An art exhibition in Barrow has been celebrating the history of the town and what it still has to offer.
Curated by Art Gene, an artist-led charity, ‘Place – Re:discover Barrow’ recently finished its stint at the Nan Tait Centre.
The show marked the culmination of the 'Re:discover Barrow - Lost Shops' cultural programme, a four year scheme centred around the lost shops on Duke Street.
A spokesperson for Art Gene commented: "Our aim has been to celebrate and preserve the stories of the town, looking beyond the shipyard, through an art lens.
"The exhibition showcased numerous works from the programme and presented an opportunity to think about who maps and narrates the history of a place, with a particular emphasis on the stories of women and their contributions to Barrow's history."
Sarah Hardacre created a lightbox display, whilst the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra worked with Colin Aldred for a specially commissioned film.
Miranda Hill, Art Gene’s new Programme Associate, recently moved to Barrow at the tail end of last year and worked closely with the artists for the exhibition.
She added: “It is very exciting to be working with Art Gene, who are producing local events, projects and exhibitions focusing specifically on re-envisioning the social, natural and built environment.
"There is a 'just do it' attitude here, I think people can spend far too much time behind their computer screens talking about what they're going to do and not actually doing it.
"Art Gene are the complete opposite - they are out there in Barrow, speaking to people and making projects happen, it's really inspiring.”
Harpreet Kaur, a trustee of Art Gene, reflected on the importance of the exhibition.
"The show and speeches reveal the significance of the project for Barrow and why funding and support from Historic England has been crucial in helping to preserve and improve the town," Harpreet explained.
"Each time I visit Barrow I sense how important Barrow is to the local people and their history and identity."
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