The Lowry wins Heritage Lottery Fund award for major new project
The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded The Lowry significant funds to develop a major new community and heritage project called Unlocking Salford Quays which will be at the heart of the venue’s 10th birthday celebrations next year.
The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a first-round pass* which includes a grant of £40,400 to develop the project plans further. The second-round application will be requesting an HLF grant of £472,700 for the project.
Unlocking Salford Quays is a creative community-based exploration of the history of this important site which will re-discover the disappearing heritage of the area in an accessible, creative and enjoyable way. Working with a broad spectrum of the local community, who will drive the project, The Lowry will explore the people, history and traditional industries of the area extracting and representing the stories and traditions it holds. Using the arts as a means of exploration and expression, the project will create a permanent new resource in the form of a new Trail around the Quays and within The Lowry with which generations of future visitors can engage.
Stephen Crocker, The Lowry’s Development Director comments, “We are absolutely thrilled to be awarded a first-round pass from Heritage Lottery Fund which allows us to develop the project further over the coming months. Once we successfully complete the development phase, we hope this will unlock further funds for the delivery phase which starts in March 2010, at the same time as The Lowry’s 10th birthday. The project is part of our commitment to Salford communities and will build on the legacy of The Lowry’s Walkabout outreach initiative which used creativity to develop opportunities for participation and social engagement.”
As the UK’s leading advocate for the value of heritage to modern life, Heritage Lottery Fund sustains and transforms our heritage through innovative investment in projects with a lasting impact on people and places. By celebrating and bringing this rich heritage into focus at a time when the site is developing rapidly and taking on a new international significance, The Lowry aims to expose more people to this heritage and ensure that it lives on. This work will also be further enhanced by a digital archive and interactive website as well as a series of events featuring new works in the performing arts created by participants in response to Salford Quays heritage.
Sara Hilton, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund North West, said:
“Providing opportunities for everyone to explore, learn about and enjoy the heritage of their community is at the heart of what we do. This first-round pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund gives The Lowry the chance to fully develop their plans for Unlocking Salford Quays. This award does not guarantee that at second-round an award will be made, but HLF will offer The Lowry full support in taking their application further.”
The Lowry Centre Trust is a not-for-profit charitable organisation and registered charity (no. 1053962). All income supports our world-class Theatres and Galleries programme, the care and display of the LS Lowry Collection and our life-changing Community and Education work.
Posted on Wednesday, 23 September 2009 under Press General Press Community & Education Press