A CARLISLE charity dedicated to making the arts accessible to all is settling into its brand new home.

Prism Arts, which has been helping improve accessibility to the arts for more than 30 years, is now based at the Methodist Central Hall on Fisher Street.

The charity, founded in 1987, brings to life projects designed to give disabled people, young people and older people the chance to get involved in art, design and theatre projects.

Catherine Coulthard, Prim Arts’ chief executive, said: “We are so excited to be moving to such an atmospheric venue that has a long-standing relationship with people in Carlisle.

“It is a wonderful space with plenty of room to realise even our most ambitious projects.”

Matthew Wallace, who owns the Methodist Central Hall with his brother Andrew, said he was looking forward to working with the charity.

“We are delighted to see the church being brought back to life,” he said.

“We’re both looking forward to working with Prism Arts as they settle into their new home.”

The hall, a Grade II-listed building, was built in 1922 and closed in 2005, but with the arrival of Prism Arts it is now once again a hive of activity.

One of the wings of Prism Arts already hard at work in the new venue is the charity’s youth theatre, for children and young adults with additional learning needs.

Prism Arts Youth Theatre, funded by Children in Need, will take part in the Carlisle Culture Bazaar next month with their production of The Tale of Baba Yaga.

Performing on Saturday, February 15, the preparations are already well underway for the youth theatre’s retelling of the tale of courage, which follows Natasha, a young girl attempting to escape from the evil clutches of evil witch Baba Yaga.

Drawing on Slavic folklore and using shadow puppetry and stop-motion animation, the production will be heartwarming tale of kindness and courage in the face of fear.

Another arm of the charity, Prism Arts Studio Workshop, is busy getting ready for a March production inspired by Carlisle’s heritage as a textile manufacturing city.

It is also working hard in preparation for a May exhibition at Tullie House on Driggsby, the Fin whale discovered at Drigg Point beach near Ravenglass notable for being an uncommonly well-preserved specimen.

The studio workshop is producing artwork to be displayed as part of the exhibition, which will be tiled Driggsby: A Whale’s Tale.

Prism Arts will be delivering five of its weekly creative programmes at the Methodist Central Hall, as well as workshops for the creative projects it is running in partnership with other organisations.

The Prism Arts main office will continue to be based at Carlisle Business Interaction Centre on Paternoster Row, until March 2020. Its phone number will not change.

Prism Arts is supported by a wide range of organisations, including The Arts Council of England, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Business in the Arts and Carlisle City Council.