[V]ibrant Lake District-based heritage group, Cumbria’s Living Heritage, has reimagined some of the biggest cultural personalities associated with its member properties, to attract 21st century visitors seeking something different.
In a colourful initiative, which celebrates both culture through the centuries and what would have been the 90th birthday of Andy Warhol (August 6), key figures, whose lives can be explored in Cumbria – William Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter, Lady Anne Clifford, Donald Campbell and Alfred Lord Tennyson – have all had their portrait updated ‘pop art’ style.
Portraying heritage heroes, whose lives were lived across four different centuries, in a 1960s fashion, communicates a powerful message – that heritage is a living and evolving concept, capable of reinvention at different moments in time. The two poets, children’s author, early female rights heroine and speed ace will play their part in repositioning heritage.
The release of the pop art images is the start of a summer-long campaign to break down barriers and encourage more people to step over the heritage threshold. This assists Cumbria Living Heritage’s mission to blow the dusty reputation of heritage away and communicate that it is full to the brim with the unexpected.
By absorbing and assimilating other cultural influences, this campaign will provoke a response amongst the new target audiences that heritage attractions need to engage and also encourage the curious to discover the stories behind the famous names.
As the 20th century cultural legend, Andy Warhol, would have celebrated his 90th birthday on August 6, the pop art pictures will be shared by Cumbria’s Living Heritage members on their social media channels throughout August.
This should entice both summer holiday visitors and those wishing to explore heritage during the autumn months, when CLH members are still welcoming visitors and wowing them with their exhibits, furnishings, gardens, views and historical connections.
Cumbria’s Living Heritage Chair, Peter Frost-Pennington, says: “Our five pop art heroes are ambassadors for our member attractions and have links to 15 of those. We have the word ‘living’ in our title for good reason, because we consistently strive to reimagine the past in different ways, to make it relevant to those living in the present.
“We hope our pop art personalities will lure visitors and residents to places associated with them, where they will find fun and unexpected activities and things to do, learn much about these people and their time, and leave with a head full of incredible knowledge and lesser-known facts. A summer of fun awaits those ‘popping’ off to brilliant heritage venues.”
Cumbria’s Living Heritage will next be creating engaging ’15 minutes of fame’ information about all of its member attractions. In the meantime, its fab five will be attracting the eye and evoking the responses that make culture so provocative, enriching and enlivening.
More information can be found at www.cumbriaslivingheritage.co.uk
