‘Humbling is the word that just keeps coming to mind’
Inspirational stories from Nelson Mandela are amongst those to appear in the immersive exhibit(Image: David Parry)
An immersive art gallery experience in Greater Manchester is bringing the stories of David Bowie, Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela, Amy Winehouse and William Shakespeare to life in stunning detail.
Stories – Brought To Life from the National Portrait Gallery and FRAMELESS Creative marks the first ever immersive art experience of a UK national collective and its first stop ahead of a national tour is in MediaCity in Salford Quays.
Housed within a big-boxed building in the heart of the MediaCity piazza, the 10,000 sq ft state-of–the-art digital gallery follows on from similar experiences from the likes of Van Gogh and David Hockney that have toured Manchester recently.
Amongst the notable names to appear throughout the exhibition, which officially opens on Friday (May 2) and will run until the end of August, are the likes of Emmeline Pankhurst, Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill, Malala Yousafzai, Grayson Perry, and Audrey Hepburn.
Amongst one of the first to view the immersive experience was Audrey Hepburn’s granddaughter Emma Ferrer. “I just found the whole experience to be so incredibly moving,“ Emma explained to the Manchester Evening News.
Audrey Hepburn’s granddaughter Emma Ferrer described the exhibition as a ‘humbling’ experience(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
“When I just saw how they had brought all the stories together, it’s just something that draws you in right away and you can’t look away.”
Emma said she ‘felt very humbled’ to see her grandmother on the big screen in such a way. “It really is crazy,” she said. “Imagine if your grandparent’s story is the one that’s told right before William Shakespeare. It’s humbling – it’s wild actually.”
The stories of each of the individuals featured are told through archive interviews, re-enactments, videos, photos and immersive graphics to bring aspects to life – like the inspirational words from Malala saying she is ‘not a lone voice’ to Grayson Perry talking about ‘peeling away the onion layers of ourselves’.
Portraits of Amy Winehouse also appear in Stories – Brought to Life(Image: David Parry)
Speaking about how her grandmother is involved, Emma says: “You get to hear things in her own voice – it was incredible. Humbling is the word that just keeps coming to mind.
“I know people just really, really loved her and it’s perhaps a bridge for people to feel more connected to her. The love that people have for her still continues to surprise me and I still continue to learn about it in new ways.
“It’s incredible that she continues to be idolised even by the younger generation, and people still look up to her so much.”
The exhibition will be held at MediaCity until the end of August(Image: David Parry)
The FRAMELESS team who have brought the exhibition to fruition, alongside the National Portrait Gallery, include members from production partner Cinesite, who have worked on large-scale blockbuster films including some in the Harry Potter and Marvel series.
Ryan Atwood, Creative Director for FRAMELESS Creative, told the M.E.N: “With this exhibition, we really tried to create a balanced and eclectic mix of people – there’s writers, actors, and really a little bit of everything. They all serve their part for so many different reasons.
“You’ve got a few minutes to give people a glimpse into each of these lives and it’s hard to really narrow it down so we tried to choose moments that served multiple purposes. There’s moments of courage, moments of reflection and a real balance where we really hope people will come out feeling like they know more about these people.”
Emmeline Pankhurst also features in the immersive MediaCity art experience(Image: David Parry)
Ryan says he hopes the exhibition will appeal to both modern and traditional arts audiences, and also add a new perspective to the gallery’s existing collection.
“Experiences like this really serve as a bridge into the actual galleries to see the real work,” he explains. “We need to make the new generation aware of how beautiful the work is at the galleries still – they work together in a cohesive blend of opportunities for everybody.
“There are people who experience art very differently, so this cinematic approach really helps envelope the whole story and give everybody a chance to enjoy it.
(Image: David Parry)
“Ncuti’s story, for example, is just so warm and inviting. It’s about his family, it’s about acceptance and the pride he has for being part of the UK. It’s our stories that define us and that’s the message behind all of it.”
And asked why Salford Quays was chosen to be the premiere destination for this exhibition ahead of a planned UK tour, Ryan, who lives in California, said it just made sense. “We needed a kick off place right?,” he laughs.
“This is a tech-forward area and this is a tech-forward approach to gallery experiences, so it just felt right to start things here.
Artist and model Emma Ferrer, who is the granddaughter of screen icon Audrey Hepburn, at the Stories – Brought To Life exhibit in MediaCity(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
“You really gotta give it up for the National Portrait Gallery because it’s a pretty big deal for one of the UK’s oldest institutions to be embracing this kind of technology. They’ve been really fast-forward in their thinking.”
Victoria Siddall, Director at National Portrait Gallery, added: “The collection is unique in being about people and for people, and the stories we tell about the individuals who have shaped our history and culture have the power to inspire and to bring people together.
“I am grateful to everyone who has worked so hard to bring this project to life, and of course to the families, representatives and sitters themselves who have so generously allowed us to tell their stories and to take them to audiences outside our walls.”
Stories – Brought to Life opening hours
- Stories – Brought to Life opens on Friday (May 2) until August 31.
- Monday to Thursday: 10am – 7pm (last entry slot 5.30pm)
- Friday to Sunday: 10am – 8pm (last entry slot 6.30pm)
Stories – Brought to Life ticket prices
- On the day ticket pricing will vary based on demand, and it is advised to book online here in order to get the best prices.
- Adults from £21.95 online / from £23.95 on the day
- Children (from the age of five): £11.95 online / from £13.95 on the day
- There is also a Flexi Ticket, offering flexible entry time at any slot on a chosen day from £26.95 for adults and £16.95 for children.
- Family tickets, consisting of two adults and two children, start from £55. There are also discounts available for students, Blue Light Card holders, carers, and those on pension credit / benefits.
- There will also be a very limited number of £10 ‘affordable’ tickets available on selected Mondays.