The LowryAcademyActivities for Adults and Young PeopleMay – August 2008
The LowryAcademy
Activities for Adults and Young People
May- August 2008
Welcome to The Lowry Academy’s Summer season, a scorching programme of arts workshops to fire your imagination and bring your talent out of the shade.
As ever, we have courses to suit all tastes, ages and abilities. From ballet to contemporary dance, musical theatre to drama and watercolour painting to costume design, we’ve covered all bases. So come on, dive in!
To celebrate the holidays, we’ve also laid on a great Summer School programme for young people. And don’t forget to check out our website – - to discover a fun-packed season of family events.
Enjoy the brochure, and remember to book early to avoid disappointment.
How to book your course
This brochure is in two sections – adult and youth activities. Make sure you look through both sections, as some activities cross over into both age groups. We don’t want you to miss out on that ideal course.
For details of how to book, see the back cover of this booklet.
Salford Discounts
If you live in Salford, you qualify for great discounts on nearly all of our Academy activities. You will find the Salford residents’ price included in the information for each activity.
Keep up to date – register!
Sign up to our advanced notice email service, and you’ll be the first to hear about special offers, new activities and forthcoming Lowry shows. Once you have booked an Academy course, simply go to and fill in your details and interests. We’ll keep you posted all year round, so you need never miss a LowryAcademy event again!
This brochure is available in large print. Please ask the Box Office for a copy.
New this season
Got ambition? Then come and audition!
Following the success of our Salford Season in 2007, we are calling all aspiring actors! The Lowry is soon to announce an exciting new programme of community theatre – and we want you to take part.
We’ll be putting on a series of fresh and vibrant productions that will capture your creativity. You’ll get to work with professional directors, make new friends and grow in confidence. No experience is necessary, just plenty of enthusiasm.
Rehearsals for our 2008 season will start this August, with a further chance to get involved in January 2009. We’ll be holding auditions soon, so if you are aged 16+ and would like to get involved, please send your address, telephone number, age and email details to . We’ll put you on our auditions list and will keep you up-to-date with developments. Who knows, you could end up starring in our next show.
Eric Simm Award
Are you aged 16-25 and a budding actor or dancer? If so, you may be eligible for the Eric Simm Award, a grant of up to £5000 to help cover the costs of your performing arts study. To find out more about how to apply, visit
Join The Lowry’s Summer School
There’s simply no excuse for being bored this Summer!
The Lowry’s Summer School is back, and promises to brighten up even the dullest of school holidays. Help us create a brand new theatre show in just five days, try out your tonsils in our great musical workshop or take part in a wide range of arts and crafts sessions.
We’ve got courses suitable for ages 8-16, so come and give us a try. It will be the highlight of your holiday!
Turn to pages11 & 12 for full details.
Adult Visual Arts Activity
Art for the Garden
Wed 7, 14, 21 May, 4, 11, 18, 25 June & 2 July
This Summer, why not put your art and soul into your garden? This practical eight-week course shows you how to create fabulous contemporary outdoor sculptures. Working with experienced artists Jack Doyle, Vin Cahill and Mat Cahill, you’ll get to experiment with materials such as plaster and clay, and try your hand at a range of processes and techniques, from modelling and mould-making to casting and imprinting in concrete. You’ll then put your skills into action, by designing and making your own unique outdoor work of art.
Please note there is no session on Wed 28 May.
Jack Doyle, lead artist on the course,is an experienced educator and accomplished artist who trained at the ChelseaSchool of Art. He has exhibited nationally and internationally, including a group show at The Barbican, London and a public art commission for the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. He delivers projects and courses throughout the North West for adults, young people, families, schools and community groups. He is a former tutor at ChelseaSchool of Art, Farnborough College of Art and CanterburyUniversity.
ART
Age 18+
Level Beginners & Intermediate
Capacity 20
Times 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Tickets £60 per course including materials (£48 Salford residents and concessions)
Venue The Studio
Can’t Draw Won’t Draw
Sat 17 & Sun 18 May
So you’re convinced you can’t draw? Think again! This popular two-day art course is tailor-made for those who believe they can’t draw but would like to learn. Guided by professional artist Julie Mosley, you will be introduced to a variety of drawing techniques, materials and subjects, all designed to boost your confidence and encourage you to create. You will even visit The Lowry’s own Galleries for some inspiration. If you have always wanted to learn to draw, then this friendly and inspiring course is for you.
Julie Mosley is an experienced community artist and teacher. She studied at StaffordshireUniversity and Bolton Institute, and regularly leads workshops and creative projects across the North West. Her exhibitions have included group and solo shows at CentralArtGallery, Ashton-under-Lyne, and work in numerous Crafts Council Galleries including LeedsCityArtGallery, Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal and Oriel Mostyn, Llandudno.
ART
Age 18+
Level Beginners
Capacity 15
Times 11am – 3.30pm
Tickets £35 for the weekend includes materials (£28 Salford residents and concessions)
VenueThe Studio
Introduction to Watercolour Painting
Sat 7 & Sun 8 June
Join artist Michelle Leigh for a relaxing and creative weekend where you’ll be introduced to the popular art form of watercolour painting. Over two days you’ll explore and experiment with a range of techniques and processes. By applying a few simple tricks of the trade, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can achieve professional results. Join us for the ultimate Beginners Guide and gain the skills and confidence to make this versatile medium your own.
Michelle Leigh is an established artist who has exhibited widely in the UK, and has work held in private and public collections around the world. A highly experienced art educator, she has developed and facilitated at numerous venues, including Manchester City Galleries, Imperial War Museum North, Tate Liverpool and English Heritage, London. She has lectured at NewcastleUniversity and ManchesterUniversity and led the Art Foundation Experience Course at KingstonUniversity, London.
ART
Age 18+
Level Beginners
Capacity 20
Times 11am – 4pm
Tickets £50 for the weekend includes materials (£40 Salford residents and concessions)
VenueThe Studio
The Drawing Room
Sat 21 & Sun 22 June
Take your drawing skills to the next level with artist Julie Mosley. This weekend course is ideal for those of you who have been introduced to basic drawing skills (see our Can’t Draw, Won’t Draw workshop) and want to go further. You’ll explore more advanced drawing techniques, learn to observe and interpret subjects in new ways and expand your creative abilities. As ever, you can expect a fun, relaxed and supportive atmosphere.
For more information about Julie Mosley, please see page 3.
ART
Age 18+
Level Intermediate
Capacity 15
Times 11am – 3.30pm
Tickets £35 for the weekend includes materials (£28 Salford residents and concessions)
VenueThe Studio
Adult Performing Arts Activity
Voice Works: Voice into Speech
Sat 3, 10, 17, 24 May, 7 & 14 June
This vocal course is ideal for aspiring performers, or anyone keen to use their voice with more ease in a social or business situation. Through a series of enjoyable exercises based on the Alexander Technique, you will learn how to free your own natural voice, and communicate with a new found confidence and clarity.
Please note there is no session on Sat 31 May.
Trish Baillie is professional voice coach and the Head of Voice at ManchesterMetropolitanUniversity’s School of Theatre. She trained in Voice Studies at The Central School of Speech and Drama in London. An experienced teacher of the Alexander Technique, she has worked on many professional productions and at drama schools in London, Oxford, Manchester, Montreal, California and Rome.
VOICE
Age 18+
Level Intermediate
Capacity 20
Times 10am – 12pm
Tickets £50 per course (£40 Salford residents and concessions)
Venue The Studio
Phoenix Dance Theatre Education Workshop 2
Sat 3 May
If you are dedicated to dance, don’t miss this opportunity to work up a sweat with one of Britain’s most electrifying contemporary companies. Professionals from the renowned Phoenix Dance Theatre promise to give you an exclusive taste of the energy and emotion they throw at every performance. A great chance to hone your technique, and get some inspiration too.
From small beginnings in inner-city Leeds, Phoenix Dance Theatre has grown to be one of Britain’s leading contemporary dance companies, with members hand-picked from across the world. Under Artistic Director Javier De Frutos, the company has become famous for its eclectic and innovative work. Phoenix is committed to widening access to dance, and its busy education programme has been bringing inspiration to schools and communities for more than 20 years.
DANCE
Age 18+
Level Intermediate & Advanced
Capacity 20
Times 11.45am – 1.45pm
Tickets £10 (£8 Salford residents & concessions)
VenueThe Studio
Russian Theatre Masterclass
Sat 3 May
A rare opportunity to go behind the scenes with one of Russia’s most acclaimed theatre ensembles - Cheek By Jowl. Described by critics as ‘thrilling’, ‘breathtaking’ and ‘100% proof theatre’, this stellar company boasts some of Russia’s greatest actors. Hosted by Evgeny Pisarev, the company’s Assistant Director, this masterclass will unravel Cheek By Jowl’s peerless approach to performance, as well as exploring the broader history and traditions of Russian theatre.
Don’t forget to catch Cheek By Jowl in action at The Lowry, from Tue 29 April – Sat 3 May, performing Pushkin’s epic masterpiece Boris Gudunov.
Cheek by Jowl’s Russian ensemblewas formed in 2001 by Artistic Directors Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod. The ensemble has toured the world from Buenos Aires to Sydney, and Stratford-upon-Avon to Hong Kong, winning numerous awards, and adulation from critics and audiences alike. The Independent described the company’s version of Boris Gudunov as ‘Tremendous and stirring…a splendid, bursting, mighty themed epic’, while The Guardian wrote, ‘A thrilling vision…staged with breathtaking panache.’
DRAMA
Age 18+
Level Intermediate & Advanced
Capacity 25
Times 2pm – 5pm
Tickets £20 (£15 Salford residents and concessions)
VenueThe Studio
Pro-Active Tuesdays
Tue 6, 13, 20, 27 May, 3, 10, 17, 24 June, 1, 8 & 15 July
If you’re a professional dancer or teacher, here’s an invigorating way to spend your Tuesday evenings. Join us for this scintillating series of two-hour masterclasses. You’ll get to hone your contemporary technique, gain choreographic inspiration and take your performance to the next level. You can come to a single session or really invest in your development by booking in for all eleven classes, at a special discounted rate.
Pro-Active is presented by Dance Initiative Greater Manchester (DiGM) with support from The Lowry. For more information on dance in Greater Manchester, contact DiGM on 0161 232 7179 or , and
DANCE
Age 18+
Level Professional Dancers & Teachers
Capacity 30
Times 7pm – 9pm
Tickets £6 per class (£5.50 concessions & CONNECT members); £60 for an 11-week term paid in advance (£55 concessions & CONNECT members)
Venue The Studio
Acting in Classic 20th Century American Drama
Wed 7, 14, 21 May, 4, 11, 18, 25 June, 2 & 9 July
This unmissable nine-week course will help to turn you into a better actor, using some of America’s greatest modern dramas as source material. You will explore a range of different rehearsal and performance techniques, using scenes from fabulous plays such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,A Streetcar Named Desire, Death of a Salesman, Long Day’s Journey into Night, The Iceman Cometh and many more. In the process, you will learn how to exude emotion, inhabit complex characters, and deliver charged, memorable performances. This class is an absolute must for anyone seriously interested in acting.
Please note there is no session on Wed 28 May.
David Shirley’s professional acting career has spanned theatre, film, television and radio. He also teaches extensively in the UK and the USA and is currently the Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) Acting course in the School of Theatre at ManchesterMetropolitanUniversity. He is a regular visiting lecturer at RADA, BirkbeckCollege, the City Literary Institute and the University of York.
DRAMA
Age 18+
Level Intermediate
Capacity 20
Times 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Tickets £60 per course (£48 Salford residents and concessions)
Venue The Studio
Ballroom Sunday
Sun 18 May & 13 July
Come along to our fun-packed ballroom workshop in the morning, followed by a tea dance in the afternoon. The event always sells out so book early. Suitable for the whole family, sequins and feathers are optional!
DANCE
Age All welcome
Level All welcome
Capacity 60
Times Worskhop 11am – 12.30pm. Tea Dance 1pm – 2.30pm
Tickets Adults £6. Children £3, No Concessions
Venue The Studio
Youth Activity
Phoenix Dance Theatre Education Workshop 1
Sat 3 May
This high-energy workshop is sure to add some impressive new moves to your repertoire. Hosted by the brilliant Phoenix Dance Theatre, you’ll learn some of the company’s blistering routines, and be encouraged to express your own ideas. Don’t miss this chance to pick up some tips from the best in the business.
DANCE
Age13-18
Level Beginners & Intermediate
Capacity 25
Times 10am – 11.30am
Tickets £8 (£7 Salford residents)
VenueThe Studio
For more information about Phoenix Dance Theatre, please see page 5.
Creative Futures: Costume Design
Sat 10 May
Learn how to make colourful costumes for the stage with experienced theatre designer Allison Clarke. This workshop is packed with top tips for young people with a flare for design. You’ll be guided through each step of the creative process - from producing the initial drawings, to making intricate model boxes and costumes. At the end of the day you’ll even get a chance to take to the stage and pose in your wonderful creations!
Please bring a packed lunch.
Supported by the Ernest Cook Trust.
Please bring a packed lunch.
Allison Clarke is the Head of Design at Manchester-based Feelgood Theatre Productions. She is a skilled theatre designer, painter, potter, puppet builder and costume maker and has worked for Manchester International Arts, The Whitworth Art Gallery, Opera North and the GrandTheatreAcademy at the Blackpool Grand. Allison is also a regular artist in residence for Puppet Up!,Blackpool’s annual festival of puppetry.
ART
Age 11-16
Level All welcome
Capacity 20
Times 10am – 5pm
Tickets £15 (£12 Salford residents)
Venue The Studio
Theatre Workshop: Storytelling & Improvisation
Tue 27 – Thu 29 May
Make it up as you go along in this fun workshop. Using improvisation, physical theatre, mime and drama games, you will explore many different ways of telling a story. The exercises will develop your teamwork skills, free your imagination and help you become a better actor. Better still, you’ll have a fabulous time!
Please bring a packed lunch.
Luke Tennant is an actor, poet and film director, and has performed throughout the North West. He regularly delivers workshops for the National Youth Theatre and
The Lowry.
DRAMA
Age 10-14
Level Beginners & Intermediate
Capacity 20
Times 10am – 5pm
Tickets £45 per course (£36 Salford residents)
Venue The Studio
Art Workshop: Exploring Design
Tue 27 – Thu 29 May
Nike, Adidas, Coke, Playstation – the world is full of logos. But if you were a logo, what would it look like? Join professional artist Nicola Lynch to create a logo that represents who you are and where you’re from. Using a range of art techniques, such as graphic design, model-making and collage, you’ll create a unique designer brand that tells the world all about you. For some extra inspiration, you’ll get to visit the fabulous Transformations exhibition, showing in the Galleries, from Sat 3 May – Sun 29 June.
Please bring a packed lunch.
Nicola Lynch is a freelance artist, educator and project manager. She studied at LancasterUniversity and SalfordUniversity, and has worked full-time at both SalfordMuseum and Imperial War Museum North. She regularly works on projects in schools and community settings, and has delivered artistic activity and exhibition interpretation for several museums and galleries within the region.
ART
Age 10-14
Level All Welcome
Capacity 20
Times 10am – 5pm
Tickets£45 per course (£36 Salford residents)
Venue The Studio
Birmingham Royal Ballet
Giselle Ballet Workshop
Sat 12 July
Here’s a wonderful opportunity to improve your ballet technique, with the renowned Birmingham Royal Ballet. Professionals from the company will use extracts from Giselle as the basis of the workshop. Regarded as the ultimate romantic ballet, Giselle’s tale of unrequited love, madness, death and revenge is full of spectacular dancing and storytelling. You’ll get to brush up on your technique, while learning some inspiring sections from the production. Not to be missed.
Don’t forget to catch BRB in action at The Lowry from Tue 8 – Sat 12 July, performing Stravinskey: The Real Deal and Giselle.