Curated Cumbria 04/06/25 - a new festival and what's on across your county
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Curated Cumbria - take three
The best things come in threes…. Curated Cumbria is our free newsletter dedicated to the very best of the county’s arts and entertainment scene, brought to you by Intro in partnership with the Cumbria Arts & Culture Network.
For our third edition, we highlight a new festival for North Cumbria, introduce a mysterious singer heading to the south of the county, and urge our readers to visit a Carlisle exhibition in its final week, plus our regular What’s On listing.
FESTIVAL
Bringing midsummer magic to Lanercost
A new arts and culture festival is casting some midsummer magic on Lanercost this month. Running from 20 to 28 June, Echo Festival brings together an eclectic mix of music, poetry, theatre and art.
It follows a low-key trial last year which went well enough to commit to a week-long event this time, all while drawing on the history and creativity of Lanercost.
Helen Burleton is one of the organisers of Echo Events Lanercost, a community interest company dedicated to organising, managing, and supporting community events in the area.
She said: "We've got a really active community of artists in this area. So it was to highlight that and the reason why we call it Echo is because we were echoing what has been done in the past here, and we're just moving it forward now.
"This will be the first week-long one we've done. We've learned a lot over the year, and we've built up a lot of collaborations and that sort of thing to bring a more colourful, varied programme.
"A lot of our volunteers have played parts across either a festival or arts exhibitions in the past. And we're just trying to keep that momentum going. So that's why we started up our little community interest company to be able to put on more arts and culture, using the venues that we've got."
Events include Illyria performing Pride and Prejudice at Naworth Castle, three nights of music including Summer Solstice Jazz and Soul on 21 June, and five art history talks (Dr Suzanne Fagence Cooper on Jane and William Morris has already sold out), all concluding with a Family Festival Day at Lanercost Sports Club on June 28.
Full detail can be found here.
MUSIC
Get ready to fall in Luv
Luvcat's self-proclaimed back story goes something like this: She was born on a Parisian tugboat moored on the River Seine, ran away with the circus and ended up having an affair with the ringmaster before things went south and she had to call it a day.
Take that as you will - and a Q&A with the deliberately mysterious singer in Rolling Stone magazine suggested that "a sizeable pinch of salt is needed".
But what is certainly believable is that Sophie Morgan's chosen stage name came from The Cure song, having been introduced to them by her dad as a girl along with The Velvet Underground and Leonard Cohen while her granddad pointed her towards Sinatra and the Rat Pack.
Her true hero, however, as she told RS, is Tom Waits. "[He] has been a huge pillar in how I want it to sound. I was really influenced by the industrial sounds he uses and then the general spookiness of it and the smokiness. I don’t necessarily sound like him because I am a girl navigating being a woman, but he is just someone I’m totally in love with and everything he does."
Plenty are falling in love with Luvcat herself - 790,000 listeners and counting on Spotify with appearances at Leeds and Reading festivals on the horizon. She will also be performing in Turin, Madrid, Vienna and Budapest as part of her tour.
First she's in the much more lowkey surroundings of Barrow Library for an afternoon matinee show (not a time her hero Tom would be familiar with) on Sunday, 22 June.
Get tickets here.
ART
Don’t sweep it under the rug - still time to see Winifred Nicholson exhibition
There is just over a week left to catch Winifred Nicholson: Cumbrian Rag Rugs at Tullie in Carlisle, an exhibition celebrating a lesser-known side of one of Britain’s most beloved 20th-century artists.
Closing on Sunday 15 June, this is your final chance to explore Nicholson’s colourful connection to the folk art of rag rug making.
While Nicholson is best known for her paintings, this exhibition turns the spotlight on her efforts to revive and preserve the traditional craft of tufted rag rugs. Inspired by her neighbour Margaret Warwick in the 1920s, she gathered a group of local makers near her home at Bankshead on Hadrian’s Wall and encouraged a revival of the dying art form.
The exhibition brings together an array of rugs designed by Nicholson, her grandchildren, and friends - including the influential artist and gallerist Li Yuan-chia. Expect everything from farmyard scenes to superheroes, paired with rarely seen paintings, sketches, and archival treasures that showcase Nicholson’s enduring creativity.
Visitors can even try their hand at rug-making in the interactive making space. One described it as "beautiful works of art in a very well researched and curated exhibition".
The exhibition has been co-curated with art historian Jovan Nicholson, grandson of Winifred, and Helen Welford, exhibitions and collection curator, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art.
Open daily, entry is included with a £15 annual ticket or £8.50 day pass (under-18s go free).
Can’t make it in time? Exhibition audio is available online for anyone wishing to listen and learn from home.
EVENT LISTINGS
Start making plans with a bit of help from our guide to what’s on in Cumbria and the Lake District.
**HIGHLIGHTS**
Folk in The Forest, Whinlatter Forrest, Keswick
Saturday 7 June
Enchanting evening of music in Whinlatter Forest, with floor spots, special guests and an informal session to round off the evening.
An Evening Without Kate Bush, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
Thursday 12 June
Howl with the Hounds of Love and dance on the moors with Wuthering Heights in this award-winning celebration of Britain's most influential musical icon.
Planet Mirth, The Coro, Ulverston
Friday 13 June
Planet Mirth presents top stand-up comedians including Andrew Bird (Russell Howard Hour, 2023 UK Comedy Awards winner), Joe McTernan (Edinburgh Fringe sellout), Finlay Christie (So You Think You're Funny winner), and Paul Tonkinson (ex-Big Breakfast, Time Out Comedian of the Year).
**MORE LISTINGS**
Ulverston International Music Festival
Until 8 June
With over 20 events around Ulverston and the South Lakes, there is something for everyone. Whatever your musical tastes, a mouth-watering array of music, food, splendid locations, spectacular scenery and warm friendships await.
Ray Stubbs R&B Allstars, The Hive, Nenthead
Friday 6 June
An evening of live R&B music featuring Ray Stubbs and his talented Allstars. Support comes from Ian Frazer (Alston's Elvis) and the duo Harry Rennie & Robin Moody, promising a diverse night of entertainment in this intimate Cumbrian venue.
Lady Nade Sings Nina Simone, Barrow Town Hall, Barrow-in-Furness
Friday 6 June
Step into the world of Nina Simone with the award-winning Lady Nade, as she honours Simone's legacy with her powerhouse vocals and a talented six-piece band.
Angela Barnes, Old Fire Station, Carlisle
Thursday 5 June
Angela Barnes, Beggar’s Theatre, Millom
Friday 6 June
Saturday 7 June
A brand new stand-up show from Angela Barnes, star of Mock The Week and Live at The Apollo.
Hay Fever by Noël Coward, Penrith Playhouse, Penrith
11 to 14 June
Penrith Players present Noël Coward's beloved comedy of bad manners in its centenary year. Set over a chaotic weekend at the country house of former stage star Judith Bliss, this hilarious romp features outrageous family dynamics, misguided houseguests, and Coward's signature wit.
Highly Suspect presents The Betraytors, The Green Room, Carlisle
Friday 20 June
Award-winning mystery maestros Highly Suspect debut their brand new mystery at The Green Room, with this preview performance ahead of its Edinburgh Fringe run.
Cumbria Diversity Carnival, Carlisle
Saturday 21 June
A free event to showcase and celebrate diversity in Cumbria through music, dance, food, and art.
Noises Off, Theatre By The Lake, Keswick
From Wednesday 25 June
Follow a doomed theatre company as they desperately struggle to keep their show together as everything around them falls apart.