Socially Engaged Arts
We believe art has the power to change lives, change the world and change the future for us all.
Where art meets social action
Socially Engaged Arts at the Lowry works with 3 priority groups; Young Carers, Care-experienced young people, and young people at risk of homelessness. We ensure young people in Salford who may experience multiple barriers to accessing high quality creative sessions can connect, create and amplify their voices.
Young carers
On Tuesday evenings, young carers in Salford come together at Lowry and explore their creativity through different artforms, in a safe place. Our group is for ages 11- 17 and to ensure everyone can take part, we work to reduce barriers such as supporting with transport.
The group also attend shows at Lowry and visit other performance and exhibitions across Greater Manchester to inspire their creations!
As well as working with young carers on a regular basis, Lowry is dedicated to raising awareness of young carers across the city by offering Young Carers Awareness assemblies and workshop to schools across Salford, free of charge.
Care-experienced Young People
We work with young people across Salford who are care-experienced or on the edge of care, to ensure they have a regular place to spend time with their peers and get stuck into art or drama.
On Tuesdays, we host Colourful Perspectives, a visual arts and creative wellbeing group, for ages 11-17. Each week, participants can try out different art techniques and build skills.
Greater Manchester is full of excellent art, and we make sure participants get the chance to see at least three shows or exhibitions at the Lowry and other venues over the course of the year.
Young People at Risk of Homelessness
We offer weekly creative workshops at supported accommodation venues for young people aged 16 – 24 years old. Our participants decide what artform they would like to explore, previous groups have explored music, music videos, jesmonite workshops, mural walls, creative writing and spoken word projects.
Participants also attend the Lowry on a regular basis to enjoy shows and exhibitions.
For more information on any of our programmes please get in touch!
Julia Fawcett OBE, chief executive of The Lowry, said:
“The Lowry has developed a programme of work over recent years which have enabled us to work in partnership with local organisations to support some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our city. We are committed to working alongside our local community and believe arts and culture have a vital role to play in standing alongside colleagues in the city to enable positive change.
“Homelessness is a far wider and more complex issue than most people realise. Of course, the most visible aspect is those who face sleeping rough on the city’s streets – but there are also thousands of young people reliant on emergency or temporary accommodation for a variety of reasons, who are extremely vulnerable”