A historic Greater Manchester building which once served as a town hall is to be transformed into a giant 70-metre 3D artwork that will be free to visit later this month.
Salford Civic Centre, which was formerly Swinton & Pendlebury Town Hall from 1938 until the formation of the City of Salford in 1974, will be illuminated with a stunning new animated projection on two evenings in January as part of a new exhibition inspired by Swinton and its residents.
Swinton Ark, which will run on January 16 and 17, will feature a bespoke 3D-mapped animation projected onto the exterior of the building, which features a 125-foot-high clock tower. The artwork will feature an ‘enormous cabinet of curiosities’ featuring objects, moment and memories from the Swinton archive.
Artist Lowri Evans has worked with projection artists Illuminos and Salford City Council on the visuals, which asks Swinton residents: If you could only save one object, what would it be?
Running every 15 minutes on both days between 5pm and 8pm, the 12-minute projection will see the entire 70-metre front façade on Chorley Road taken over by stories, featuring objects like a bike for a wedding ring, a little straw chair, and feet dangled in a fountain. Organisers say each of the stories will ‘weave together in a dance of Swinton’s past, present and future’ to be kept safe within the Swinton Ark.
Dating back almost 90 years, Salford Civic Centre was known as Swinton & Pendlebury Town Hall until 1974
“Finding out what belongings were precious to people I bumped into was a great way to find out about them and their lives, and what they value,” artist Lowri Evans said of the project. “Most things people cherished weren’t their most expensive things, but objects with meaning or memories attached.
“I took a cart around different sites in Swinton with some objects of my own to get people talking. Over fifty people stopped by and took time to contribute to the project, and many of their stories are featured within Swinton Ark.”
Projection artists Illuninos added: “We are very excited to be creating this bespoke, one-of-a-kind projection artwork in Swinton. Using ideas around those precious things we might save in a flood, we were able to dive into the lives of Swinton’s residents, weaving a tapestry of moments drawn from their lives, entirely specific to the town and on a grand scale. The town hall will become Swinton Ark, and we can’t wait for you to join us on its voyage.”
Made possible with public funding from Arts Council England, the two-day event will be free-to-attend and people can just drop in at any point during its showing times to experience the spectacle. The site has been described as wheelchair accessible and there will also be toilets onsite.
Artist Lowri Evans collected a number of the stories featured in the Swinton Ark display whilst visiting areas with her cart
Councillor Hannah Robinson-Smith, Lead Member for Culture, Heritage, Equalities, Sports and Leisure, said: “It’s really exciting to see a project like Swinton Ark that tells the stories of local people in such a unique way, creating something special right in the heart of Swinton town centre – and transforming a building that has been at the centre of the community for so many years into a beacon of light over two evenings.”
“Swinton has plenty to celebrate and has the potential to be one of the best places to live in Greater Manchester. Local people have told us they want to see a more vibrant Swinton, with more going on – and Swinton Ark is part of a programme of events developed in response to that community ambition.
“It’s a great opportunity for people to come together and experience something new, a burst of light and colour during the dark January nights.”
Swinton Ark will take place at Salford Civic Centre (M27 5AW) on January 16 and 17 from 5pm to 8pm.