A NOSTALGIC and interactive exhibition and city centre trail has spend its first week entertaining crowds in Carlisle.

Fairground Reminiscence: Exhibition Trail came to the city on September 20 after a tour of a number of other northern towns and cities.

It is being staged by Adam Russell, 29, a community dance artist, from Carlisle but now based in Newcastle, who has based it on family memories of the travelling fairground community.

The event will run to October 5 and is based at a about a dozen businesses throughout the city and the Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, on Castle Street.

Visitors have the opportunity to interact with a number of exhibits and activities from the golden age of fairgrounds.

These include candy floss making and objects like posters, and other fairground paraphernalia - there will also be specialist talks.

Adam said that many of the exhibits were based on the experiences of his dad, Keith Russell, 69, also from Carlisle, who grew up in the community before the family settled down.

Adam's mum Christine, 63, and sister Michelle, 46, both also from Carlisle, have also lent a hand.

The exhibition has been adapted to become a trail in Carlisle to help support local businesses.

Adam said: "The exhibition is an interactive and immersive project with live performance elements in it.

"And the idea is to merge performance in a museum exhibition which creates something magical and a wonderful world for people to enjoy.

"It was something that was inspired by my dad, the photographs and all the wonderful childhood memories of the showman community that helped to create the work.

"We thought we'd do it as a trail to help boost footfall.

"The community was very close everyone knows everyone else, it was very special but it was a hard life an have a strong identity.

"What is wonderful about the exhibition is that it can be adapted to different spaces to make it work.

"Hopefully by doing this we will be getting people to engage in a different way."

Previously mum Christine said: "Keith came from five generations of show people, it was a very strong family bonded community.

"They travelled until he was about 15 or 16 then settled down."

Keith was born in Kendal, in 1950, his father ran attractions like a coconut shy, darts, a shooting range and a number of side stalls as part of a travelling fare.

He had previous said that the exhibition brought back memories of his childhood through things like old photographs.

Other businesses taking part include John Watts coffee shop, The Thin White Duke bar, W. H. Walkers Barbers, The Bed Shop Carlisle, Carlisle World Shop, Casanova Menswear, Sharps Bedrooms, Crown and Mitre Hotel, Carlisle Cathedral Cafe, Bookcase bookstore, Cakes and Ale cafe, Castle Chocolates, Johnsons the Cleaners, Espresso Hub, the Assembly Room at the Tourist Information office, Millers Cafe and The Market Hall.

The project has been supported by Arts Council England, The Heritage Fund, Carlisle City Council, Discover Carlisle, Community Foundation, Durham County Council, The Fenton Arts Trust and The Activity Bus.

Adam Russell is an independent dance artist who creates atmospheric, other worldly performance experiences for both traditional and non-traditional performance spaces.

Communities and local people are often centred in his creations.

Adam was awarded a bursary from an eminent arts organisation, for the research and development of the exhibition.

​For information: www.adamrusselldance.com