CUMBRIA’S connection to the nuclear industry will be highlighted through a new exhibition and series of performances at The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven.

The exhibition titled ‘ATOM – A Tale of Matter’ will be launched on Saturday, January 12 and will feature a series of art works, animations, photographs, puppets and live performances by local school children.

It features Cumbrian scientist John Dalton and follows Cumbria’s connection with the nuclear industry through to the present day.

The exhibition illustrates the research undertaken during a wider collaborative project, titled ‘Cumbria’s Atomic Story – a Fusion of People and Place,’ which was created to engage local schools in the arts, science and the local nuclear industry.

Arts organisation Prism Arts has worked with The Beacon Museum, Sellafield Ltd, Whitehaven Archive and Study Centre, National Nuclear Laboratory, Distington Community School and Seascale Primary School and Prism Art’s Studio Theatre West to create the exhibition.

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, members of Studio Theatre West will perform their work at Rosehill Theatre and The Beacon Museum during February and March 2019.

Alan Gillon, the museum's learning officer, said: “We are delighted to host this range of art forms that celebrate the nuclear heritage of our region.

“Children from the two primary schools and older participants from the Studio Theatre have been enthralled by their discoveries in learning about those who helped to harness nuclear energy in those early days.

“They have tried out lots of new ways of expressing themselves through the arts, and this variety is evident in the upcoming programme.”

The exhibition opens on Saturday, January 12 and runs until March 20. Entry is free for Copeland residents with a Copeland pass, and standard admission otherwise applies.

Tickets for the theatrical performances are available via the Facebook pages for Prism Arts and The Beacon Museum, or via Eventbrite.