A Carlisle actor is hoping their story will inspire Cumbrians to pursue a career in the arts regardless of where they've come from or how old they are.

Daneka Etchells, 30, is gearing up to perform in the upcoming Theatre by the Lakes production of Brassed Off.

It is a modern classic follows a brass band in a Yorkshire mining community a decade on from the Miners Strike as it faces the potential closure of its colliery.

Performing at the Theatre by the Lake is a dream come true for Daneka who is excited to be starring in a play on home soil.

She said: "It means the absolute world to be able to come home and do what I do and go right 'how can I make the most of this opportunity to let people know that it is possible to do this'.

"And, hopefully, to be part of a group of people trying to create a legacy of paving the way for new talent, creatives, technical teams, writers, and audiences as well, because I think audiences matter.

Daneka hadn't always planned on being an actor, in fact, she had planned on getting a degree in French and becoming a language teacher.

It wasn't until her drama teacher at William Howard School put the idea in her mind that acting could be a career that Daneka even thought about pursuing the arts.

Brassed Off opens at the Theatre by the Lake on June 28 and will run until July 27.