Exploring the Collection: Colour

A rainbow of collections, this exhibition presents paintings, ceramics, costume, decorative art and objects in a spectrum around the gallery.

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black and white are all represented in this varied show. Colour has extensive historical, cultural and symbolic connections. The collections are used to explore colour and the effects they can have on our emotions and wellbeing. Feeling blue or seeing red? Take this golden opportunity to see how different colours can make you feel.

Along with the rainbow of collections, we will be inviting the visitor to explore how this exhibition can have a positive effect on their emotions based on the NHS five steps to mental wellbeing:

1. Connect- share your thoughts and read other people’s or use the social space for a chat
2. Be active- join in with our social media campaign – Salford’s Rainbow!
3. Take notice- use our reflective space in the gallery or try our slow looking exercise
4. Keep learning- try one of the creative activities in the gallery or come to one of our events or workshops
5. Give- share your creative responses in our online exhibition or make a donation

To explore this, we have worked with two community groups from Salford’s Langworthy Cornerstone, a community centre focussed on health and wellbeing.

We gathered their ideas, thoughts and insights into colour and effect on emotions to create the interpretation and the activities. Talk About It Mate focuses on men’s mental health and provides a safe space for men to connect and talk.

They have recently embarked on using art as a therapy with a local artist and are keen to use creativity to explore mental health. Women into Visual Arts and Enterprise are a group of women who use art as a cathartic way to learn and express themselves, developing these skills into business opportunities.

Pinc Creative College students have also been invaluably involved by sharing their creative ideas and developing a trail aimed at our neurodiverse visitors. Pinc Creative College is an Independent Specialist College for neurodivergent young people.

On display in our Langworthy Gallery from 24 May 2025 to 11 January 2026.