Cultural Comedy Tours & the L.S Lowry collection
Lowry, Salford and BBC Comedy Grants supported Cultural Comedy Tours to work with disabled or/and neurodivergent participants from Greater Manchester to create a new guided tour of live comedy informed about specific paintings found in the L.S. Lowry exhibition.
This introduction to performing and creating live comedy was run for those who have never performed before or have only just started.
This culminated in a public event where audiences were given a guided tour of the art gallery from a professional comedian host and each of the participants. The aim was to support neurodivergent and disabled creatives in creating and performing comedy within a gallery context. As well as bringing in comedy fans that would not usually visit an Art Gallery to engage with the L.S.Lowry collection.#Between Sunday 1 October and Sunday 15 October 2023, participants took part in free workshops learning how to write and perform comedy and developing material to become a hilarious tour guide in an alternative group tour of the L.S. Lowry collection at Lowry.
Over two weeks, participants worked with professional comedians with expertise in writing comedy from a disabled perspective, as well as received support and mentorship from the producers at Cultural Comedy Tours to develop a piece of the tour lasting up to 5 minutes, inspired by or responding to the L.S. Lowry collection and gallery.
There was also a presentation from the BBC Comedy team on routes in as a writer for their television and radio production, as well as advice and guidance on next steps in pursuing live comedy.
Who is Cultural Comedy Tours?
Led by award-winning comedians and producers Edy Hurst & Daniel Nicholas, Cultural Comedy Tours combines the most exciting comedians on the circuit with favourite cultural sites. Cultural Comedy Tours brings the best of both worlds together for an unforgettable guided journey. We collaborate with cultural institutions to produce bespoke events that are often funny, sometimes moving, always insightful and shaped by collections, exhibitions and buildings.
Cultural Comedy Tours is about having fun at museums, galleries and heritage sites, not making fun of them, utilising the joy and community-building nature of live comedy to further bring the subjects and spaces to life.
With years of experience working with a range of cultural institutions, we are perfect for providing different ways to engage existing and new visitors, whilst also bringing new perspectives and dialogues to both long-established collections and newly opened exhibits.
More information about us can be found here.
