Lion Salt Works was one of ten heritage sites selected by Arts&Heritage to take part in its Meeting Point 2017 programme. The museum took part in a series of A&H training workshops and visits, to learn how to successfully deliver a contemporary art project. The museum then developed their own Artist’s Brief, and presented this to 70 artists from across the UK at a networking event. From Expressions of Interest, four artists were shortlisted to draw up a more detailed proposal from which the museum selected Martin Hylton for the commission.

Salt was a fully immersive dance piece, presented in 360° virtual reality, reflecting the gruelling work that was involved in producing salt at the UK’s only remaining open-pan salt works. Salt gave visitors the chance to step into the artwork for a truly unique experience.

Choreographer Martin Hylton said:

“Looking at the archive material at Lion Salt Works, I was really struck by the movement and physical, hard work involved in claiming the salt from the pans. The process the workers went through really lends itself to choreography and dance; the laboured and heavy movement involved in scrapping the salt.

Visitors to the exhibition were provided with a virtual reality headset to view the dance piece, which was set inside a salt pan. Dancing in water, representing the brine used in the salt making process, dancers captured the physicality of the manufacturing process and brought the Lion Salt Works’ unique heritage to life.

• 25 children and young people attended workshops
• 150 people, including performers, participated in an event in December 2017
• Young people taking part in workshops also benefitted from careers advice from Martin Hylton.

A&H commissioned a ‘making of film’ for SALT, capturing the artist’s process.

The Lion Salt Works is a restored historic open-pan salt making site, in the village of Marston, close to Northwich. The site lies adjacent to the Trent and Mersey Canal, close to Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse, and the historic Anderton Boat Lift. This £10.23 million project opened in June 2015 offering a fascinating journey through the life of the country’s last open-pan salt making site. When exploring the site and its restored buildings, you will discover how the salt works operated and the impact of salt on mid-Cheshire’s people, economy and landscape.