Exhibitions showing off world class art in Cumbria come and go. But none quite like the artwork of Jackie Morris.

Jackie rocketed to prominence with the phenomenal success and acclaim associated with The Lost Words, a big, sumptuous book full of her wildlife illustrations accompanied by writer Robert Macfarlane’s words.

But Jackie has been drawing and painting all of her life. And a brand new exhibition at Rheged takes you through that lifetime’s journey, from childhood drawings through to The Lost Words and its successor, The Lost Spells. Over 250 pieces of work in all.

Tom Speight went to meet Jackie Morris as the exhibition prepared to throw open its doors.

How can we be smarter about funding our work at a time of real challenge for the cultural sector in Cumbria ?

That was the question being discussed at the most recent Cumbria Arts and Culture Network Big Meet in May.

Star of the show was Edinburgh based Bernard Ross, Director of =mc consulting, a leading training and consultancy organization working to transform the performance of value-driven organizations worldwide. He knows a thing or two about fundraising too.

So for this special edition of Behind the Scenery, Tom Speight asked delegates to help him pull together the main themes emerging at the conference, to see how they might go about answering that thorny question about fundraising.

Final rehearsals for two brand new Cumbrian one person shows about isolation and the environment – and the involvement of real people in recognising the issues raised - are just about complete.

The Butterfly Collector by Peter MacQueen and Nancy’s Orange by Grace Kirkby are both being directed by the other person, so to speak. The two Cumbrian writers and actors have come together to create two pieces of theatre which have real resonance for the county and for the wider world.

For this month’s Behind the Scenery, Tom Speight went along to meet them as final rehearsals were taking place – to see what it’s like when it’s just you and a bare stage against the world…..and to hear one of the best moth jokes around….