previews, reviews, interviews, and recommendations with Steve Cooke
WEEKEND COLUMN SATURDAY 20 JULY 2024
Feel Good Family Picnic
Preview by Steve Cooke
The Feel Good Family Picnic is a free event for families in July and August 2024 organised by the team behind Rochdale Feel Good Festival to provide fun activities, performances, music, sports and shows for children of all ages.
The Feel Good Family Picnic will be staged in local parks during the school holidays and visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic. Fantastic days of free-to-attend fun and culture for families, magical days out in beautiful settings, with an exciting line-up.
To coincide with the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the theme is the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.
The Feel Good Family Picnic is staged by the council in partnership with Without Walls, a consortium of festivals and arts organisations bringing fantastic outdoor arts to people in towns and cities across England. It has received funding from UK Government through the Shared Prosperity Fund and Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
If you'd like to contact the event team or send feedback, please email FamilyPicnic@rochdale.gov.uk
Programme of events across 4-days
Details of the activities at each event to be confirmed
Each event is open from 12pm-4pm.
Tuesday, 30 July 2024 – Broadfield Park, Rochdale
Wednesday, 31 July 2024 – Limefield Playing Fields, Middleton
Thursday, 1 August 2024 – Hare Hill Park, Littleborough
Friday, 2 August 2024 – Queen's Park, Heywood
Food and drink
You are welcome to bring your own food and drink and enjoy a picnic during the event. Free water refills will be available all day so please bring a bottle with you.
Good value family friendly food and drink will also be on sale at the event. There are on-site cafés and mobile catering at certain venues.
Get involved
Be part of an incredible carnival: internationally acclaimed carnival artists Global Grooves are developing a procession for each date with beautiful giant puppets, costumes, funky drumbeats, flags and high-energy dance, animated by the local community. You can be part of it and no experience is necessary.
Local artists or organisations: if you're interested in being involved in the event, email FamilyPicnic@rochdale.gov.uk
Contact
Event organiser
Rochdale Borough Council in partnership with Without Walls
CELEBRATE SKATEBOARDING WITH BUILD MANCHESTER
Preview by Steve Cooke
adidas Skateboarding is heading to Manchester for a 12-day stop of its global skateboarding event Build.
This summer, Aviva Studios becomes home to a custom-built public skate plaza, with a series of interactive activities hitting the agenda.
Partnering with Manchester's most influential skate communities, Build Manchester presents a series of free events that celebrates skate culture both on and off-board.
Expect open-to-all skate contests, skate school, product launches, exhibitions, film premieres and workshops as well as the chance to see adidas' global team riders skate the plaza.
Kick off the celebrations with a launch party on opening night – featuring a Global Skate Jam, trick competitions, Palace Skate DJs and exclusive giveaways.
Full programme coming soon!
BUILD MANCHESTER
27 JUL - 8 AUG 2024
The Undercroft, Aviva Studios
Accessibility features available for this event: Wheelchair Access
TLC at St Mary in the Baum with Rascality Harp Duo
Review by Dr Joe Dawson
To hear a solo concert harp live is a rare thing. To hear a pair of them is extraordinary. Fortunately, these two first rate musicians have made several appearances at Toad Lane Concerts since they formed the duo as students at the RNCM. The acoustics in St Mary in the Baum Church are ideal, allowing soft and delicate playing to project as well as loud, and incorporate singing and extra percussive sounds.
Alice Roberts graduated first-class from the joint course of Manchester University, where she gained awards for the highest mark in 2016 and 2018; and the RNCM where in 2020 she became the first harpist to win the Gold Medal.
Soloist and teacher Kathryn Mason similarly gained a first-class BMus and a master’s from the RNCM. Both are now freelancers and play solo and with a wide variety of ensembles, orchestras and groups in many assorted styles and genres. Variety certainly seems to be the spice of their lives.
Their individual skills and unique duo sound embraced modern jazz folk, the classical composer Yiruma, Scottish and Irish traditional tunes as well as contemporary hypnotic works by Monika Stadler.
‘John R’ by Dorothy Ashby was interesting as the duo’s name ‘Rascallity’ is so named (and spelt) after a famous number by this ground-breaking American jazz harpist of the 1950s.
The celestial duo included ‘Lethe, River of Forgetfulness’ a haunting original composition by Alice that incorporated celestial singing very effectively. They ended with a swing with her arrangement of the well-known ‘Caravan’ by Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol. A real toe-tapping slinky number.
The audience were clearly thrilled with the unusual and consistent beauty of tone.
One harp is heavenly, two divine - a celestial duo indeed.
The Queen’s Award-winning Toad Lane Concerts are every Wednesday at 12.30pm at the Grade 1 listed church of St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL16 1DZ. Entrance fee is £6. Contact 01706 648872 for further information.
RECOMMENDED
Saturday 20 July 2024 - Sunday 21 July 2024
Two Day Stained Glass Workshop – Glazing and Leading.
In this workshop you will learn all the techniques involved in making a leaded glass panel. All materials are provided, including glass, lead and solder. Tools are also provided but participants can bring their own if preferred. The process of constructing a panel will be explained and there will be plenty of time to practice technique.
On day 1, the time will be primarily spent learning to cut glass along cut lines before cutting all the pieces for your design. Once all your glass pieces are cut to size and shape.
On day 2, you will then be shown how to piece them together using lead joints and solder.
For this course you must have good use of your hands and be able to work at a workbench. You should wear old clothes or an apron/overalls.
Health & Safety: Please note that, because of the use of lead, this workshop is not suitable if you are pregnant or breast feeding.
£100
Phone: 01706 924797
10am - 4pm
Rochdale Town Hall, The Esplanade, Town Centre, Rochdale OL16 1AB
Saturday 20 July 2024 - Sunday 21 July 2024
15 Years of KDA Magic
Kirsten’s Dance Academy presents 15 years of KDA Magic.
A variety dance show showcasing the talents of students aged 3 up to adults.
Saturday performance time is 4pm
Sunday performance times are 12pm and 4pm
£17.00
Middleton Arena, Lance Corporal Joel Halliwell VC Way, Middleton, Manchester M24 1AG
Wednesday 24 July 2024
Rochdale Photographic Society
Tonight's session - Q3 competition - Judge Harry Emmett CPAGB.
We meet every Wednesday at Rochdale Unitarian Church, starting at 7.30pm prompt (doors open from 7.15pm). The door is kept locked so please ring the bell on arrival.
If you would like to see the club for yourself and meet our members, you are welcome to attend as our guest for up to 3 weeks before committing to membership. Annual subscription is £36 for single or £46 for joint membership.
A weekly room fee of £2.50 is also payable on arrival at the meeting. Refreshments are 50p.
Visit the link below for a full 2024 syllabus.
£2.50 for room fee
Doors open 7.15pm, 7.30pm start
Rochdale Unitarian Church, Clover Street, Rochdale OL12 6TP
Wednesday 24 July 2024
Toad Lane Concerts - Rochdale's Weekly Music at Lunchtime
This week we have a Toad Lane Concert Party.
The concert series has been held at St Mary’s since 2001 and was granted the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2020… during the pandemic!
Running every Wednesday, Music at Lunchtime is a weekly live classical music concert series that has been going since the 1960s. The sessions were initially run at the old Rochdale Art Gallery by the local authority, but since May 2001 have been run by volunteer-enthusiasts and artistic director, Dr Joe Dawson.
£6
Phone: Dr Joe Dawson 01706 648872
Doors open 12noon, concert starts 12.30pm - 1.30pm
St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane/St Mary's Gate, Rochdale OL16 1DZ
celebrating creative arts and artists - an oasis of positivity supporting individual and community wellbeing.
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