A brand-new week-long arts festival launches in Rochdale this month

A brand-new arts festival brings a week-long programme of performances, exhibitions and hands-on activities to Rochdale this month.

Side-by-Side runs from Wed 20 Aug – Wed 27 Aug in Rochdale Town Hall Square, and will showcase Rochdale’s ‘talent, imagination and creativity’. Across the week, visitors can enjoy a packed programme of fantastic events led by local community groups, ranging from performances and exhibitions to baby yoga, creative workshops and more.

Organised by Touchstones Rochdale (part of Your Trust), and Creative Lead and artist Harry Meadley, the programme has been developed with the community and led by local voices.

It follows the success of Harry Meadley’s Free-for-All in 2022, where local people took over the gallery space at Touchstones to create, perform and celebrate through a community-led exhibition and events programme, and continues Touchstones’ commitment to art in the community while the venue has been closed for refurbishment.

One of the festival’s stand-out events is Ward 76, a funny and thought-provoking performance set in a children’s hospital. Following a group of teenagers searching for Wi-Fi, the show blends comedy with real-life themes, exploring growing up, disability myths and the everyday humour that connects us. After the performance, audiences can join a wheelchair obstacle course, bringing the show’s themes to life.

On Fri 22 Aug, the fun continues with a Pizza Party hosted by Rochdale’s Side-by-Side: ‘Set A’ youth group, launched by Rochdale Council and Touchstones in May 2024 as a supportive, creative space for building confidence, teamwork and self-expression. With guidance from professional artists, the group will set out picnic blankets and serve free pizza in a relaxed community setting.

That afternoon, Rochdale’s Youth Takeover sees young people from across the borough curate a full lineup of activities, including meditation sessions and hands-on creative workshops. On Sun 24 Aug, the Aloe Veras, a Middleton-based art and craft group, will host Make, Laugh, Feel Good!, a relaxed drop-in workshop featuring mindful drawing, beading and more. Working with artist Erica Matthews, the group uses creativity to boost wellbeing, build connections, and celebrate local stories, making a real difference in the Rochdale community.

Four Rochdalians is another collaboration with Side-by-Side: Drama Group, set up in partnership with Bolton at Home and Touchstones. The play brings together four characters from Rochdale’s past and present, inspired by the group’s visits to Rochdale’s Arts & Heritage collection stores. The group supports local residents in South Middlton and Higher Blackley through regular creative-based sessions.

Harry Meadley, Creative Lead said: “Side-by-Side is a new arts festival for the borough of Rochdale that is about bringing together, working together and being together. It is not a Do-It-Yourself festival, but a Do-It-Together one – created to widen participation, foster inclusion, and address social isolation.

“It is a chance to experience and celebrate artworks, performances, events, workshops and activities created by people from across the borough. But more than that, it is an invitation to get involved – not just now, but in shaping the festivals to come.

“So whether as a visitor, spectator, participant or future collaborator, we look forward to welcoming you in and sitting or standing side-by-side with you.”

For more information and the full Side-by-Side programme, click here.