Look forward to a magical showcase for all the family at a new exhibition at The Lowry.
The evocative world of children’s literature and theatre is being explored at a major new exhibition running to the end of October 2022 at The Lowry in Salford.
Situated on the waterside at the heart of Salford Quays, the award-winning venue houses two major theatres, extensive art galleries and a range of public spaces including cafes, bars, a restaurant, and shop.
Picture This features six popular children’s books that have a strong visual identity on the page and have also been vividly brought to life on stage.
Each section of the free family exhibition includes illustrations and artwork from the books – which range from much-loved modern works to iconic classics. Alongside are filmed extracts from stage productions, with a variety of props, costumes, designs, and posters.
Throughout there are interactive opportunities for visitors to draw, write, perform, read, play, and even devise their own production ideas. At the heart of the exhibition is a stage, featuring daily readings of the featured books and many other titles, as well as performance, music-making, and artist-led workshops.
The six books / productions featured are;
- Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson; illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Presented on stage by Tall Stories.
- Coming to England by Floella Benjamin; illustrated by Diane Ewen. Presented on stage by Birmingham Rep, Floella Benjamin, Keith Taylor/Nicoll Entertainment.
- Wild by Emily Hughes. Created by How It Ended and originally presented by Unicorn Theatre in association with How It Ended.
- The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Presented on stage by Protein Dance. With exclusive new artwork by Chris Riddell.
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll; illustrated by Chris Riddell. Presented on stage by The Royal Opera House.
- You Choose by Pippa Goodhart, illustrated by Nick Sharratt, published by Puffin Books. Presented on stage by Nonsense Room Productions.
Chris Riddell, Illustrator of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Little Prince says: “I am delighted to be part of such an exciting family exhibition that celebrates both the power of children’s books and the sheer enjoyment of creativity. Alice in Wonderland and The Little Prince have long been enjoyed both on the page and stage and it is wonderful to see these experiences brought together by the Lowry for everyone to share.”
Illustrator of Coming to England, Diane Ewen, says: “I’m hugely excited to be asked to contribute to such an amazing exhibition to celebrate Coming to England in a phenomenally respected gallery such as The Lowry. As an artist and illustrator, who has visited and loved art galleries forever, I’m excited for everyone to see this exhibition.”
Michael Simpson, The Lowry’s Director of Visual Arts says: “It has been fun and exciting to work with so many creative storytellers, illustrators, and theatre companies on this exhibition. We are so grateful to them, and to Macmillan Children’s Books, Flying Eye, and Puffin Books, for their ideas, support, and enthusiasm.”
The Lowry art galleries are free to everyone and display the famous LS Lowry Collection, alongside a vibrant programme of special exhibitions such as this. Bringing visual arts and performance together are central to The Lowry’s exhibition and engagement programmes.
Picture This and the accompanying programme is committed to ensuring it features and celebrates a diverse cast of characters, stories, authors, illustrators, and performers.
For more information on Picture This, and all the upcoming shows at The Lowry, please visit Thelowry.com