Major art and cultural event programmes are set to lead Salford 100 celebrations city wide commencing 21st of April to mark the date Salford was granted city status.
From The Other and Walk the Plank have partnered together to create a cultural programme in Salford centred around celebrating under-represented artists.
A monumental living portrait of the city will be projected onto local buildings in Salford alongside the launch of a project called ‘Songs of Salford’ where artists will collaborate to create a new sound for Salford.
Siân Roberts, Co-Director at From The Other said, “It has such a unique identity and it gets overlooked so much and Salford as a city has allowed us to do so many exciting things in terms of the creative community that exists there and the support from the city.”
Their plans include shedding light on young local talent through a living portrait of the city projected onto local buildings within Salford – creating a soundtrack to uncover a real representation of Salford today.
Songs of Salford intends to add a more modern and present day version of The Pogues, Dirty Old Town, now perhaps outdated as many areas such as the docks and gasworks from 1949 no longer exist.
From The Other plan on researching the city and potentially work with partners such as The Working Class Movement Library or youth groups to really understand the essence of Salford.
As well, Walk the Plank are bringing a Wagon Train pop-up festival which is shaped by each neighbourhood it visits, known for its powerful large-scale public engagement.
Liz Pugh, Co-Founder at Walk the Plank said, “We’ve been based in Salford since our theatre ship dropped anchor in Salford Quays in 1992.
“The change we have witnessed in the past 34 years are immense – not just in the transformation of the Docks to Media City, but in how we celebrate the green spaces and the waterways of the city, and how we support Salford’s residents to thrive in the new careers the technological revolution has brought.
“We are excited to place local artists and the talents of young people at the heart of this year’s celebrations which we hope will reach the city’s nooks and crannies, finding the extraordinary in the ordinary in our streets, tower blocks, parks and workplaces.”
Music producer and songwriter, Charlie Deakin-Davies is undertaking residency to explore Salford and create new songs celebrating Salford history for Songs of Salford commission.
Work on the music is moving quickly with ongoing meetings with Charlie and artists exploring how they would want to collaborate with each other.
A team of Salford based musicians are being assembled while searching for one final space available online being selected by a panel. Link to application
Paul Dennett, Salford City Mayor said “We’re immensely proud of Salford’s thriving cultural sector and it’s fantastic that two of our most renowned cultural organisations will be delivering the Salford Centenary Cultural Programme.
“Both organisations bring a wealth of experience, creativity and unrivalled local knowledge to this project, and I’m extremely excited to experience the unique activities they will deliver as part of our centenary year isn’t just a moment for the City, with this cultural programme at the heart of the celebrations.”
For more information about the programme, visit Salford 100 website. More details will follow for each commission in the coming months.
