To mark the creation of the new Cumberland Council (bringing together the councils of Allerdale, Copeland and City of Carlisle), In Certain Places organised a ‘walking and talking’ workshop in June 2023, which visited two places that could be taken to represent different facets of the new Cumberland. This workshop was originally intended to stimulate conversation on two contrasting places in Cumbria, if not to think about what the naming of the new council as ‘Cumberland’ might change about the region and the role of culture and the arts in the new local government configuration. We asked participants with an interest or stake in the culture of the region, or academic expertise in ‘place’ and culture to reflect on the discussions that took place during the workshop and contribute two views or two perspectives of their own, and to consider more broadly how the demands of the present are being addressed in their own thinking and practice as it relates to place and culture.
From a methodological point of view, this initiative illustrates the importance we place on social interaction as a means of opening up a space of democratic exchange. It also serves as one instance of how method and practice relate to tangible actions: the project will result in a publication, which will be launched with an event in 2024.
In Certain Places
VB005A, Victoria Building
University of Central Lancashire
Preston, PR1 2HE
info@incertainplaces.org
