This year the Network is teaming up with Littoral Arts to host the Summer Camp at Schwitter's Merz Barn at Elterwater, near Ambleside.

You are invited to set up camp in the grounds on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st June, and join in with Friday evening's celebration of Schwitter's 60th birthday (info below), followed by Saturday evening of eating, drinking, gossiping, chilling, making new acquaintances, warming marshmallows by the fire, chatting, making stick sculptures, dancing, blethering, telling jokes, chewing the cud, eating beans, smelling of smoke, going for walks, swimming in the river, discovering orchards, finding out more about Schwitters, drawing, playing like a small child if you wish and generally having a wonderful, enlightened time.

We are also looking for people to enlighten everyone else on the Saturday evening with performance, live art, music, caberet, theatre, dancing, stories to share etc. So if you'd like to do something please contact the Network beforehand to discuss, we'd be delighted to hear from you.

The weekend ties in with refugee week, and there'll be a talk about an exhibition at the barn on the Sunday. If you're working in this field and want to do something around refugees and migrant workers in Cumbria on site during the weekend you're also invited (contact us beforehand).

The weekend is FREE. Bring your own tent, food, boots, torch, bin bags, acoustic instruments, friends and self. ( Please note: this is not a camp site so do not expect camp site facilities like hot showers and a shop! You enter the site at your own risk and of course, are responsible for taking any litter home...)

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Arrive: early evening Friday 20thLeave: afternoon Sunday 22nd

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Please do contact the Network to let us know you are coming and to accommodate everyone: post [at] thecumbrianetwork [dot] co [dot] uk

And... if you'd like to help set up on the Friday that would be great - we're looking for 5-6 people, you can camp over on the Thursday if you like or arrive about 10am on the Friday (and you'll get fed too!).

Planned events are:

Schwitters' 60th anniversary birthday party 7 - 11pm Friday 20th June 60th anniversary and birthday party celebration of Schwitters in Cumbria at Cylinders Estate, Elterwater.Barbecue and concert with invited traditional and contemporary musicians and poets; the LakeLand Fiddlers, Bill Lloyd and the Billy Goats, Florian Kaplik (on the URSONATE), and Carolyn Frances with a new Merz fiddle piece.

Refugee Arts initiative - Refugee week 16 - 22 June It is well known that Kurt Schwitters and other Entartete Kunst artists came to live in Cumbria during the 1930s and 40s, as refugees from NAZI Germany. 16 - 22 June is also Refugee Week, and the Merz Barn and the Shippen Gallery will be open all week-end (10am - 6pm), to coincide with this.

Exhibition: Leave to Stay; Entartete Kunst to Darfur 16 - 22 June, Shippen Gallery CylindersA display documenting Entartete Kunst artists and other refugees who came to the Cumbria in 1930 and 40s.

Seminar: Refugee Arts - Sunday 22nd June2.00 - 4pm Public seminar about the contribution of refugee artists and migrant workers in Cumbria and the South Lakes. This would also aim to update artists and the wider community in Cumbria about what is happening elsewhere and what else artists could do to help.

Here's some more info about the Merz barn project: http://www.littoral.org.uk/HTML01/pro_kurtschwitters.htm

The entrance to the barn is opposite the Langdale country club: http://www.langdale.co.uk/pdf/directions.PDF