their work experience. Give it a go, join in!

If you think that you want to get involved with us please send us your details and we will keep you updated as to any opportunities that arise.

We also have a permanent need for storage, so if you happen to have any space where we might be able to keep things (eg like some big rolls of fake grass from the FLOCK installation) please let us know; we would really appreciate it.

click this link to go to the online form

We are thrilled that C-Art Open Studios www.c-art.org.uk has been announced as a finalist in the ‘Tourism event of the year’ category!

Cumbria Tourism Press Release 12.04.12

Finalists Unveiled for the 10^thCumbria Tourism Awards

In the last few days the Judges have been meeting to go through the entries submitted for this year’s Cumbria Tourism Awards to draw up a shortlist of finalists across the 12 categories.

Dozens of businesses from around the county including ones from Brampton, Penrith, Keswick, Whitehaven, Carlisle, Windermere, Eskdale, Ravenglass, Grasmere, Ulverston, Barrow and Kirkby Lonsdale have entered the 10^th annual Cumbria Tourism Awards. The lucky shortlisted businesses in each category are set to find out shortly if they are to attend the glitzy black tie award ceremony and compete for the honour of being recognised as the best in Cumbria in their respective category at the awards presentation, which is being held at Rheged on 24^th May, starting at 6.00pm.

The annual Cumbria Tourism Awards is open to a whole range of tourism related businesses including; hotels, B&Bs, holiday parks, visitor attractions, businesses and tourism staff, which make up the county’s thriving tourism industry.

This year to meet a demand from the retail sector we have added brand new category for Best Independent Retailer, this works alongside other award categories including; Best Large Hotel, Best Visitor Attraction, Best Customer Service and Best Sustainable Business to name a few.

Ian Stephens, Managing Director at Cumbria Tourism, said: “As always, the judges had a tough decision to whittle down the high volume of excellent entries to the shortlisted few. These awards highlight the best thatCumbriahas to offer when it comes to providing millions of visitors with a holiday or short break to remember. This is our chance to reward the best of the best and show our appreciation.

Mr Stephens added: ‘’It is important for our tourism businesses to enter and to be recognised by their peers. Indeed many winners at the Cumbria Tourism Awards go on to win at the national Enjoy England Awards, held by VisitEngland, which judges the best in the country. I’m delighted and very proud to say thatCumbriacontinues to spawn some of the very best tourism businesses in the country helping keep up our reputation and profile in the national media and travel trade.”

The long established Cumbria Tourism Awards are widely recognised by both local businesses and visitors as a mark of distinction and quality. Those businesses lucky enough to win an award in one of the 12 categories are deservedly recognised as being at the pinnacle of their profession and represent the very best the county has to offer. Our shortlisting and judging process is renowned for being of the highest order, with high numbers of entrants going on to compete successfully in the VisitEngland Excellence Awards each year.

To find out more about the Cumbria Tourism Awards visit www.cumbriatourism.org/awards

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Contemporary wool based sculpture exhibition opens in Penrith - Devonshire Arcade SHOWCASE exhibition programme continues

SHOWCASE is an exciting programme of exhibitions from established and emerging artists from Cumbria and the rest of the UK, situated in a contemporary art space in the Devonshire Arcade, Penrith.

Melissa Peacock is a Sculptor, working with wool and other fibres woven onto metal structures. She has exhibited extensively and is featured in private collections in Australia, England, Scotland, Ireland, Europe and America; including the private collection of Sir John Mills.

“My work is a response to the weather patterns and soundwaves that I have encountered since I have lived in Scotland. In conjunction, my approach to my sculptures I feel derives from being ‘born and bred’ on a Merino Stud farm in the Western District  of Victoria, Australia.”

In 2006, she moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. In researching my genealogy she learnt that her family name goes back 6 generations to the Peacocks who were  Weavers in Paisley. Three generations ago the family moved to Landsborough, Australia where instead of working the wool, they grew it on the family farm where her Father works to this day.

A gentle sense of movement flows through distinctive structures that suggest both interior and exteriors. Areas are light and dark contrast to encapsulate a sense of space. Each space has a linear stream yet has deliberate breaks that can insinuate a breeze of air. This activity weaves within a layering process, overlapping in colourful tones that hint at seasons over periods of time. Within the structures lie depictions of weather patterns hovering over a final surface. The work presents a collective memory of the senses that are stored within a specified visual space.

The project has been organised in collaboration with Eden Arts and Devonshire Arcade owners Penrith Retail Ltd. Eden Arts Project Coordinator Donna Marris was invited to programme a series of exhibitions in the space as part of an ongoing regeneration of shop units in the heart of Penrith.

Adjacent to the exhibition space is the soup shop – a modern ‘canteen style’ café with FREE WIFI ACCESS offering a daily changing menu of fresh homemade soups, juices, coffee, tea and cakes.

The Melissa Peacock exhibition runs from 14 April to 14 May 2012 and is free of charge, open daily Monday – Saturday 10am – 4pm.

For more Information on Melissa Peacocks work visit www.melissapeacock.com or contact carmellorlea@yahoo.com, 07917161434

We’d love everyone who has made a contribution to the project to join us for a very special launch event at Rheged on Wednesday 11 April at 12pm. Alongside the installation of over 4000 sheep created by participants from across Cumbria, the UK and beyond, we’ll also be premiering HEFTED, a new film produced by Dreamtime Films. The film is a companion piece to the flock project, telling the story of how people (as well as sheep) feel a sense of belonging to their landscape. Find out more about the film here.

RSVP for the launch by visiting Facebook here

The installation will be on display from 10 – 19 April 2012 at the Rheged Centre in Cumbria. You can combine your visit to FLOCK with a visit to the Extraordinary Easter Farm on April 11 and the exhibition WOW: wonder of wool and the art of knit and stitch which runs until April 15.

Not sent your flock in yet for the installation? Find out how you can JOIN THE FLOCK - Download the sheep making kit and poster and find out more about the project at www.jointheflock.co.uk

Daring escapades in Devonshire Arcade with somewhereto_

somewhereto_, a nationwide Legacy Trust UK project dedicated to young people, will be hitting Devonshire Arcade, Penrith, this April on Friday 13 and Saturday 14.

Inspired by the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games, somewhereto_ is a nationwide project to help give young people, aged 16 – 25, the space they need to do the things they love within sport, culture and the arts.

Eden Arts have invited somewhereto_ to Penrith for two days only to take over its historical Devonshire Arcade, hosting an extravaganza of creative activities by young people for young people including singing, dancing, drama, rapping and much more.

Through forming partnerships with organisations across the North West including Eden Arts, Carlisle Youth Zone, Longton Youth Centre, Penrith Retail Ltd and Sounds Bites Music Store the Devonshire Arcade will host a special somewhereto_ gig on Friday evening from 6pm, presenting a variety of exceptional young performers from across the North West. In addition there will be a showcase spectacular during the day on the Saturday from 1 – 5pm, which will include a visit from Rory Stewart, MP for Penrith and The Border.

‘This is an excellent opportunity for young people of Cumbria to show the public just how talented they are. The day will see an exceptional and fantastic line up of performances and exhibitions at the Devonshire Arcade which is guaranteed to give Britain’s Got Talent a run for its money! We’re welcoming everyone to come along and participate and to see what somewhereto_ has been achieving up and down the country for young creative people aged 16 – 25.’ explains Jaffer Hussain, somewhereto_ NW regional coordinator.

The Devonshire Arcade, which is situated in the heart of Penrith, has suffered over the last ten years from a decline in tenancy rates and footfall. In an effort to prevent further downturn, landlords Penrith Retail Ltd. are supporting Eden Arts in developing creative and cultural initiatives in the arcade, working to reinvigorate and bring to life what was historically a buzzing and vibrant local market hall. In recent months there has been a flurry of new traders open their doors, including a Thai restaurant and traditional green grocers, alongside Eden Arts’ programme of contemporary art exhibitions and workshops at The Soup Shop.

The arcade epitomises the very best of the great British high street, with a traditional butchers, bakers, fishmongers, greengrocers, florist, tearoom, pet shop, wool shop, ladies and menswear outlets and lots more all under one roof – all that’s missing is the candlestick maker! Free WIFI is available throughout the Arcade.

Penrith Retail Ltd and Eden Arts are thrilled to be working with somewhereto_ to bring the best local talent to the Devonshire Arcade, showcasing and supporting the creative young minds of Penrith and beyond.

Entrance to both events is free of charge. For more information on this event, or to find out how you can take part, please contact somewhereto_ regional coordinator Jaffer Hussain on: 01254 674777 or email: jaffer@culturapedia.co

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We are delighted to announce that C-Art, Cumbria’s largest visual arts event has joined forces with Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery to showcase some of the best Cumbrian visual and applied arts across the county this winter. The exhibition, which will be a selling show, is to be held in the 360 metre square contemporary gallery space and will run from 15th December 2012 – 3rd March 2013.

The exhibition will be open to submissions from all C-Art 2012 participating artists (both full and basic £40 members) and will be selected by an independent panel of leading visual arts professionals from across the North West. Further details on the selection panel and application process will be announced later in the year.

Due to the proximity of this announcement to the C-Art closing deadline we have decided to extend it until Wednesday 7 March, so if you have not already done so sign up now to join C-Art. There will be no opportunities to submit to the Tullie House exhibition after this date.

Find out more about the exhibition and to join C-Art visit the website here.