The experience will premiere at MediaCity, Salford in May 2025, ahead of a planned national and international tour

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Frameless Creative has partnered with the National Portrait Gallery on the first major touring immersive art experience, with VFX created by Cinesite.

The experience will premiere at MediaCity, Salford in May 2025, ahead of a planned national and international tour.

The National Portrait Gallery Unframed project will launch with ‘Stories – Brought to Life’, which explores the lives of people who’ve shaped the UK’s history and culture, from the Tudor period to the present day.

It’s designed to “push the boundaries of storytelling”, combining digital projection, visual effects and the latest audio tech with music and creative narratives to tell the stories behind some of the Gallery’s best-loved portraits.

Cinesite, which is Frameless’s content production partner, is the digital production studio responsible for creating the VFX work on the project.

Rich Storton, general manager, Framelkess Creative said: “We are delighted to announce this new long-term partnership with the National Portrait Gallery. We hope that by unleashing the power of digital storytelling we can help the Gallery to bring art to a whole new audience. We’re living in a changing world and there is a real need for new experiences that help open up art and culture to new audiences and crucially help ensure that national institutions such as the National Portrait Gallery and their incredible collections continue to be accessible and have cultural significance for the next generation. MediaCity is a vibrant cultural hub attracting a hugely diverse audience. This combined with its proximity to major transport links and focus on technology made it an obvious choice for premiering our first experience.”

Rosie Wilson, director of programmes, partnerships and collections at the National Portrait Gallery, added: “The National Portrait Gallery aims to share our unique collection of portraits with as wide an audience as possible and explore the human stories that shape our history and culture. This exciting new partnership with Frameless, inspired by our Collection, will enable us to take these stories outside of the Gallery walls and bring them to life in new, innovative ways.”

Caroline Aikman, director of marketing, brand and place at MediaCity, said: “We are honoured that the National Portrait Gallery and Frameless have chosen MediaCity as the first stop on the tour of this unique immersive experience. We’ve hosted many arts and culture events, experiences, festivals and exhibitions over the last few years and we can’t wait to welcome visitors to Salford when the experience opens its doors in May next year.”