A CARLISLE teacher and artist has been exploring the stories of local people through a new art show.

David Lush, who is a Master’s student at the University of Cumbria, has his work presented on a wall in the Harraby Community Campus.

David is biology teacher turned photography and art teacher at Trinity School, Carlisle.

His work focuses on capturing communities, and the pieces on show depict the popular Susan’s Farm at Houghton, the Restore charity shop on Central Avenue in Harraby, run by Carol Ferguson, which used to be called and is still referred to by local people as ‘The Op Shop’, and portraiture featuring members of the congregation of St Elisabeth Church in Harraby.

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Speaking on his journey to creating this piece, David, 57, who has recently graduated with a distinction grade in his MA in Creative Practice from the University of Cumbria, said: “We had an assignment where we had to create a story, I thought about the connections I had for this and thought I’m connected to Harraby because I go to the Saint Elisabeth Church.

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“I thought I’d go and sit in the shop and explain to the people there what my plans were.”

His plans were to interview members of the community and tell their stories while being a story on the shop itself, as well as what the shop represents as a community hub for the suburb.

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He continued: “I chose parts (of the interviews) that told a coherent story.

“It’s a snapshot of the whole shop but it focuses on Carol and how she found the support after she lost her partner (Ian).”

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As a part of his degree, he said the examiners really liked it.

He explained, now he’s graduated, he will be exploring fields of art that interest him and bring in some income.

Carol said of David: “His work is absolutely brilliant.

“He asked if he could put his work up on the wall in the community campus, and it gives insight into who we are in the community.”

About the piece specifically about her, she added: “[It’s about] how I’m not a Christian, but working in a Christian community it has changed in a way for me.

“David is an absolutely brilliant artist.”

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