Explore the work of our studio artists in PRISM 2025 Online >
OUR VISION
A society where learning disabled and neurodivergent people can express their experiences and insight creatively, making powerful, high-quality work that is shared, recognised and respected.
@peopleatprism 
@prismartsgallery
Could you join our team as a Volunteer Facilitator Artist?
Our Visual Arts Studio in Carlisle is full of creativity — and we’d love a few more helping hands to join the team. 💛
If you’re passionate about art, inclusion and supporting others, this could be the perfect fit for you.
🎨 Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays
Morning, afternoon or full-day sessions — whatever suits you best!
You’ll be part of a friendly, creative team supporting learning disabled and neurodivergent artists to express themselves and develop their skills.
No experience needed, just reliability, kindness and a love of creativity. 🌟
Sound like you?
Use the contact form on our website: prismarts.org.uk/support-us/volunteer/
or call 01228 587691 to find out more.
#PrismArts #VolunteerOpportunity #InclusiveCreativity #DisabilityArts #CumbriaCreatives #CarlisleArts #CommunityArt #SupportArtists
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Prism’s Big Night Out is coming together... 🎶🕺
We’re having a blast at the studio getting Prism's Big Night Out up and running. The performers are trying out stories, dance, singing, movement, and live music made on the spot by Connor J Barton. Pirates, sailor shanties, vampires… you name it, we’re exploring it – and the audience might even get in on the fun!
Here’s a sneak peek from Friday rehearsals, taken by our volunteer photographer Joseph Robinson – some candid shots showing how we’re putting it all together.
The three upcoming shows will be launched for closed for LD/ND audiences, and we are hopeful to open it up to general audiences in 2026.
📢 Join us for a BIG NIGHT OUT!
We need your help to spread the word and reach learning disabled and neurodivergent people in the area. If you, or someone you know, would love to attend future shows, sign up to our theatre experience mailing list and be the first to hear about upcoming performances:
👉 Sign up here or using the link in our IG bio: form.jotform.com/252863346985371
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Thank you, Garfield Weston Foundation! 💛
As a charity, Prism Arts couldn’t exist without the incredible support of funders and individuals who believe in our mission.
Today we want to shine a spotlight on one of our amazing impact partners — the Garfield Weston Foundation!
Their core funding over the past two years has been vital in helping us strengthen our roots in Cumbria, sustain our team, and continue breaking down barriers to arts access for learning disabled and neurodivergent people.
Core funding is the backbone of organisations like ours — it gives us the stability to plan, grow, and respond to our community’s needs with creativity and care.
✨ Thank you, Garfield Weston Foundation, for believing in our mission to champion the creative vision and voices of learning disabled and neurodivergent artists and performers.
#ThankYou #GarfieldWestonFoundation #ArtsAccess #Cumbria #LearningDisabledArtists #NeurodivergentArtists #InclusiveArts #PrismArts
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✨ Artwork Sold: “Untitled” by Stuart Irving ✨
We’re celebrating another incredible moment from PRISM 2025 at Tullie Museum and Art Gallery.
“Untitled”, a stunning painting by Stuart Irving, has found its new home with Ali! Stuart’s bold use of colour, texture and movement brings such energy to his work, and this piece captured the attention of so many visitors during the exhibition.
Stuart’s practice continues to go from strength to strength - earlier this year, his painting Wrestlers won the Judges’ Choice Award at Brewery Arts, and he’ll be presenting a solo exhibition there in 2026.
We’re so proud of Stuart and this amazing milestone in his journey as an artist. Moments like this show just how far the talent and vision within our studio can reach.
A huge thank you to Tullie for showcasing our artists’ work and helping make opportunities like this possible.
#PRISM2025 #TullieMuseum #StuartIrving #Untitled #CumbriaCreatives #CommunityArt #InclusiveArt #ArtExhibition #CreativeOpportunities
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Join Our Visual Arts Programmes at Prism Arts! 🎨
We have spaces available for artists of all levels, from beginners to those with more developed practices. At Prism Arts, we don’t create work for you. We support each artist to explore their own ideas, develop their own voice and follow their own creative interests.
Whatever medium you are drawn to, we’ll help you on your individual creative journey. Our programmes include trips, projects, commissions and exhibitions, giving you opportunities to showcase your work and connect with other artists.
We offer a personalised taster experience to help you find the right fit. This might include one-to-one sessions with a facilitator or group sessions to get a feel for our programmes.
🖌 Studio Arts – Mondays
A visual arts programme for learning disabled and neurodivergent adults (18+).
🖌 Studio Lift-Off – Tuesdays
A visual arts programme for learning disabled and neurodivergent young adults (18–30). This is ideal for those looking for a friendly, creative space post-education.
🖌 Studio Focus – Thursdays
An applied arts programme for learning disabled and neurodivergent adults (18+).
All sessions run from 9.30am – 3.30pm. Half days are available. Our programmes run 36 weeks a year.
Find out more and enrol here: prismarts.org.uk
#PrismArts #VisualArts #InclusiveArts #CreativeJourney #LearningDisabledArtists #NeurodivergentArtists #StudioArts #StudioLiftOff #StudioFocus #ArtForAll
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Nottingham Castle by Nigel Hayman, A2 in watercolour and marker pen. 🌲🌳 Nigel says “I chose this as it is a historical landmark and very nice looking building.”
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#landscape #painting #watercolour #artistsoninstagram #nottinghamcastle
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We are winding down getting ready for the summer break, and we’ve had three beautiful fresh feeling pieces from the studio today.
Abstract paper collage by Rosie Thompson.
Watercolour folklore creature by Tom Hanley.
Expressive paint stick mark making by Molly Prince.
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#abstractart #painting #collage #artistsoninstagram #creative
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Weighing in at almost 1.5 km (and what is estimated to be over 4km of yarn) is Catherine Quilter’s latest giant Pom Pom ! 🧶🌀💫
Catherine has been working away at creating this across multiple weeks and today it was finally cut and shaped after many hours of hard work wrapping yarn and plastic ribbon.
This is the next in a sequence of Pom Poms this artist has made, and is the biggest yet! ✨
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#pompom #textiles #fibreart #fibreartist #textileartist
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Paul Leith inspired workshop. 🌞 Today we had a cracking morning spent looking at local artist and colour maestro @paul_leith for inspiration. ✨
We enjoyed watching a short documentary about the artist and spotting local Carlisle landmarks, which also feature heavily in his artworks. 🟩
Using paper cut collage to replicate the artist’s bold graphic style, each artist worked also with their own distinctive styles to depict landscapes and characters.
Artists as shown:
🔸 Michael Shepherd
🔹 Andrew Evans
🔸 Tom Hanley
🔹 Rosie Thompson
🔸 Nigel Hayman
🔹 Andrew Evans
🔸 Michael Shepherd
🔹 Catherine Quilter
🔸 JYMA
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#artistsoninstagram #collage #papercut #landscapeart #carlisleart
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JYMA has continued developing his digital illustrative style and has created many fruitful digital series of works. As with his analogue created artwork he covers many topics, from political statements and social activism through to charming representations of day to day life.
Within this collection are his “All Sorts” pieced which demonstrate a message for equality through a witty lens.
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#digitalillustration #painting #illustration #politicalart
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Beautiful new marine themed piece by Stuart Iriving, measuring 100 x 81 cm, was created using a variety of layered techniques ranging from acrylic paint, pastels and paint pens.
Resulting in a large rich artwork Stuart continues with full strength to create art based off imagery from his travels.
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#artistsoninstagram #painting #landscapepainting #abstractart #painter
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Another studio day, another amazing day as artists in residence at @tulliecarlisle 😎🌟 Our artists who create on Thursdays have visited their artwork throughout Tullie and have brought more creativity and colour to the Tullie City Hall Studio.
Not only that, but the Thursday crew were part of an incredible live-streamed tour of the exhibition as part of peer group ‘Explorers Network’ … more on that soon!
There’s still 3 more days to visit and check out the artwork yourself, open during Tullie hours and throughout all of their free to access spaces. 🌀
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#artexhibition #artistsoninstagram #painting #printmaking #abstractart #creative
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Throughout this week you are able to watch on the big screen Thomas Joseph Hanley’s charming stop motion animation “Planet of the Shapes” at @tulliecarlisle in the Lecture Hall (accessed via the old Tullie building).
Tom has been working hard throughout the year to create parts 1 and 2 of his original sci-fi story - and the results are fantastic.
An avid world builder, Tom looked to one his key creative inspirations of Oliver Postgate to create work in a traditional style, choosing soft colour pencils and paper cut shapes to create a tactile imaginative animation story.
If you aren’t able to make it to Tullie, both parts 1 and 2 are available to watch on our YouTube channel, just search for ‘Prism Arts’!
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#artistsoninstagram #creative #stopmotion #animation #artexhibition #carlisle
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As part of our artist residency at @tulliecarlisle we have had the pleasure of visiting their current dinosaur exhibition, here are some fantastic textural dinosaur inspired artwork.
Artists as shown:
Katie Rudd
Marina Arnott
Connie Dodds
Millie
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#abstractart #painting #drawing #markmaking #dinosaurart
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“Tullie feels like our second home for Prism.”
- Millie, studio artist
Tuesday at Tullie. 😎 Our amazing young person studio group had a fantastic day as artists in residence at @tulliecarlisle as part of our exhibition of artwork across the building. 🌞
Our artists took a tour of all the artwork, including the amazing showreel in the lecture hall, and created some group work in the city hall studio.
The exhibition continues to be open across all the free to access spaces at Tullie for the rest of the week and weekend - who knows, you may even see some artists in residence!
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#artistsoninstagram #creative #artexhibition #painting #artistprofile
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We will also be featuring artwork created by our artists whilst in residence at @tulliecarlisle this week, running alongside our stunning exhibition of original artwork.
What better to start with than this lush piece created by Molly Prince using paint sticks on A2 paper.
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#abstractart #painting #artistsoninstagram #creative #artexhibition #artistresidency
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It’s open! 🥳💫 PRISM 2025 is now officially open all week to the public across all the free to access spaces at @tulliecarlisle 🌞 We kicked off the week and had our first group of artists in residence in the Tullie studio space, where they also had the immense pleasure of checking out their artwork in situ.
Make a day of it and explore the newly refurbished Tullie and cafe, and enjoy experiencing the incredible selection of artwork for yourself. ✨🌞
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#artexhibition #creative #artistsoninstagram #carlisle #painting #abstractart
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“Cores” by Ellz O’Roarty. 🌞
“This is aesthetic cores, with emojis that represent the cores.”
[Art pens on paper: 104 x 76 cm.]
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#illustration #drawing #emojis #artistsoninstagram
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A4 gelli print by Andrew Evans. Using his illustrative practise Andrew created this print by combing both drawn elements onto the gelli block along with swathes of his favoured colours. ➿
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#print #printmaking #gelliprint #illustration #artistsoninstagram
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JYMA has been working on a series of digital illustrations inspired by locations and memories of his childhood growing up in the area.
These drawings also serve as research for an ambitious larger project that is in the works. 💫
JYMA has also provided additional information with each piece.
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#illustration #digitalart #carlisle #drawing #landscape
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Two expressive acrylic paintings by Molly Prince. 🤩 Molly has been rapidly developing her creative practise by branching out her mark making artwork with the use of acrylic paint.
These two, the first A2 and the second at A3, exemplify her passion for bold, dense layers of colour.
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#abstractart #painting #artistsoninstagram #markmaking #abstractexpression
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