A NEWPORT ballet dancer features in a new piece of contemporary art by David Mach RA, to mark the start of six weeks of celebrations for The National Lottery’s 25th birthday.

The giant collage titled United by Numbers: The National Lottery at 25, features a mix of famous and lesser-known people, places and icons from the worlds of sport, film, the arts, communities and heritage.

They have been brought together in one image to represent The National Lottery’s impact on life in the UK over the past 25 years.

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Newport ballet dancer, Krystal Lowe, a member of the ballet company, Ballet Cymru appears in the artwork representing the impact the National Lottery has had on performing arts in Wales.

Krystal stars alongside others including Idris Elba, the governor for The National Lottery funded British Film Institute (BFI), Sir John Major, who launched the National Lottery when he was prime minister in 1994, Tracey Emin, Rio Ferdinand and Betty Webb.

The National Lottery has supported Krystal’s flourishing career by helping to pay for Ballet Cymru’s headquarters. The building, on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Newport was turned into a bespoke dance studio.

Commenting on her inclusion in the art, Krystal Lowe said: “It’s a privilege to be part of this special celebration and appear in this wonderful image.

“The National Lottery has helped me tremendously in my career, and the building has also become an arts hub that has made a huge difference to the arts community in Newport.”

The impressive line-up of people is set against a backdrop of National Lottery funded venues including Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. £46 million was raised by National Lottery players to help build the stadium, which is also celebrating its 20th birthday this year.