Your virtual guide through the Lake District this Winter

This year started differently to any other – no crowds counting down to midnight and no large family new year lunches, but I’m sure that when we saw in 2021, we were all hopeful about a new beginning. We’d done a lot of changing plans, and starting again this year, flexibility and reducing our expectations seems to be the key. 

Our cultural venues would normally have their new seasons of gallery exhibitions, theatre performances and cultural events all planned by now. So, here are a few of my recommendations for your online cultural fix from around the county and support our performing arts and culture businesses at the same time. 

Murder Mystery

Via the magic of Zoom you can now enjoy the fun, frivolity and fatalities of Cumbria’s premier murder mystery event company Highly Suspect without even leaving your home! They’ll play the suspects in a range of their most loved murder mysteries for you online. You crack open digital evidence and catch a killer and solve the case. Ticket prices vary depending on your choice of murder and the number of your guests. 

Virtual Dark Skies Festival 

15-21 Feb 2021

Light up your screens with a spectacular array of online events celebrating the wonders of our night sky. Live events over 17 evenings where you can explore our dark skies with renowned local, regional and national experts. There’s a planetarium for children, amateur astronomers and night-time photographers, a panel of lighting experts to answer your questions, local artistic performers, writers and poets. Tickets from £3.50 a session, book online here. 

Orion over Castlerigg by Ben Bush Photography

Wordsworth Grasmere Poetry

Wordsworth Grasmere invite you to “Go to the poets, they will speak to thee”, their contemporary poetry reading and open mic series with Cumbrian poet Kim Moore. Available to join online on 10 Feb and 24 Mar. They will be listening to what poets have to say about how poetry can cross borders to challenge, delight and inspire us. Tickets £5, from wordsworth.org.uk.

View from Dove Cottage Garden. Photo Credit: National Trust

Theatre by the Lake

The Theatre by the Lake is bringing The picture of Dorian Gray to life in a brand-new adaption that brings the Oscar Wilde tale into the modern-day world. Available to stream from 16-31 Mar. Starring Fionn Whitehead, best known for his critically acclaimed performance as the protagonist Tommy in Dunkirk. Tickets £12, online here.