An other-worldy event is set to take place next month in Ulverston. Enchantment promises to take visitors on a journey through world mythology, Druid philosophy and Cumbrian tales of faeries and elves. 

The exhibition of paintings was created by practising Druid and real-life Bard Stephen G. Rae. Known as the Bard of Cumberland, Stephen Druid began researching the folklore of his adopted county and found a plethora of boggarts, vampires, and strange monsters that lurk in the depths of its lakes and tarns.

A Bard is a traditional story-teller and can come in the form of poet music composer, oral historian or genealogist. In around 50BC, a Roman invasion saw the Druids supressed and any record of them wiped out. 

Druid lore was learned by heart and novices were taught orally and learned out of necessity due to very little of their history being found in written form. Bards were held in very high esteem as the training is intense and lasts many years.

The artist and film-maker has worked in developing countries on sustainable food production, has been ordained as Buddhist mon and started his early career in botanical scienc and later pursued his passion for art. 

The exhibition takes place at Ulverston Art House from Monday 3 July to Saturday 22 July.