Artists challenged to create heritage project

Jack McNeill, Azraa Motala and Emma McGordon were chosen by a panel to produce a piece of work

Three artists have each been awarded £25,000 in a project celebrating a county's heritage.

Jack McNeill, Azraa Motala and Emma McGordon were chosen by a panel to produce a "substantial" piece of work or an event that contributed to Cumbria's artistic community.

The panel said the submission process had been "extremely challenging" but added it was "really excited" to support the artists during the creative process.

The Catalyst project will be delivered by Art Gene, the University of Cumbria and the Cumbria Arts and Culture Network.

The artists will spend 10 months meeting a brief of "raising the visibility and profile of the county as a unique, innovative and creative place to be based and develop a creative career".

The funding has been provided by Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) as a way of "promoting the county, its nature, industry and heritage".

'Collective voices'

Poet and performer Emma McGordon said she planned to use the residency to "do something a little bit different and get the people, the words and the landscapes, that have been dominant features of my work, on film".

Azraa Motala, a visual artist said she was "thrilled" to be awarded the funding.

"This will enable me to make work that resonates across various layers of society, hopefully fostering meaningful impact and dialogue."

Musician Jack McNeill described the selection process as an "emotional ride".

"My project places Cumbria at the heart of a global drama, from a future just around the corner," he said.

"Cumbria is a privileged place in so many ways, and one where our collective voices can animate the landscape, ringing for change and empathy."