Lorna Singleton is one of Britain’s last remaining swillers, a specialist in weaving baskets using coppiced oak and hazel. Using simple hand tools and ancient techniques, she creates baskets based on traditional patterns from South Cumbria as well as patterns found on her travels.

She’s based in Grizedale Forest – and as well as running her own one woman basket making business, she’s spent the last year teaching seven basketmakers the unique skills of spelk basketry on a course called Wood Water Weave.

This autumn, a beautiful exhibition by the same name has opened at Grizedale Forest Gallery, showing off the wonderful products they’ve all made.

For this episode of Behind the Scenery, Tom Speight went to talk to some of the basket makers. But he began by visiting Lorna in her workshop – to find out how she works…

Eden Project Morecambe is something that’s been talked about for some years now – the development of a brownfield sight in the Lancashire town into something like the massively successful Eden Project in Cornwall. And it’s recently been handed another £2.5m by the government, bringing the total funding to £5m, to allow design teams to get going.

But why should it matter to Cumbria ? Specifically, to the Cumbrian arts and culture sector ?

For Episode 27 of Behind the Scenery, Tom Speight went along to The Midland Hotel, itself a beautiful art deco jewel on the Morecambe coastline, where there was a gathering of businesses and organisations with an interest in Eden Project Morecambe. All organised by Carlisle based PR group Intro.

He caught up with a number of people with an interest in the project’s success and began by chatting to Si Bellamy, one of those in charge of the project, to find out about the current state of play – and why it might matter to Cumbrians....

Alison Critchlow is a contemporary British painter based in Bowness on Solway – right on the northern edge of Cumbria.

She paints mainly in oils. She’s recently been shortlisted for the Contemporary British Painting Prize 2024, an annual event which promotes the best of contemporary painting produced in the UK.

Alison is also one of the organisers of the annual Around the Island open studio art trail which takes place in September in north west Cumbria.

Tom Speight went to meet her in her studio – but began on the crunching shores of the Solway…

Exhibitions showing off world class art in Cumbria come and go. But none quite like the artwork of Jackie Morris.

Jackie rocketed to prominence with the phenomenal success and acclaim associated with The Lost Words, a big, sumptuous book full of her wildlife illustrations accompanied by writer Robert Macfarlane’s words.

But Jackie has been drawing and painting all of her life. And a brand new exhibition at Rheged takes you through that lifetime’s journey, from childhood drawings through to The Lost Words and its successor, The Lost Spells. Over 250 pieces of work in all.

Tom Speight went to meet Jackie Morris as the exhibition prepared to throw open its doors.

How can we be smarter about funding our work at a time of real challenge for the cultural sector in Cumbria ?

That was the question being discussed at the most recent Cumbria Arts and Culture Network Big Meet in May.

Star of the show was Edinburgh based Bernard Ross, Director of =mc consulting, a leading training and consultancy organization working to transform the performance of value-driven organizations worldwide. He knows a thing or two about fundraising too.

So for this special edition of Behind the Scenery, Tom Speight asked delegates to help him pull together the main themes emerging at the conference, to see how they might go about answering that thorny question about fundraising.

Final rehearsals for two brand new Cumbrian one person shows about isolation and the environment – and the involvement of real people in recognising the issues raised - are just about complete.

The Butterfly Collector by Peter MacQueen and Nancy’s Orange by Grace Kirkby are both being directed by the other person, so to speak. The two Cumbrian writers and actors have come together to create two pieces of theatre which have real resonance for the county and for the wider world.

For this month’s Behind the Scenery, Tom Speight went along to meet them as final rehearsals were taking place – to see what it’s like when it’s just you and a bare stage against the world…..and to hear one of the best moth jokes around….

This month, Behind the Scenery talks to two very special Cumbrians who have committed a lifetime to the British arts scene.

Sue Gill and John Fox founded Welfare State International in 1968. It was a loose association of freelance artists bought together by shared values and philosophy. A way of life. A way to approach art differently.

John and Sue have just published a new book called "Eighty-Something – a lifetime of conversation". And they invited Tom Speight to their home on the coast near Ulverston to listen in to that decades old conversation, as well as to reflect on the impact of Welfare State from their travels across the world.

This month, Behind the Scenery has a very special guest.

Darren Henley is the boss of Arts Council England. A pretty influential sort of chap.

He’s been visiting Cumbria recently. And Tom Speight got the chance to sit down with him to find out what he thought about the arts landscape in the county today. And to chat about where and how his organisation is looking to influence and support.