The Lowry Welcomes Millennium Commission Announcement
Today The Lowry was awarded £1.576 million towards an exciting new facility from the Millennium Commission's final tranche of major Lottery grants, aimed at building on the success of existing Millennium Projects around the UK, which have transformed the communities in which they are based. This new facility is also being supported by the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA).
The grant will help to build a creative and participatory hub for The Lowry, within a box known as 'ArtWorks @ The Lowry'. This flexible area will house dedicated classrooms, a studio theatre, rehearsal space, syndicate rooms and additional corporate hospitality facilities.
Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, Chair of the Millennium Commission and Secretary of State for Culture, said "The Lowry has transformed Salford Quays and is a major cultural institution for England. The Millennium Commission's new Lottery grant of £1.576m will create valuable new facilities for The Lowry, building on its success by enhancing what it can offer visitors."
Helen France, NWDA Acting Director of Regeneration, said: "England's Northwest has some of the most imaginative and industrious talent in Britain and this facility is a fantastic opportunity for us to develop and nurture this ability. The Lowry is an architectural flagship with a unique and dynamic identity and this initiative will further build on its success."
Julia Fawcett, The Lowry's Chief Executive comments: "We're absolutely thrilled to have been awarded the grant for this very strong and exciting scheme. This facility will create a vibrant hub for Education and Community activities as well as providing additional rehearsal space for our national and international visiting theatre companies. It will also contribute to The Lowry's economic well being through the provision of additional corporate hospitality facilities, matching an existing demand for capacity at the venue."
Sally Entwistle, Head of Community and Education, is delighted with the grant for 'ArtWorks @ The Lowry' and comments: "This will enable us to forge even stronger links with our community by enormously expanding the education and community activities that we can offer. We aim to treble school attendances and participation from current levels. The new hub will also help the team to develop relationships with further and higher educational organisations."
Sally continues: "'Artworks @ The Lowry' will become the home for the region's only youth theatre. By providing rehearsal space where visitors can observe rehearsals in progress as well as participating in pre-show talks, post-show discussions, workshops and masterclasses, it should also help to remove some of the barriers between artist and audience."
Posted on Wednesday, 16 July 2003 under News