Arts & Culture

Cumbria is an extraordinary place and has much to be proud of - a landscape of international repute, a quality of life which is the envy of the rest of the country and a tradition of sporting and artistic excellence which continues to enthral and inspire.

Cumbria County Council's aim is to encourage everyone living in Cumbria to get involved in arts, sport and cultural activity.  Our ambition is to create a county of opportunity where people feel proud of being Cumbrian and where they can explore and fulfil their potential.

We want more people to share the experience of culture in all its forms.  We want them to understand the legacy of the past and the issues for the future and to have gained the confidence to meet the challenges ahead.

Cumbria's Cultural Strategy acknowledges the county's main cultural achievements and promotes our aims for developing and supporting culture into the future.  Our three main themes are:

• Make Cumbria more prosperous by developing the cultural and creative infrastructure of Cumbria
• Enhance the quality of life for individuals and the community of Cumbria
• Celebrate our local culture and our status as a tourism destination            

What do we want to achieve through this?  We want Cumbria to be recognised and promoted as a positive, inspirational open place, with a rich environment, able to identify and nurture creative talent.

Cultural Strategy

Andy Goldsworthy's Sheepfolds

Sheepfolds is a public artwork by the internationally renowned artist Andy Goldsworthy commissioned by Cumbria County Council and made up of many separate parts or events spread across sites throughout Cumbria.  By using existing or ruined sheepfolds, Andy Goldsworthy has created environmentally responsive pieces that connect directly with farming traditions and the history and geography of Cumbria. 

For further information about the work, photographs and maps of the sites, educational materials and news updates visit the Sheepfolds website.   

Andy Goldsworthy's Sheepfolds