As part of Whitehaven’s Imagine Festival 2026, research assistant Natasha Dawson collaborated with Everyone Here, West Cumbria’s Creative People and Places programme, to create Float, a project all about West Cumbrian Carnivals.
It included an exhibition following the story of West Cumbria’s most prominent carnivals from the late 19th century to the present day, including carnivals organised by children’s columnist ‘Cousin Charley’ in the 1890s, the hospital carnivals of the 1930s, the carnivals of the post war period and more recent events.
Through oral histories, artistic creations, archival research, and photographs the exhibition explored the carnival spirit of West Cumbria in a time where many of those carnivals no longer exist.
The project also included performances from local dance groups, live music, and a recreation of a carnival float designed by artist Janice Murray and decorated by communities from across West Cumbria. Pictured below are Natasha Dawson (centre) and her collaborators on the project: Everyone Here Jury for Joy member, Lynda Buckland (left) and artist Janice Murray (right), and some of the scenes from St. Nicholas’ Church.
Watch a short video about the project below, and read more about the Imagine Festival here.