Following a feasibility for Rochdale Borough Council’s to stage a new festival celebrating ideas and innovation, OPUS were pleased to continue to work with RBC to help them bring the event to fruition, increasing their capacity through providing crucial producing and production management services.
Festival of Ideas manifested as an ambitious six day event for Rochdale Borough in March 2024, showcasing creativity, innovation and performance.
From visual artists to musicians, school children to sculptors, the festival celebrated originality, imagination, and self-expression. The programme of events saw the arts and creativity used as a tool for discussion and understanding.
Taking inspiration from Rochdale Borough's heritage whilst remaining future focussed, there was a blend of both hands-on and digital programming. The festival provided a platform for curious minds to explore and discover, with a strong family programme running throughout.
“Coinciding with the reopening of the renovated Rochdale Town Hall, it brought together artists, musicians, community groups, and schools to explore the power of creativity in bringing together everyone across Rochdale’s diverse community.”
​​
​
Review, The Meteor
​Funded by UK SPF, the focus was overwhelmingly on home-grown ideas, co-created with the people of Rochdale.
The festival was commissioned in partnership with the Culture Co-op and Rochdale borough’s Creative People and Places programme, funded by Arts Council England.
Photos by Active Inclusion and Rochdale Borough Council
​
An opening event marking the reopening of the Town Hall: architectural lighting programmed to a newly commissioned spoken word piece and accompanying soundtrack. Alongside a volunteer cast animating the space with light, it highlighted the stories of Rochdale’s heritage that are sometimes overlooked, and the creative potential of its future. Conceived and delivered by OPUS and the Festival Director.
A schools project spanning the weeks leading up to the festival, resulting in a visual installation creating the confidence in the children to imagine something different, showing them their power in defining what might be possible for their community.
The Living Dress project by Cabasa Carnival Arts, a beautiful large-scale naturally dyed, handmade dress worn by a beautiful 5m tall sculpture. The dress was made with the help of local women groups in Rochdale using a hybrid of both ancient techniques and modern processes.
Fluid Motion’s Take Ten swing installation, which toured to all four wards across the week - from Hollingworth Lake to Heyworth Sports Centre - encouraging residents to take time to pause, and breath deeply.
Muslim Hikers leading a beginners hike for communities across Rochdale Borough, resulting in a large group of hikers collectively connecting with their local green space for the first time;
Power Up - a fast-paced and engaging E-Gaming Tournament held at Middleton Area in partnership with Hopwood Hall College;
Theatre Electric, an immersive virtual reality escape room by Metro Bolout Dodo
Five brand new commissions as part of the Ideas Callout, homegrown ideas from local residents; including Rockdale by Jo Caswell, Kingfisher by Peter King, African Fashion Week by Nigerian Community Association, Emma Reynolds author-illustrator of ‘Drawn to Change the World: 16 Youth Climate Activists, 16 Artists’ hosting comic-making workshop and The Maker Games, a cross between Scrapheap Challenge and Taskmaster.
Move Manchester presented ‘Zugzwang’ – a dynamic dance performance set on a giant chess board, commissioned and supported by M6 Theatre.
The programme included:
OPUS provided:
-
Full feasibility, budget modelling and evaluation;
-
Event and programme design;
-
Production management and event management;
-
All aspects of artist liaison;
-
Commission support and development;
-
Stakeholder and venue/landowner liaison.
