Low Carbon Barrow Grants is a European-funded support programme to help small- and medium-sized businesses, charities and constituted community groups improve their energy efficiency and environmental performance. Find out more…



Work with us – Community Gardener
We are looking for an engaging individual with a real enthusiasm for and a knowledge of growing and an ability to share this passion with the Allotment Soup Community. Find out more….

Food, futures & biodiversity, artists & events announced
Art Gene and artists in residence welcome you to Allotment Soup for a climate focussed event – Food, Futures & Biodiversity, during November 2021.

Open Call – Food, futures & biodiversity
We’re excited to announce a new artist in residence opportunity. Artists are invited to create new artwork responding to food, futures & biodiversity, over a 2 week residency with Art Gene in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Closing 5pm 20th September 2021.

Barrow goes to Penrith!
Barrow’s lockdown artwork is celebrated in an exhibition of Cumbrian creativity.

Rediscover Barrow’s Duke Street
Join us as we explore Barrow’s Duke Street, an important historical area, to uncover the businesses which traded on the street, and the people who lived and worked here throughout the years. The online event will premiere a new short film, with special guests.

Art Gene’s Spring 2021 Programme
Art Gene is pleased to announce an exciting online programme for Spring 2021, with a series of online exhibitions, expert led workshops and international speakers.

8 Words for Barrow-in-Furness Exhibition
During lockdown, we asked for your ‘8 Words for Barrow-in-Furness’. Now we present 20 of our favourites in a socially distanced outdoor exhibition, outside the Art Gene building in Barrow-in-Furness.

Restorative Futures
Sarah Perks’ article in September’s Art Monthly explores artist-led practices, featuring Art Gene’s Extreme Views programme and Katie Anderson’s Barrow Tarot.

Creating positive experiences in Barrow
This August Art Gene joined local creatives to provide positive experiences for families and young people in Barrow with Art & Environment workshops at the Isle of Walney Community Growing Space.

Art Gene and Oakmere unite to re-wild
We’re excited to announce a new project with Oakmere Homes that will encourage native wildlife and flora back to areas around Barrow, through environmental workshops that will create thriving living environments for the community.

Art & Environment Workshops this Summer
Join artist Maddi Nicholson and Naturalist Pete Burton for family workshops at the Isle of Walney Community Growing Space this August, and become an eco warrior!

Hugel Mound Workshop
Welcome back to Allotment Soup, for our first public workshop since lockdown with Ecological Designer Vincent Walsh to create a Hugel Mound, a raised bed which will help to create a highly fertile soil and provide more sustainable growing space at the Isle of Walney Community Growing Space.

Extreme Views – Armchair Walks
You are invited to join architects, artists, naturalists, and landscape designers on a tour through Barrow-in-Furness, from the comfort of your own home, hosted by Extreme Views Artist in Residence Owen Griffiths.

8 Words for Barrow-in-Furness Competition
Art Gene is asking you to provide 8 words for Barrow – activating a virtual conversation amongst local people reflecting our current challenges, frustrations and hopes for the future.

Allotment Soup’s Spring
Allotment Soup Springs as community gardeners at the Isle of Walney Community Growing Space have been keeping busy during their daily exercise.

Art Gene’s Allotment Soup helps make a new woodland for Haverigg Prison
Art Gene is pleased to donate the first batch of BOOM Aspen trees, cared for by Allotment Soup community growers at the Isle of Walney Community Growing Space, to HM Prison Haverigg.

Allotment Soup & COVID-19
To protect our volunteers, staff and the most vulnerable, please adhere to these changes to the Isle of Walney Community Growing Space during the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘Extreme Times’, Art Gene’s COVID-19 Response
These are ‘Extreme Times’. We all have a part to play in limiting the spread of COVID-19. In order to protect our audiences, staff and the most vulnerable, we are postponing all our public events until further notice.

Artist in Residence Opportunity: food, futures and biodiversity
Art Gene is announcing an opportunity for an experienced artist to work within our team and community of volunteers and participants on the further development of the Isle of Walney Community Growing Space.

BOOM Grows in Barrow
Art Gene are delighted to announce a new community growing partnership as part of the University of Cumbria’s ‘Back on Our Map’ (BOOM) project.

‘Know Your Wildflowers’, a new Digital Wildflower ID Booklet
Barrow’s natural assets are celebrated through creative workshops with local primary schools and the creation of a Digital Wildflower ID booklet ‘Know Your Wildflowers’ by artist Hannah Brackston.

Hannah’s ‘Last Supper’ and the Allotment Soup Zine
On Saturday 7th December, a three course meal served in the poly tunnel at the Isle of Walney Community Growing Space marked artist Hannah Brackston last visit for the year, and the completion of the Allotment Soup Zine.

Extreme Views Artists in Residence and online exhibition series announced
This week begins an exciting season of Artist Residencies and online exhibitions for Art Gene.

Landscape & Outdoors Work Placement Opportunity
Art Gene are seeking an enthusiastic and diligent person to work alongside us on the practical and outdoor elements of our programme as a Work Placement Volunteer.

A celebration of people, produce and a compost toilet
A celebration at the Isle of Walney Community Growing Space will mark the completion of accessibility works including a new compost toilet

Open Call: Extreme Views Artist Residency
Art Gene are pleased to offer an opportunity for an enthusiastic and experienced visual artist to work alongside us on our current programme ‘Extreme Views’.

Harvest Celebration
Join us on the Isle of Walney Community Growing Space to celebrate by bringing in the harvest and planting for the Spring, with artist in residence Hannah Brackston!

Digital U: Open Call
Open call for artists and creatives whose work explores the collision of art and environment in the digital age, guest curated by Alejandro Ball.

Outdoor adventures at Barra Night Life
Adventurous families came out to experience the Isle of Walney Community Growing Space after dark.

Barra Night Life this weekend
from 5pm Saturday 24th – 10am Sunday 25th August

Barra Culture “we did it!”
The Barra Culture team have been successful in bringing £1.9million funding over four years to the Borough, through Arts Council England Creative People & Places.

Barra Night Life returns to Walney Island
Camp out under the stars, wildflower safari, outdoor cinema, moth trapping, campfire feast, night garden, bat walks, and more…

Extreme Views – Duddon Estuary
“A fantastic day with good company, great guide and a delicious lunch. I have lived in Askam most of my life, but never done the crossing. Thank you for coming to Askam and really show casing our village. We all appreciate it’s beauty and quirkiness, it is nice to share it with others.”

Wild Wednesdays
Free family outdoor nature activities at Allotment Soup Isle of Walney Community Growing Space this summer

Art Gene’s 2019 Summer Programme
Calling all explorers, speakers, thinkers, dreamers, artists, activists, ecologists, historians, dog walkers, builders, bus drivers, foodies, families, visitors, locals and lovers of nature and this amazing place… This is an opportunity to express your views in places of untold potential!

Extreme Views Think Tank
Local people, historians, naturalists and Councillors join international artists, designers and academics to examine Barrow and Furness’s challenges and explore its strengths.

Extreme Views Exhibition
Discursive provocations in the landscape

Extreme Views Day North Scale, Walney
Join us for the last of our Extreme Views event days at North Scale on Walney Island! Sunday 17th March, 11am – 3pm

THINK TANK – DEADLINE EXTENDED
Have you been thinking about applying to the THINK TANK, taking place 4 -7 April? Good news! You’ve now got a bit of extra time to send yours in as we have extended the deadline to THURSDAY 28TH FEBRUARY.

Perverse Affordances
The Digital U is pleased to announce the second artist for its Extreme Views online exhibition programme, Sarah Friend.

Extreme Views Day
The first of three EXTREME events starts this Sunday 10th Feb at Cavendish Dock!

Extreme Views 2019
Get on Your Soapbox! Outdoor events in local places of untold potential!

Walney Loaf Comes To An End!
One for the Rook…

Art Gene goes to Westminster Abbey
Art Gene and Barrow represented at the Armistice service in Westminster Abbey

Join our team!
Art Gene and the Coastal Team Digital Marketer /Administrator role.

Walney Wader Watch
This event is now cancelled due to the weather forecast!

Micro Residency Opportunity
Doremi Micro Residency Opportunity with Art Gene

Creatures Of The Night
Barra Night Life last Saturday 1st September saw a lovely turn out of man and beasties alike!

Digital U: Paul Dolan
Art Gene’s Digital U online exhibition space is pleased to announce the new online commission from artist Paul Dolan (UK) – Spruce Pines, North Carolina (2018)

Barra Night Life Comes to Life
See our NEW schedule for activities on the field this weekend! COME AND JOIN US!

Barra Night Life
An amazing family evening full of old-fashioned adventures and creatures!

The Big Field Study
We need you to help us survey what mini beasts live on our field!

Our Girl in the Paper
Meet the team! Meet Eve Mulholland our Landscape Engagement Coordinator from the Coastal Team

July Newsletter
Highlights of this months newsletter issue: MAILING LIST | ARTISTS’ RESIDENCY DEADLINES | MOUNTAINS & MOLEHILLS

Extreme Views Artists’ Residency Call Out 2018
Two Amazing Opportunities for International Artists! DEADLINE NOW EXTENDED TO FRI 10 AUG 2018 6PM

Landscape Working Party at Barrow Carnival Parade!!
“Linking our Communities and Landscapes!” The launch of our new Summer Programme 2018 with a unique twist!

Summer Events for your Diary
Find out here about Art Gene’s Landscape Working Party Summer Programme, 2018. With mini-beast hunts, bread-baking, winkles and dens – there’s fun and facts for everyone. All activities are free but booking is essential!

Feather Your Nest
Feather Your Nest Workshops: Find out about when we designed archetypal models of bird boxes to look like the three housing types found in Barrow, and invited locals to help build them.

Call for Artists – Digital U: Extreme Views
We are currently searching for 2 innovative digital artists to complete our 2018/19 online exhibition programme. Digital U : Extreme Views will examine the radical nature of artistic activities in digital space.

Student Placement Opportunity
We have a student placement opportunity over this Summer for two students aged 16-25 studying in Barrow-in-Furness. Click to find out more.

Heritage Lottery Puts Fort Walney in Top 10
Art Gene’s Fort Walney, Uncovered is in the top 10 places to visit in a list published by Heritage lottery. Find out more…

Wonderful News: Arts in Barrow – £1m vote of confidence
Arts Council England announce £1m for Barrow groups, including £440,000 for Art Gene (2018 – 2022). “These organisations will be able to deliver great arts and cultural experiences for audiences and participants across the whole area” – Arts Council

£444K of Coastal Communities Fund for Barrow
The Islands and Bays of Barrow and Furness Coastal Team has been awarded £444K from the Coastal Communities Fund to begin to act on the aspirations of our team’s Economic Place Plan, written by Charlie MacKeith and Maddi Nicholson of Art Gene.

Seldom Seen App – OUT NOW
There are 5 new ‘Seldom Seen Apps’. These are guided Walking Audio/Video Tours which explore small parts of the areas covered in the 5 Seldom Seen Maps, through historic photographs and video clips, featuring local people as your guides.

Seldom Seen Maps – Out Now!
Developed by Art Gene working closely with Morecambe Bay Partnership, together, these 5 maps span from the islands of Barrow to Cockerham; plotting the hidden assets of the spectacular Morecambe Bay area of Cumbria and Lancashire.