(Above featured image by Joanne Withers Photography)
Being new to Cumbria, we are keen to take on as many new cultural experiences and activities as possible to recommend to our guests, so we were thrilled to hear about the Lakes Alive Festival this year.
We didn’t get to see everything at the festival this year, but know we will be looking out for it next year. We did miss out on Paper Bird Theatre and BirdHIVE and due to the weather did not get to see Richard Shilling’s Seek and Charlie Whinney’s Mountains We Made and were disappointed to miss out on Steve Messam’s Keep having loved his Paper Bridge a few years back.
(Images above from the Lakes Alive website, except Paper Bridge, taken by Joanne Withers Photography)
We did however meet some inspiring and very welcoming artists at the Open Studios of The Factory and saw so many gorgeous pieces of art that we wished we could have purchased.
(Above photograph taken by Joanne Withers. Below images taken from artist and The Factory websites)
Clockwise from top left: Work by Ben Dodge, Graham Watson, Ben Dodge, Danny Clahane, Ben Dodge in his studio and Annie Coxey
Our highlight though was the opening night of the festival. Playing the Illumaphonium by Michael & Gem Davis was great fun and hearing it chime from as afar as Kendal Castle was beautiful. The Spark! LED Drummers, of World Beaters Music were superb and their procession up to Kendal Castle was brilliant. Then to finish the evening, at the art installation of Pete Johnson’s Shipping Forecast, was wonderful.
(Image above from the Lakes Alive website. Images below by Joanne Withers Photography)
We even made it on to the Lakes Alive website the next day. Lakes Alive we look forward to next year already.
