Association of Leading Visitor Attractions

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05 Dec 2017

Museum's VR installation blends dance and film with a pinch of salt to create visitor experience

A virtual reality experience that captures the salt manufacturing process through dance has been launched by the Lion Salt Works Museum in Cheshire, UK.

The four-minute VR film, entitled Salt, was produced by acclaimed dancer and choreographer Martin Hylton in partnership with the museum and Cheshire Dance.

Running from 1 December 2017 until 31st March 2018, Salt is viewed through a VR headset and is set inside a salt pan, with dancers capturing the physicality of the salt manufacturing process as they move through water.

“The use of new technology makes this a very exciting commission," said Timandra Nichols, director at Arts&Heritage, which helped support the production with Arts Council England's Museum Resilience Fund.

"It’s helping to push the boundaries of choreography and transform what we think of a traditional museum experience.”

The film is split into two sections, Industry and Moments. Industry focuses on the physical labour involved in the production of salt, while Moments concentrates on the relationships forged between those who worked in the salt mines, with both sections designed to juxtapose the hard physical work with more intimate moments.

In development for over a year, the project was also supported by Meeting Point 2, a programme that helps smaller-scale museums by commissioning artists and displaying artworks in unexpected ways.

The Lion Salt Works Museum opened in 2015 following a four-year £10m renovation. It is one of the last four historic open-pan salt-making sites left in the world.