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Rod Aldridge
Rod Aldridge is an entrepreneur with over 40 years experience of working in the public and private sectors.
He is the founder of the Capita Group retiring in July 2006 as Chairman. Subsequently he established The Aldridge Foundation to continue his work on public service reform and to focus on his charitable activities.
The Lowry
Chair of The Lowry
In January 2007, Rod Aldridge was appointed as Chair of The Lowry (see press release). He chairs both The Lowry Trust and the Lowry Operating Company responsible for the day to day operation and running of The Lowry.
The vision of The Lowry is to enrich, engage and entertain by presenting the very best in the performing and visual arts in a local, regional, national and international sense with emphasis on learning, inclusion and diversity. In doing so, to advance and improve education and artistic knowledge of the arts in the UK, and the Salford area in particular.
This is a new departure for Rod but he is attracted to the social regeneration effect The Lowry has had on the area and the opportunity to develop the education outreach programme in schools that has successfully engaged with a large number of young people in the area. Rod will also be able to use his significant business and board experience to work with the Chief Executive, Julia Fawcett, and her team to build upon the success of the Centre and hopefully take it to its next level of true potential aspired to by the team and all of those associated The Lowry.
The Lowry
The Lowry is a waterfront home for the arts, entertainment and innovation. Located just 1.5 miles from Manchester city centre, it is the flagship of the Salford Quays redevelopment. The building sits in the regenerated docklands and contains no less than 5,263 square metres of glass and is the size of 5 football pitches.
The Lowry houses two main theatres and studio space for performing arts, presenting a full range of drama, opera, ballet, dance, musicals, children’s shows, popular music, jazz, fold and comedy. The main theatre features England’s largest stage outside London. The Lowry has over 800,000 visitors per year and they have already put on over 1,000 performances. The Lowry has embarked on an exciting partnership with National Youth Theatre, providing them with a North West base.
The ‘studio’ at The Lowry, a new facility equipped with classrooms, studios and a studio theatre, is a key venue where the centre has established a Community and Education programme that engages people from all walks of life in creative activities and also encourages artists to create new work, to experiment and to take risks.
The Lowry also houses the world’s largest collection of LS Lowry’s work which is systematically displayed on rotation.
The exterior of The Lowry, photographer Len Grant
The Lowry:
- Contains 5,263 square metres of glass
- The size of 5 football pitches
- Over 800,000 visitors per year
- Already put on over 1,000 performances
- Houses the world’s largest collection of LS Lowry’s work
L S Lowry, Coming from the Mill © Salford City Council
LS Lowry:
"If people call me a Sunday painter I'm a Sunday painter who paints every day of the week!"
"One day I missed a train from Pendlebury - (a place) I had ignored for seven years - and as I left the station I saw the Acme Spinning Company's mill … The huge black framework of rows of yellow-lit windows standing up against the sad, damp charged afternoon sky. The mill was turning out... I watched this scene - which I'd looked at many times without seeing - with rapture..."