Lowry Celebrates 25th Anniversary With Free Immersive Experience

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Lowry, the North West's leading arts and culture institution, is launching a brand-new, free, immersive experience of L.S. Lowry's ‘Going to the Match'.

Developed with world-renowned creative studio Layers of Reality, ‘LOWRY 360' will fully surround audiences with the sights and sounds of Going to the Match, transporting them into the painting before they experience the original artwork firsthand.

Immersive experiences are a powerful way to introduce new audiences to the arts, but their cost can often be a barrier. To celebrate its anniversary, Lowry is making LOWRY 360 completely free - a special gift to ensure that everyone can enjoy this unique experience.

This ambitious and exciting new experience has been made possible thanks to incredible support from The Law Family Charitable Foundation.

Julia Fawcett, Chief Executive of Lowry explains: “This is one of the most ambitious and exciting projects we have ever undertaken. We're transforming our gallery space in partnership with a world-class creative studio to create an unforgettable experience that will bring new audiences to L.S. Lowry's work. We can't thank Andrew Law enough for helping us realise this vision”

To open up the arts to as many people as possible, we're making this experience completely free - a special gift to audiences in our 25th year, ensuring everyone can take part and be inspired. When we acquired Going to the Match, our goal was to keep it on public view and free to access. Now, through this immersive experience, we can share this remarkable and iconic painting with even more people.”

LOWRY 360, which opens on Saturday 3 May, has been created by Layers of Reality, a creative studio pioneer in creating content for extended reality with memorable, meaningful and transformative experiences.

Among the most relevant productions of Layers of Reality are KLIMT, THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE (with Exhibition Hub), Frida Kahlo, The life of a Myth (with Frida Kahlo Corp.), Dalí Cybernetic (with the Gala Salvador Dalí Foundation), Tutankhamun, the immersive experience and Jules Verne 200, some of which can be seen today around the world.

It promises to be a powerful journey into the world of football, community, and culture - themes that define both L.S. Lowry's art and everyday life in Salford.

LOWRY 360 headlines a celebratory anniversary programme that combines high profile shows that will excite audiences with bold and adventurous productions, while a transformation of Lowry's galleries and spaces will create a brand-new experience for visitors.

One of the most ambitious and standout shows of the anniversary programme is Gods of Salford, a Lowry commission from the award-winning Not Too Tame Theatre.

25 talented young people from Salford, many of whom come from challenging backgrounds and have experienced significant hardship, make up the cast and crew in this high-energy theatrical reimagining of Greek myths through the lens of Salford's working-class spirit.

For these young creatives, Gods of Salford is more than just a performance; it's an opportunity to gain industry experience, develop new skills, and carve out future pathways in the arts.

Julia Fawcett adds: “Lowry is deeply committed to reaching out into the local community and our learning and engagement programmes have been at the centre of our mission for the past two and a half decades. Gods of Salford takes this to a new level, combining social impact with the creation of an ambitious, challenging and professional production. It will foster new skills, create pathways into the arts for disadvantaged young people and sell tickets!”

From Jeanette Winterson to Quentin Blake: A landmark year of art, theatre and social commentary.

The 25th anniversary programme features world-class shows and exhibitions to fill Lowry's theatres and galleries, bring in families and offer an opportunity to reflect on the importance of art and community.

• Families will be drawn to a free exhibition of Quentin Blake's illustrations, featuring his most beloved characters from the BFG to Matilda and the Enormous Crocodile, displayed throughout the Lowry building. The exhibition includes a special portrait of L.S. Lowry drawn by Quentin Blake.
• Lowry's Promenade Gallery will be transformed by a large-scale mural by French artist Camille Walala. Inspired by architectural aesthetics of cityscapes, Camille will draw on Lowry's locality and the prominent views of Media City from the Promenade to create a bold and colourful design.
• Lowry is hosting a 25th birthday lecture, with a talk from Manchester born writer Jeannette Winterson. Winterson will speak about L.S. Lowry's ability to tap into the lives of working men and women of that time, drawing on her own family history.
• The anniversary year will be kicked-off by a new production in May of James Graham's Olivier Award winning play, Dear England, with a rewritten ending following the European Championships in 2024.
• Aakash Odedra, the UK's leading Kathak performer, will present a stunning evening of dance and poetry inspired by Persian culture, with live music from Manchester Camerata called The Song of the Bulbul.

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