A UNIQUE event takes place in Carlisle next month that will bring together music and art, with a new painting created during the performance.

It will feature FuMar, a duo featuring Cumbrian saxophonist Phil Furneaux and Parisian Krys Markowski on piano, performing at Cakes and Ale Cafe while a local artist creates a work inspired by their music.

The session will be taking place through the afternoon on Saturday July 15 in the cafe’s garden, when the audience will be able to enjoy Phil and Krys’s music inspired and see Tindale-based Carol McDermott create her work.

The free workshop will be followed by an evening concert where the art will be displayed and for sale. It starts at 7.30pm, and tickets are available from the venue.

Phil, who lives in Brampton, said: “We’re really looking forward to bringing this idea to a Carlisle audience so they can see how musicians and visual artists gain mutual creative inspiration for painting and improvising. We’d love to hear from other artists who’d like to join in.

“The idea was came about at a concert in Paris when an artist asked the duo to compose a piece of music to a painting and a sculpture.

“That led to our first art-music workshop at Lancaster University in November last year which was so successful we’ve organised more events this year and have applied to the Arts Council for funding for a Tour of the North."

This weekend, the duo are back in Paris to work with four painters in a gallery, while Phil is also currently working with a Kurdish painter and a drummer in Manchester.

Cumbrian artist Alison Critchlow will be working with FuMar in Lancaster in October, and explains: “I've often thought how many parallels there are between music and painting and it strikes me that if a painting and a piece of music could resonate on exactly the same vibe it would be a wonderful immersive experience. How exciting!”

Each successful art-music collaboration will be shared with FuMar’s “Music-Cards” with the picture of the art on one side and a QR code link to the track on the other.

All the art music workshops will be filmed and edited for YouTube.

Following the Carlisle event on July 15, the next Cumbrian workshop performance will be at the Florence Arts Centre, in Egremont, on Saturday October 14.

More information and stories can be found on their website, www.fumarmusic.com