Dame Judi Dench and Lord Melvyn Bragg in We Are 25 at Theater by the Lake

We Are 25: Theatre by the Lake celebrates its 25th birthday with portrait photography exhibition capturing the theatre’s story through 25 people who’ve nurtured its success over 25 years

Cumbria’s Theatre by the Lake has commissioned award-winning Cumbrian photographer Amy Bateman to take portraits of 25 of the theatre’s collaborators for a special year long exhibition ‘We Are 25’. The exhibition includes the well known faces of Dame Judi Dench and Lord Melvyn Bragg alongside key creatives, volunteers and supporters. The exhibition opens on 19 August, the date the theatre turns 25 and the portraits will stay on show for one year.

Theatre by the Lake’s story began with touring ‘Century Theatre’, nicknamed ‘The Blue Box’, visiting Keswick in 1961. By 1975, it was no longer able to tour and The Blue Box found permanent residence on the Lakeside car park in Keswick and many supporters of the theatre started campaigning for a new theatre building. In 1991 the project to build Theatre by the Lake began and it was opened by Judi Dench in 1999.

The portrait exhibition celebrates all those who have influenced the theatre’s origins and played an impactful part in its 25 years as a permanent theatre in Keswick. This is a photo portrait story of some of the extraordinary supporters and collaborators who represent the breadth of the theatre’s impact and social value. 

We Are 25 documents Theatre by the Lake’s work and legacy over the past 25 years to support, develop, programme and commission work which platforms Cumbrian stories conveying the experiences of people living in the region.

Alongside historical and well-known figures there is a spotlight on young people, emerging writers and artists as the theatre looks ahead to the next 25 years presenting ambitious high quality work and new writing rooted in Cumbria.

The 25 portraits in ‘We Are 25’ include:

Dame Judi Dench and her husband Michael Williams were the theatre’s first official Patrons. She is a lifelong supporter of Theatre by the Lake, and her advocacy was critical in securing its construction. Judi and Michael officially opened the Theatre on the 14 of December 1999 ready for a run of A Christmas Carol. She is also the theatre’s sitting President. 

Julie Carter is a doctor, poet and celebrated fell runner. Through Theatre by the Lake’s artist development programme, Julie was supported to write her first play, ‘The Dreamtime Fellrunner’. The play follows Julie as she runs over the Cumbrian fells and draws on her experience as an artist and athlete. It will be performed in September 2024 followed by a national tour.  

Melina Barnett is an Associate Artist at Theatre by the Lake and is passionate about working with communities and understanding audiences. Through her involvement at Theatre by the Lake she has inspired local young people and is developing new work that focuses on the connection between creativity and nature.

Kash Arshad is a theatre Director. Kash’s first professional job as a director was as the Assistant Director of ‘Handbagged’ at Theatre by the Lake In 2017. The first production he directed was ‘Guards at the Taj’, two years later. He has since gone on to have a successful career working all over the country as a freelance theatre director. He will return to Theatre by the Lake to direct ‘The Jungle Book’ for Christmas 2024. 

Louie Whitemore is a set and costume designer from Ullswater who also works internationally, designing for theatre, ballet, and opera. She has designed several productions and exhibitions for Theatre by the Lake and is an Associate Artist.

Solomon Ng supported the first relaxed performance at Theatre by the Lake, The ‘Railway Children’ in 2012, which was one of the first of its kind in the UK. He has been enjoying relaxed performances at Theatre by the Lake ever since. 

Lord Melvyn Bragg is a proud Cumbrian, fierce advocate for the Arts and a Patron of Theatre by the Lake. The musical adaptation of his novel ‘The Hired Man’ was staged at the Theatre in 2004. He is the long-serving president of ‘Words by the Water’, the popular book festival held at the theatre.

Amy Bateman photographer said: “This was an exciting commission for me, as a creator of storytelling images I also adore exploring people’s personalities and their life narratives through meaningful images. Especially in great places like Theatre by the Lake – which is one of my favourite landscape photography locations. These are natural portraits and through discussions with the Directors, we worked out the locations for each sitter to capture a glimmer of their connection with the theatre. I hope those seeing the exhibition get a sense of the impact that the Theatre has had on people’s lives in the past 25 years. It has a strong sense of place for many, feeling like home. Its location and beautiful surroundings are enviable and I hope these portraits have captured the hold that the theatre has on We Are 25 subjects.”

Liz Stevenson and Simon Stephens Joint CEOs of Theatre by the Lake said: “Theatre by the Lake is an inspirational space in an extraordinary place, and the sense of community ownership and connection to the theatre is super strong. It was willed into existence by the community 25 years ago who had taken the Blue Box to their hearts and embraced theatre in a small town. We wanted to tell the human story of Theatre by the Lake and its intangible heritage through 25 personal connections – one for each birthday year – and spotlight the theatre’s continuing impact on its community and the sector.”

“We loved Amy’s style of photography and ability to produce intimate, naturalistic images capturing people in their working environment. We want to celebrate our birthday and have people tell their stories on our behalf and we cannot wait to share this with all our audiences and supporters and see how it generates discussion, shares memories and inspires our work for the next 25 years.”

We Are 25 celebrates Theatre by the Lake’s 25th Birthday with 25 photographic portraits by Cumbria’s Amy Bateman. It is being exhibited at Theatre by the Lake from Monday 19 August for one year. For more information please visit theatrebythelake.com.