A £200,000 "anniversary gift" from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in support of local community projects, and a chance to immerse yourself in one of LS Lowry's most famous paintings, are two ways the Salford arts complex will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year.
The money will provide a series of projects to mark the impact the building has had on local communities, while the Lowry will also present a new, free, immersive experience of one of LS Lowry’s most famous paintings, Going to the Match.
Lowry 360 will plunge audiences "into" the painting of crowds of spectators on their way to a match, by fully surrounding them with screens showing images from the work to a special soundtrack.
Meanwhile the Lottery money will allow the complex to gather and present the stories of those who have who witnessed, shaped and participated in Salford’s cultural regeneration in recent years. The resulting art installation, One Lowry, Many Stories, presented in association with the University of Salford, will be seen later this year, before being deposited in the Salford Digital Archive.
Community groups can currently apply for up to £2,500 to deliver short community arts projects, or put on events or activities for their communities. The deadline for applications is noon on April 4. More information here.
Helen Featherstone, director for northern England at the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Lowry Turns 25 as the cultural institution celebrates its landmark anniversary.”
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett added: “I’d encourage everyone across Salford to get involved in the celebrations, and those interested to apply to the fund.
"This is an exciting opportunity for community-led groups to tell their own stories and be part of this landmark anniversary. I can’t wait to see the incredible projects that emerge.”
The immersive exhibition featuring Going to the Match will be open free to the public from May 3. The painting, created by Lowry in 1953, hangs in the venue's gallery and shows spectators going to Burnden Park, then the home of Bolton Wanderers. The work was bought by the Lowry for £7.8 million at auction four years ago with the help of the Law Family charitable foundation
Lowry chief executive Julia Fawcett said the Lowry 360 experience will be one of the venue’s boldest ventures – an attempt to introduce new audiences to the arts.
"When we acquired Going to the Match, our goal was to keep it on public view and free to see. Now, through this immersive experience, we can share this remarkable and iconic painting with even more people."
Lowry 360 will be the headline event of an anniversary programme spanning performance and visual art. Other highlights include Gods of Salford, a reimagining of Greek myths "through the lens of Salford’s working-class spirit", commissioned by the Lowry and created by Not Too Tame Theatre; James Graham’s football drama Dear England, updated to document Gareth Southgate’s near-victory at the European Championships in 2024 (from May 29); a free exhibition of Quentin Blake’s illustrations, featuring his most beloved characters from the BFG to Matilda; a large-scale mural by French artist Camille Walala, inspired by architectural cityscapes, and a 25th birthday lecture from Manchester-born writer Jeannette Winterson. She will talk about the artist Lowry’s ability to tap into the lives of working men and women of that time, drawing on her own family history.
More info here