Arts Thread

'Prior to the Picturesque movement, people sought out symmetry, elegant architecture and the trimmed neatness of a formal garden. When they reached the Lake District, it was culture shock; they couldn’t articulate the sublime majesty of the landscape. A new language was needed to interpret this wild aesthetic.' The Lake District is renowned for its picturesque landscapes and distinct cultural identity as a cornerstone of British Romanticism and the Arts. Poets such as Wordsworth, and Artists such as Ruskin celebrated the environment and condemned the industrialization which was quickly taking hold of 19th Century Britain. The new Learning Centre is proposed to bring this 19th century Arts and Craft spirit and ethos into the 21st century. Acting as both a museum (celebrating the local Artistic cultural heritage of the area) as well as a research centre and ‘factory’ of sorts, where people can use 21st century design and manufacturing techniques to fabricate new digital Arts and Crafts products. The scheme aims to create work for people living in Windermere, as well as to attract researchers, academics and leaders in the field of ‘Digital Craft’ the world over. Offering seminar spaces and a unique place to learn and experiment.