Exhibiting plays at Theatre by the Lake

Award-winning photographer and Cumbrian farmer Amy Bateman's images can be seen both inside and outside Theatre By The Lake

Keswick's Theatre by the Lake (TBTL) invites audiences to explore two exhibitions running in conjunction with two of its plays.

From August to November, visitors can discover Every Brilliant Thing, an exhibition celebrating the things that bring us joy, and Forty Farms, a photographic exhibition by award-winning photographer and Cumbrian livestock farmer Amy Bateman.

The Theatre By The Lake wall filled with "brilliant thing" comments

TBTL’s Mezzanine Gallery will host the Every Brilliant Thing exhibition (to Sep-tember 5), created by the team behind the returning production of Duncan Macmillanm and Johnny Donahoe's play of the same title, which explores mental health, hope and everyday joys.

The exhibition invites everyone to contribute their own “brilliant thing” to an ever-growing collection. Visitors can spend time reading contributions, listen to a selection of music on the exhibition’s vinyl turntable and add their own thoughts to the display. The exhibition can be enjoyed before or after a performance, or visited independently during its run.

One of Amy Bateman's images from Forty Farms

Meanwhile, Forty Farms (to November 7) is on display across TBTL’s Circle Gallery and outside, on the railings of Hope Park, presented in partnership with Keswick Town Council.

Created by award-winning photographer and Cumbrian livestock farmer Amy Bateman, the exhibition documents 40 very different farms from across Cumbria. Amy spent more than a year travelling around the county, creating intimate portraits of the people behind its farms and exploring the realities of modern farming.

The exhibition forms a natural companion to TBTL’s world premiere production of The Farmer’s Wife (September 18-October 10) inspired by Helen Rebanks’ Sunday Times best-selling memoir

During the development of the play, its author Hannah Khalil, and TBTL artistic director and joint CEO Liz Stevenson, met women from across Cumbria’s farming community, including some featured in Forty Farms. Their stories and perspectives have helped to inform the new play, which celebrates the often-unseen labour, resilience and strength of farming women.

Liz said: "The Farmer's Wife was created through listening. Hannah and I spent time with Helen Rebanks on her family farm, as well as with many other women across Cumbria whose generosity in sharing their lives shaped the play in countless ways.

"Amy's photographs celebrate many of those same communities, making Forty Farms the perfect companion to the production. Together they offer audiences a richer understanding of contemporary farming and the remarkable women at its heart."

Both exhibitions are free to visit, whether or not attending a performance.

More info here