Lakes Alive – one of the North West's three Olympic Legacy programmes – is bringing ten groups together to design a series of 100 stunning, large-scale flags that will be displayed at some of the events.

Groups will work with an experienced flag-maker and a team of specially-trained artists.

The Welcoming the World project will have the theme 'Inspired by the Landscape' and will explore what kind of images and messages local people want to portray to the wider world in the run-up to the Olympics in 2012.

They will focus on how the landscape defines local identity and explore their aspirations for the future image of Cumbria.

The project is being supported by the World Heritage Site Project, the Lake District National Park Authority, South Lakeland District Council and Lanternhouse in Ulverston.

It is also part of Made In England, a collaboration between Arts Council England and BBC English Regions, which explores the relationship between the landscape and the artist from a diverse range of artistic perspectives.

Lakes Alive is a world-class season of outdoor performance and arts events and festivals across the whole of Cumbria.
It aims to make the county the national centre of excellence for street arts.

Julie Tait from Kendal Arts International, which is organising Lakes Alive, said: "The flags that are created as part of this project will be featured in increasing numbers at the events across Cumbria from mid-August, with a full exhibition of all 100 flags at Mintfest in Kendal over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The effect will be absolutely amazing."

As well as being able to see the flags at Lakes Alive events in August, there will also be a special exhibition of all the flags at Brockhole, the Lake District National Park's Visitor Centre, in the autumn.

Anyone who would like to take part can book a place with one of the sessions that are being held during June at Keswick, Grasmere and Brockhole.

For further information and to reserve your place contact Jenny Graham on 01539 720252 or email jenny@kendalartsinternational.com

The other groups that will be taking part in the events include Queen Katherine School in Kendal; the Starfish Theatre Company in Barrow, which creates arts projects for adults with learning disabilities; Cumbria Women's Multi-Cultural Network; two retained Fire Service youth groups in west and south Cumbria; Spinning Yarns in Carlisle, which offers arts projects for older people throughout Cumbria; and MIND in Barrow.

Artists will work with the participants on how to reflect their ideas through colours and designs so that each group can create 10 large flags.
The creation of the flags will be documented using film and photography and the results will be available on the websites of the organisations involved in the project.

For more information about the Lakes Alive programme visit www.lakesalive.org