WEEKEND COLUMN SATURDAY 11 JULY 2026
- STEVE COOKE AATA
- 1 minute ago
- 9 min read
An oasis of positivity celebrating the creative arts with previews, reviews, interviews, and recommendations.
WEEKEND COLUMN SATURDAY 11 JULY 2026
Interview: Art and culture in Rochdale – Quo Vadis? An interview with Rachel Lever – RDA’s new Managing Director by Steve Cooke.
Previews: Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City, Steampunk RTH, Ai Weiwei Film Weekend Marathon plus Dinosaurs join David Bowie at Aviva Studios
Art and culture in Rochdale – Quo Vadis?
An interview with Rachel Lever – RDA’s new Managing Director by Steve Cooke
Rochdale Borough Council established Rochdale Development Agency [RDA] in 1993 as a not-for-profit company to take a lead role in driving regeneration and development within the borough.
RDA was the lead organisation in delivering the very successful year as GM Town of Culture 2025/2026, in partnership with such as Your Trust, Rochdale Town Hall, Culture Coop, and the Rochdale Borough Culture Network.
A new Managing Director has recently been appointed, and I caught up with her to discover what vision she has for the future of the creative arts in our borough.
Rachel Laver brings over 25 years of experience in economic development and regeneration, having previously served as Chief Executive Officer at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce. In her new role, “she will focus on driving Rochdale's regeneration initiatives, particularly the ambitious Atom Valley project, which aims to create 17 million square feet of employment space in the advanced manufacturing sector”.
Paul Ormerod, chair of Rochdale Development Agency, said:
“Rachel’s commitment to partnership working reflects our long-standing tradition of co-operation, while her track record in innovation and low carbon development aligns with the new wave of reindustrialisation across Greater Manchester. We look forward to working with her to move the borough forward with ambition, creativity and purpose.”
On her appointment Rachel Laver, said:
“Joining RDA at such an exciting moment is a real honour. Rochdale is a borough shaped by its pioneers, co-operation and resilience; these values will guide how we drive its future growth. As GM Town of Culture, Rochdale has demonstrated the power of creativity to bring communities together and amplify its identity on a wider stage. Coupled with a strong business base and major strategic opportunities the borough is poised for a new era of high value jobs, investment and sustainable growth.”
Her first impressions:
“I think there were something like 257 events in the year as GM Town of Culture, which was just phenomenal, The week before I started, I attended the Culture Awards, we are committed to doing this again. The event gave me a flavour of the communities, the coming together and commitment to doing something good for the area. It was my first time in the town hall, and I couldn’t believe beautiful it is, we are very lucky to have such a wonderful asset!”
Partnerships:
“I see our job as to hide the wiring. I see RDA as the convenor. We can bring in money that the council doesn’t have access to. To be on the front foot, working with Your Trust and community groups. We need to identify opportunities but not get siloed about it. It doesn’t matter if Your Trust bring in the grant, us or even money from RBC what matters is that we have the funds to make things happen. Working with community groups can help address anti-social behaviour by engaging people.”
The future:
“It is important that we keep the momentum of the Town of culture going with all our community groups. Pete [Cortie] and the team are wonderful in doing this. I am really excited about Touchstones reopening in 2027 and the amazing art planned to come up from London. We need to make sure that local people are aware of this and that we bring people in from outside the area. You could come to Rochdale to see a Picasso and a Turner wow! We need to package this up – don’t just come to Rochdale for a day - come for a week. We are going for the national Town of Culture in 2027 to keep up the momentum.”
Beautiful Rochdale:
“We are developing a new website called This is Rochdale. This will be business based but when business are looking to relocate it is not jest about a plot of land, it’s about the infrastructure, which is excellent, the local workforce, I want to create jobs for local people, and the culture. I recently got told off for saying that I was a bit surprised about how beautiful Rochdale is, but it is and that is not the impression people have. We are looking at setting up a campaign along the lines of So You Thought You Knew Rochdale. People will be astonished about how beautiful it is and its wonderful heritage. We have some wonderful housing; it is important that we have social housing but also executive housing as that brings money into the area. So that when moving your business to Rochdale you can also live here and have a really good quality of life with your family. If you look at the Common Walls [mural project], they have been so well done. When you walk around Barcelona and suddenly come across a beautiful building, I find that in Rochdale, it makes people proud to live here.”
The influence of Rachel’s own cultural life:
“I love going to the theatre and I love seeing comedy. I am very excited about the town hall, I think we should put some performances on there, and we have got some amazing performance spaces outside. I think the Feelgood Festival is brilliant. We need to look at getting national tours to Rochdale and also look to engaging young people in theatre.
My overall impression is that arts and culture is in good hands and we can look forward to even better times. In Rachae’s own words “We have a lot of exciting things coming up!”
Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City
Preview by Steve Cooke
A wonderful opportunity this summer to visit Machu Picchu on your doorstep, in Manchester.
You can step into Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City and experience the legendary Inca citadel like never before. Traverse the majestic mountain site, explore the agricultural terraces, the Temple of the Sun, and other iconic ruins as you witness the beauty of the Andes all around you. Developed with leading archaeological experts, this immersive virtual reality experience offers a rare chance to connect with the rich history and mysteries of Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City transports you back 450 years ago to the heart of the ancient Inca Empire in stunning virtual reality. You’ll climb the breathtaking peaks of the Andes, wander through the Temple of the Sun, walk the famed terraces, and uncover the secrets of this awe-inspiring citadel. Five years in the making, this groundbreaking recreation by the world’s top 3D modelling specialists lets you explore this Seventh Wonder like never before!
TERI, your robot companion, will be guiding the expedition through sacred temples, terraces, and breathtaking mountain vistas
See the unseen—this experience is built from rare pandemic-era access to Machu Picchu, captured using drones, LiDAR, photogrammetry, and expert guidance from Inca historians
Explore freely with no limits—this immersive world was hand-crafted by over 50 engineers so you can step inside history like never before
A one-of-a-kind virtual reality adventure for families, history lovers, and curious explorers of all ages!
£20, £13 concessions
Approx. 1 hour (the VR experience lasts 40 minutes) at Transmission House, 11 Tib St, Manchester M4 1AF
Age requirement: 10+
Accessibility: the venue is wheelchair accessible
Steampunk Festival - Rochdale Town Hall
Preview by Steve Cooke
Rochdale Town Hall is set to host an exciting new Steampunk Festival, brought to life by the organisers behind the much-loved Haworth Steampunk Weekend.
Visitors are invited into a world of imagination, invention, and Victorian-inspired creativity.
T
his new event will transform the Town Hall and Square into a vibrant hub of costume, craft, performance, and alternative heritage. It will celebrate the artistry, eccentricity, and community spirit that define Steampunk culture while showcasing Rochdale as a place where creativity and heritage meet in the most spectacular way.
Free, no need to book.
10:00 - 16:00 on Saturday19 September, Rochdale Town Hall, The Esplanade, Rochdale OL16 1AZ
Ai Weiwei Film Weekend Marathon
Preview by Sterve Cooke
Urgent, global and shocking, Ai Weiwei’s extraordinary filmography comes to Aviva Studios this summer with nine films in three days
Join a marathon screening of Ai Weiwei’s feature-length films and experience the full force of one of the greatest artistic voices of our time – in celebration of our summer exhibition Button Up!
Unflinching and ever more relevant, Ai Weiwei’s award-winning filmography fuses art, activism and raw documentary to map the fault lines of our century: mass displacement, state surveillance, censorship and the fragile spark of resistance.
From Human Flow (2017), a sweeping epic exploring the refugee crisis, to Cockroach (2020), a visceral portrait of Hong Kong’s protest movement, each film transforms the camera into an act of resistance – documenting what power would rather conceal and insisting on the humanity of those pushed to the margins.
Viewed alongside Button Up! – a major new exhibition confronting 200 years of history, trade, empire and power – Ai Weiwei’s filmography exposes the devastating consequences of these forces on the present day.
Choose a single film below, book a day pass or join the full weekend marathon!
Friday 21 – Sunday 23 August in The Hall, Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester, M3 4JQ
Dinosaurs Join David Bowie at Aviva Studios
Preview by Steve Cooke
Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs joins the Lightroom programme at Aviva Studios, home of Factory International this winter.
Blending iconic moments from Apple TV’s Emmy-nominated Prehistoric Planet with brand-new material, Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs transports audiences back in time, 66 million years ago, to experience dinosaurs closer than ever before. Narrated by critically acclaimed actor Damian Lewis, the 360° immersive experience is a celebration of our natural world through captivating storytelling, breathtaking visuals and groundbreaking technology.
Damian Lewis guides audiences through the fascinating role dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures have played in shaping our world, from Ammonites to Mosasaurs to the Tyrannosaurus rex. Lightroom’s state-of-the-art 360 projections allow viewers to see these majestic animals at an awe-inspiring scale and travel alongside them through volcanoes, soaring skies and the deep sea.
As escapist as it is educational, audiences will not only experience some of the most beloved scenes from seasons one and two of Apple TV’s Prehistoric Planet, but they will also be immersed in exclusive extended CGI sequences and bespoke illustrations that bring the show to life in entirely new ways.
This epic adventure is set to an original score by multi-Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer, Anže Rozman, and Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music.
Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs has been directed and designed by 59 Studio in close collaboration with the markers of Prehistoric Planet, Apple TV, and Executive Producer and BBC Studios Natural History Unit Creative Director Mike Gunton.
Lightroom - Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs (8 December 2026 - 10 January 2027)
The experience joins previously announced David Bowie: You’re Not Alone, which gives audiences insight into the creative mind and performances of one of the world’s most visionary artists, featuring David Bowie as its sole voice. Lightroom’s 360° immersive experiences utilise the versatility of Aviva Studios’ Warehouse space.
Lightroom - David Bowie: You’re Not Alone (8 December 2026 - 10 January 2027)
RECOMMENDED
Saturday, 11 July 2026
Lego Club - Rochdale Central Library
Every other Saturday. Get creative with Lego and join our free club, suitable for all the family. There's Duplo available for younger siblings.
For families with children aged 2 and over, and teenagers.
No need to book, you can just turn up.
Free
12pm - 1pm
Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16 1XU
Saturday, 11 July 2026
Reading Group - Littleborough Library
Our group meets once a month on the second Saturday to discuss various authors, genres and themes. If you want to join us, there is no need to book, just turn up.
Free
10.30am - 11.30am
Littleborough Library, Hare Hill Park, Littleborough OL15 9HE
Saturday, 11 July 2026
Code Club - Rochdale Central Library
Every other Saturday. Come along and learn how to code at our Code Club.
The sessions will be fun and informal.
Free
Families with children aged 7 and over, and teenagers.
No need to book, you can just come along.
11am - 12pm
Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16 1XU
Monday, 13 July 2026
Book Club - Junction Library
2nd Monday of every month. Come and join us at Junction Library for a brew and a cosy chat about the books you've read. We can’t wait to meet you.
Free
For adults.
No need to book, you can just come along.
2pm - 3pm
Junction Library, Grimshaw Lane, Middleton M24 2BW
Wednesday,15 July 2026
Toad Lane Concerts - Rochdale's Weekly Music at Lunchtime
This week we have - Tim Kennedy tenor (Cambridge University & RNCM staff) Carol Kwater piano
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
St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane/St Mary's Gate, Rochdale OL16 1DZ
Doors open 12noon, concert starts 12.30pm - 1.30pm
