Brought to Life, the first immersive art experience of a UK national collection, is now open to the public at MediaCity in Greater Manchester, running until Sunday 31 August, ahead of a planned national tour with dates to be announced.
Created by FRAMELESS Creative, the UK’s leading creator of immersive experiences, and inspired by the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection, this groundbreaking new immersive, cinematic show promises to redefine the gallery experience, with an emotionally charged spectacle that pushes the boundaries of creative storytelling.
A New Era for Portraits: History in Motion
Visitors will step into a world where the sitters’ stories come alive. This unique experience explores the fascinating lives behind some of the most iconic faces from the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection who have shaped the UK’s history and culture. From royalty and cultural icons to fearless leaders and national heroes, past and present, their stories will unfold in an unforgettable journey that fuses the best of art, technology and powerful human storytelling.
National Icons Reimagined: Who You’ll Meet
The artist Emma Ferrer, granddaughter of Audrey Hepburn, was amongst the first visitors to Stories – Brought to Life, featuring Jane Austen, David Bowie, Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin, Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth II, Ncuti Gatwa, Audrey Hepburn, Dorothy Hodgkin, Mai, Nelson Mandela, Emmeline Pankhurst, Grayson Perry, Mary Seacole, William Shakespeare, Amy Winehouse, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf and Malala Yousafzai.
The stories will be presented on a spectacular scale, travelling across specially created frames, drawing on unprecedented access to industry leading visual effects, music and imagery, to give visitors a new way to experience some of the stories that form part of the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection.
For its premiere at the start of May in Manchester, Stories – Brought to Life was presented in a specially designed, 10,000 sq ft state of the art, immersive digital gallery in the heart of MediaCity.
The FRAMELESS team, including production partner Cinesite, the leading digital Hollywood visual effects company, known for their contributions to blockbuster films including the Harry Potter and the Marvel franchises, has worked closely with the expert curators at the National Portrait Gallery to tell the authentic, inspiring stories of some of its most loved sitters. The new experience brings together a rich tapestry of media, from archival content and photography to excerpts from powerful speeches and original animation.
Victoria Siddall, Director, National Portrait Gallery, says: “The National Portrait Gallery’s 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. Our history has always been one of innovation, so we are excited to partner with FRAMELESS on this ground-breaking immersive experience featuring some of the extraordinary people in our Collection. 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.”
Behind the Scenes: Creating the Experience
Ryan Atwood, Creative Director for FRAMELESS Creative, took Absolutely behind the scenes and explained a little more about how this unique experience came to life.
What originally inspired this experience?
The National Portrait Gallery has a long history of innovation and the conversation started between us both several years ago when they were looking to take their incredible Collection outside of the Gallery walls, bring the portraits to life in new ways and to engage audiences with art and culture across the UK. There was so much inspiration sitting within the Collection, which features some of the most iconic faces to ever have lived, from royalty and cultural icons to fearless leaders and national heroes both past and present.
The set design was a big creative moment for me. I went into the National Portrait Gallery and saw all these different-sized frames and immediately thought, “this is the set design”. We’ve been able to play with new dimensions and depth by projecting across those various sizes to get an anamorphic effect. It’s unique, fun, and a direct nod to the National Portrait Gallery. It was one of those moments. I just walked in and thought, “I know what the set design should be” and as much of the creative process on this collaborative project the process has been very organic with a constant flow of ideas between our two teams.
How long has the experience been in the making?
We’ve been in discussions about this new partnership for several years and were approached by the National Portrait Gallery when they started considering the possibilities around creating an immersive experience of the Collection. Since then our teams have worked tirelessly together to create what you see in the Experience, with our FRAMELESS team being able to tap into the vast historical and curatorial expertise of the National Portrait Gallery team.
How does the immersive experience work?
Stories – Brought to Life takes you on an engaging and enlightening multisensory journey to explore the lives of the sitters depicted in each portrait. The Experience unframes and animates the original artwork, leaving you feeling inspired by these incredible people, past and present. Combining the Gallery’s world-leading expertise in art and history with the FRAMELESS team’s storytelling skills, the Experience incorporates the highest-quality digital technology, visual effects and the latest audio technology to create an unparalleled encounter with some of the world’s most famous personalities.
Each fascinating account is told through a short vignette, which travels over a multitude of screens around the space, allowing the narrative to weave around you. Our team – comprising of researchers, world class animators, Hollywood visual effects specialists, music and spatial sound designers, composers and writers – have delved deep into the life stories of the individuals to bring them to life, creating an emotional ebb and flow that runs throughout the Experience. The result is a cinematic journey, akin to a Hollywood-style movie based on the craft of the creative team.
To give us a deeper insight, can you pick out three portraits and explain what people will discover?
Malala Yousafzai is a true story of courage and strength, and we’ve used animated tapestries to tell her story, paired with music that builds in intensity as her journey unfolds. She’s become a beacon for women in education so it’s an honour to feature her.
Charles Darwin, his early years were filled with adventure which influenced his entire career. We’ve brought his world changing story to life with animated pages from The Origin of Species and stunning audio and visual effects.
Grayson Perry, a brilliant and unique artist, his self-portrait work is a real “map of life” reflecting his inner thoughts, not just his appearance and we guide you through that psychological journey, supported by his voice and carefully composed music.
Will there be surprises in the experience?
Definitely. We have 19 sitters, and each one brings a different emotional tone; some are adventurous, others are sombre or reflective. For example, Virginia Woolf’s story is deeply emotional. There’s a lot to discover. This is a 360 cinematic experience, complete with all the ebbs and flows of a Hollywood-style movie.
What’s offered for schools and students?
We offer a range of visit options for education groups, including guided tours, self-led visits, and relaxed sessions that suit learners from KS2 right through to university. We also provide teaching resources and online materials to help make the most of the visit. Students can also access a 25% off discount on tickets.
Who is this experience perfect for?
Everyone. At FRAMELESS we believe art is for everyone, a view shared by our friends at the National Portrait Gallery. For some people galleries can feel intimidating, but we want to bridge the gap with this experience by creating something cinematic that can act as a gateway to spark an interest in art more broadly, even encouraging visitors to seek out the original artwork in the Gallery.
Visit npgunframed.com to buy tickets or for more information
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