ROCHDALE DESERVES TO BECOME UK TOC 2028

By Steve Cooke

My home town, Rochdale’s year as GM Town of Culture 2025/26 excelled in all expectations.

Its legacy is very much alive across the whole town - our expanded AATA  column of ten articles per week proving insufficient to keep up with the activities and events emanating from the thriving and ever expanding creative arts community.

I am delighted and excited that an EOI [expression of interest] has been submitted on behalf of Rochdale Creates and the wider creative, culture and heritage sector, to become the UK’s first Town of Culture in 2028. 

While DCMS [Department for Culture Media and Sport] are still shortlisting the applications, they have now published a map of all the towns that submitted an EOI, alongside the postcards that were created by each town.

Visit: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1Su-761mY3NPLpd4d948m5ppY7R-bslw&ll=53.039405579871676%2C-1.8733686718749887&z=6

Al at AATA are proud to be able to shine a spotlight on Rochdale’s ambitions and the amazing people, organisations and communities that make such fantastic work happen across the borough.