"Fleece" stands for 'Fellowship', 'Landscape', 'Experience', 'Environment', 'Culture', and 'Enterprise', and is a Volunteer Centre Eden project funded by the Local Heritage Initiative. It is about living in Orton and Tebay at the start of the 21st century and began in summer 2006.
The project, coordinated by Debbie Lucas, involves groups each producing a hanging, a picture reflecting an aspect of a place, building, or activity, or featuring a historical or mythlogical event associated with the locality. In all sixty-seven volunteers along with all the children from Orton and Tebay School including the 'Brownies' have been involved.
A mixture of felting, quilting, collage and embroidery has been used to create the hangings. The local school children produced a felt map showing the locations depicted in each of the hangings. A feature of the project has been workshops in the Market Hall in Orton and the Methodist chapel in Tebay, and the work is now being toured to a variety of venues in the locality. Local photographer Paul Dounford from Orton has helped to document the project.
Debbie Lucas is a local textile artist and felt-maker who has been making felt for thirteen years. She works and lives in the Eden Valley, has taken part in many local projects and worked as an artist in residence in schools throughout Cumbria and loves introducing what she describes as the 'magical' process of felt-making to children and adults taking her inspiration from the ever-changing Cumbrian landscape and some of her work is on sale in galleries throughout the area.
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday: 10am - 5pm
Saturday: 10.30am - 5pm
Sunday: 1pm - 4.45pm
Museum Curators
Penrith Museum curators are available to answer questions on current and future exhibitions as well as any other questions concerning the museum:
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Contact: Dr Sydney T Chapman or Mrs Judith Clarke, MA AMA, Joint Curators,
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Address: Penrith Museum, Robinson School, Penrith CA11 7PT
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Telephone: (01768) 865105
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Email: museum@eden.gov.uk
