Laurie will lead the commissioning of artists for the three-year project, which has received a £2 million grant from Arts Council England's Creative People & Places programme, designed to empower communities to take the lead in shaping local arts provision.
Super Slow Way will be developed by leading arts producers, working with local communities along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal from Blackburn to Pendle.
Taking its cue from the Slow Movement, Super Slow Way asks how can we use our time more creatively; bringing art and artists to a space where time slows down, to look afresh at how people live their fast-paced lives and how they relate to their environment, neighbourhoods and to each other.
Great industrial heritage
Laurie Peake, project director for Super Slow Way, said**:** “I'm very proud to be from Pennine Lancashire and thrilled to be given the opportunity to get involved in the already vibrant cultural life of the region.
“I'm excited by the potential of Super Slow Way and looking forward to working with artists from near and far as well as residents across the area, using its great industrial heritage, dramatic landscapes and cultural diversity as inspiration and material.
“I hope Super Slow Way can spark a creative revolution on the banks of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal; one that inspires new types of productivity and offers opportunities to spend our time more imaginatively, supporting existing cultural activity and encouraging new forms. My aim is to harness the arts to look back at what shaped this area, to ask new questions about where we are now and imagine and propose new directions for where we are heading.”
Truly unique cultural project
Tony Hales, chair of the Super Slow Way project board, added: “Super Slow Way is a hugely ambitious project that aims to celebrate, unite and excite the communities along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Laurie has a superb track record of running major cultural programmes, so we are delighted to have her on board. We're now looking forward to turning our ambitions into reality, and creating a truly unique cultural project together with the local people over the coming years.”
