To kick off our theme on the blog this month of celebrating Arts Award Discover, Emily Harwood, Learning and Participation Manager at Lowry in Salford, Greater Manchester talks about their outreach programme and how over 1,000 children have achieved Arts Award Discover so far! As a result, the children have gained new skills, confidence, and insight into their own creative potential.
Lowry is much more than just a venue—it's a cultural hub that offers a multi-art form experience. Home to three theatres, two galleries, engagement programmes, and event spaces, Lowry is committed to creating opportunities for creativity to thrive.
As a charity, we’re rooted in Salford, and the city’s energy and diversity shape everything we do. Our mission is simple: to spread the joy of art and creativity, empower local communities, and support emerging talent. It’s why we are proud to serve as a vital resource for the people of Salford and beyond. We believe that creativity is a transformative force, one that can change people and places for the better. At Lowry, our guiding pillars of People, Place, and Potential are central to our vision.
Through our educational and outreach programmes, we work to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds. Our longstanding commitment to Arts Award, a programme we’ve been delivering for over 10 years, has seen children and young people complete levels ranging from Discover to Gold. It’s a fantastic way for young people to engage with the arts and develop their creative skills.
One of our programmes is the Copley Creative Arts Programme, designed to provide children from Salford’s most deprived areas with a unique multi-art form experience. Through this programme, children explore the artwork of L.S. Lowry—a key figure in British art—and are given the chance to create their own works of art in response.
The art of outreach: The Copley Prize and beyond
Since 2014, Lowry has hosted the Copley Prize, kindly supported by the Copley Family, inviting children aged 5-11 years to submit their own L.S. Lowry-inspired artwork. This annual competition runs over three terms, with one winner selected each term. One overall winner is selected from the three finalists and is celebrated at a special event at Lowry, where their work is displayed alongside the iconic pieces by L.S. Lowry himself. It’s a wonderful opportunity for young artists to showcase their creativity.
In response to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic we sought to enhance our outreach offering by developing the Copley Creative Arts Programme. This expanded initiative now offers children from 10 schools in Salford’s areas of high deprivation and low arts engagement the chance to experience a range of art forms, from visual art to drama and mindfulness.
Through this programme, each school receives:
- 1 x in-school art workshop
- 1 x drama workshop
- 1 x Art and Mindfulness workshop
In addition, children have the opportunity to watch a live performance at Lowry, with all transport costs covered. And, every child who takes part in the programme can achieve Arts Award Discover—an important milestone for young learners exploring creativity for the first time.
Collaborating with teachers for seamless integration
We understand that teachers are busy, and we wanted to make it as easy as possible for them to engage with our project. To that end, we worked closely with local teachers to develop the L.S. Lowry Arts Award Discover log book, a resource designed to track the children’s progress throughout the programme. This log book provides an accessible, easy-to-follow format for children and teachers to document their experiences without adding extra work to their already full schedules.
Additionally, we created an online video that walks teachers through each section of the log book, ensuring they feel supported every step of the way. We also provide a dedicated team member to assist teachers whenever necessary.
This project encourages children to experience a cross art form approach which lends itself well to Arts Award Discover. For Part A (Discover) children take part in a variety of workshops using art and drama. They are encouraged to reflect on the aspect that they enjoyed most. In a drama workshop they bring to life characters within L.S Lowry artwork such as The Fight or Going to the Match and within a visual art workshop they explore Head of a Man with Red Eyes to think about self-portraits and creating a version of themselves working alongside professional artists.
The children visit our galleries for Part B (Find out) and are given a guided tour by our team of experts where they find out about L.S. Lowry. They also attend our theatre to watch a live performance; most recently this was Floella Benjamin’s Coming to England.
We encourage teachers to support children with Part C (Share) when they return to the classroom. Using the prompts within the log book children are encouraged to work in pairs or small groups to share with each other something from the award that they enjoyed and learnt.
The impact: positive outcomes for Salford’s young people
Over 1,000 children have achieved Arts Award Discover through this project, gaining new skills, confidence, and insight into their own creative potential. Moreover, children who have participated in the programme have gone on to win the Copley Prize—a testament to the power of nurturing young talent.
The programme has also led to continued collaboration with teachers, strengthening our relationship with the local educational community and ensuring that the arts remain a vital part of young people’s development.
Through these efforts, we are proud to continue expanding our outreach and providing creative opportunities to the children of Salford. Whether they are taking their first steps into the world of art or exploring new ways to express themselves, Lowry is committed to making creativity accessible to all—and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Join us at Lowry
At Lowry, we’re proud to be part of Salford’s vibrant cultural landscape, offering a space for art, creativity, and community to flourish. Whether you’re a student, teacher, parent, or simply an art lover, we invite you to experience the magic of creativity at our multi-art form venue. Together, we can continue to celebrate the power of art to inspire, transform, and connect people.
For more information about our outreach programmes and to book a visit, please check out our website.
Hear more about the Copley Prize and Copley Creative Arts Programme for Children.