the arts
What's On in the Arts Our local creative community has been typically innovative in its response to the deprivations we have all been enduring through the seemingly interminable Covid-19 Pandemic. Providing us with such as art packs, online workshops, virtual exhibitions, and virtual performances. Without their efforts us culture lovers would have found the withdrawal from active participation in and contact with the arts even more difficult to endure. Creatives massively contribute to our individual and community resilience: combatting boredom, inspiring and consoling. It is with much relief and great anticipation that I can provide a taster of what we can look forward to locally across the arts as the ‘new normal’ limps over the Covid hill. From the shellshock of 'Covid 2020' rises three 2021 exhibitions at TOUCHSTONES Rochdale: looking at the human impact of the pandemic, commemorating the Battle of Britain and querying the slow disappearance of Britain’s regional art schools. Tue 18 May 2021 – Sat 1 Jan 2022 WHAT’S CHANGED? Tue 18 May – Sat 3 July 2021 HARMONY, CONTRAST & DISCORD: John Beck & Matthew Cornford Tue 18 May – Sat 18 Sep 2021 WE CAN DO IT. WAR’S OTHER VOICES. Visit www.link4life.org
Steve Cooke Arts Columnist
English Folk Expo presents ROCHDALE FOLK FESTIVAL on 4 - 6 June. Over a full weekend, free music events will be happening in local venues across town, including The Medicine Tap, Touchstones Rochdale, and The Flying Horse, with additional street performances occurring all around the town centre. Additionally, taking place in the stunningly beautiful St Mary’s in the Baum, will be three ticketed gigs with an intimate, socially distanced audience, but there is also the option to watch the gigs from your home via live stream. On Friday 4 June THE HUT PEOPLE, will take the audience on a musical trip across the globe, with their hugely entertaining blend of 'world-folk'. On Saturday 5 June, an uplifting afternoon of music from THE RHEINGANS SISTERS, the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winners. Saturday night brings JON BODEN & THE REMNANT STRINGS, performing self-penned songs as well as material from Bellowhead, Spiers & Boden, and Jon's A Folk Song A Day project, in which he recorded 365 folk songs in one year. English Folk Expo Chief Executive, Tom Besford said: "I'm delighted to be working with Rochdale Town Centre Management and the Council to bring live music to our beautiful town centre. Rochdale is looking better than ever with loads of great pubs, restaurants, and attractions. We're all looking forward to safely enjoying fantastic live music once again."
Like so many things, in 2020 the long-standing Darnhill Festival was cancelled. Determined not to let the area miss out again, Darnhill Festival Association are working with Cartwheel Arts to host the area’s first 'ARTS WEEK' during the May/June half term. A series of pop-up activity around the theme of 'Wonder' will take place in and around Darnhill library from Monday 31 May to Sunday 6 June. There will be plenty of opportunities to get involved from decorating your own window at home, attending a bookable nature art workshop, exploring the estate for new artwork, or having a go on a climbing wall. Full details and a full line-up of activity is being finalised and residents will receive details of activity through their doors soon. Alternatively, follow Cartwheel Arts on social media for further details. 42 | Rochdale Style
