TIME to get CREATIVE
‘The time is right for the emergence of a Rochdale Creative Foundation', writes local author and broadcaster, Norman Warwick, of Just Poets.
rochdale boasts more than a dozen revenue funded arts organisations and they are regularly seen at major borough events. there is even an arts forum, at which representatives of these organisations meet to exchange their success stories and to occasionally explore joint funding applications. the arts forum members are now all housed on one website at www.takepart.org.uk; a site which clearly shows how much creative talent there is in rochdale. Looking at the effect of the current economic climate on arts organisations and civic centres, there seems to be an urgent need to review and plan a borough-wide arts strategy, linking the arts to our social economic needs. Rochdale will eventually require a dedicated and purpose built arts venue to facilitate the arts in addressing a warning set of social indicators that include low literacy levels, low cultural engagement, low youth employment and low life expectancy. So why does Rochdale need a creative boost? A vibrant arts community can massively attract tourism to an area and even help to regenerate impoverished towns and communities. A strong arts quarter attracts shops and shoppers and even new industries and services. Across the UK, examples can be seen of successful arts strategies. Close to home the Lowry Centre, Salford, has encouraged footfall to multi-media locations and events around a previously rundown area. Wakefield 36
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recently opened a modern arts venue, celebrating the work of Barbara Hepworth and The Jerwood Centre will open in Hastings, as the latest of such arts-led ventures. A borough with a vibrant artistic community challenges the orthodox, celebrates the innovative and embraces the challenges and changes of the future, whilst retaining the best of the traditional. Arts generate income and wealth and help build a quality of life that attracts investment. This in turn, offers vibrant local lifestyle opportunities, encouraging talented and enterprising young people to remain living locally and contribute to the community by developing individual creative thinking. In doing so, they could stimulate the enterprise, courage and creativity to help
Rochdale turn its history of industrial revolution and co-operation into a model for the 21st century. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that encouraging our borough artists would contribute to social cohesion, good mental health, happiness and wellbeing and help Rochdale to reach its full creative potential. We need the revenue funded and freelance artists of the borough to step forward, speak as one voice from a rochdale Creative Foundation and create wider awareness of rochdale’s excellence in the arts. People still don’t know where to find us and we must change that. are you interested in joining a new rochdale creative foundation? get in touch and let us know your thoughts. email features@rochdalestyle.com.
CELEBRATING ROCHDALE ARTS Touchstones Creative Writing Group hosted a LeXicon festival in September celebrating a day of words, poetry, music and dance. The eventful day included contributions from Skylight Circus Arts, Spiral Dance and bards from The Baum. The Mayor of Rochdale Cllr. James Gartside supported the event and watched some of the live performances.