WEEKEND COLUMN SATURDAY 13 JUNE 2026

An oasis of positivity celebrating the creative arts with previews, reviews, interviews, and recommendations.

WEEKEND COLUMN SATURDAY 13 JUNE 2026

Previews: Breaking Barriers, Relaxed Recitals from Chetham's School of Music in Rochdale Town Hall plus Fun! With Barbara Nice at Heywood Civic

Review: Rum, A Powerful New Play

Breaking Barriers

By Steve Cooke

Parvez Qadir founded Breaking Barriers in 2019 with a clear vision: create community-led, socially driven and creatively ambitious work to amplify people and stories that are often invisible within the cultural industries.

Growing up as a British South Asian creative, he knew first-hand that opportunity in the arts is rarely distributed equally. Pathways are invisible when nobody around you has walked them, and doors are closed when nobody who looks like you is holding the key.

Five years on, that mission is measurable. 80 projects, 645,000 digital audiences, 100,000+ live audiences, 532 participants. Work that spans theatre, film, audio, and immersive storytelling, all of it rooted in real communities and built with the people at its centre.

Breaking Barriers films have reached audiences in Westminster with a film developed for Children Heard and Seen, an organisation supporting children with a parent in prison. This was developed to raise awareness on policy building for those affected, and it’s making a re-appearance this November to shine a light on it once again. Breaking Barriers has also been to Reading festival with Consent Conversations, a series of films developed with Georgia Harrison to raise awareness on healthy relationships and consent amongst young people. This was viewed by over 80,000 people during the festival.

In 2025, as Rochdale took its place as Greater Manchester's Town of Culture, Breaking Barriers was proud to join the diverse portfolio of work that celebrated Rochdale and its diverse communities. Stories We Tell: Rochdale welcomed over 1000 people for an immersive night-time walk that brought the town centre to life through light, sound, and shared the real memories and voices of local residents.

Alongside it, two theatre in education productions have reached the young people across years 5 to 8. Crossing the Line, exploring child criminal exploitation, reached over 14,000 young people across Greater Manchester, Yorkshire, Lancashire and Reading with independent evaluation showing a 53% increase in understanding of child criminal exploitation after a single session. Blind Side, tackling violence against women and girls, has now reached over 6,500 students, with 93% understanding what makes an unhealthy relationship after one performance.

Upcoming projects in Rochdale

Breaking Barriers has a busy summer ahead with filming already starting to support the documentation of the restoration project of Broadfield Park alongside Rochdale Town Hall. They’re also capturing the story of the borough's Holiday Activity and Food programme, ensuring that the communities doing the quiet, vital work of keeping young people fed and active during school holidays are seen and celebrated.

Young company and artist development.

Artist development and nurturing the next generation of creatives sits at the heart of Breaking Barriers’ work. Through its Young Company and wider creative programmes, Breaking Barriers is committed to creating meaningful opportunities for young people to develop skills, gain confidence, and access practical industry experience within the cultural sector.

This summer, Breaking Barriers will deliver its Outdoor Producing Course for 18-25 year olds in Rochdale, a hands-on programme designed to support emerging creatives in developing producing skills, growing professional networks, and gaining real-world experience across outdoor arts and events. The course forms part of Breaking Barriers’ wider commitment to ensuring young people in Rochdale can access creative pathways and build sustainable futures within the arts and cultural industries.

Visit: https://breakingbarriersrochdale.co.uk/

Rum, A Powerful New Play

Review by Steve Cooke with Jade Duckworth

Rum at the Ukrainian Club was part of Touchstones excellent Touchstones Live. As we all eagerly await the re-opening of Touchstones and the new performance space, they are offering a taste of things to come with a season of drama, dance, physical theatre, comedy, contemporary performance and brilliant work for families in partner venues.

Written and performed by Joe Mallalieu and directed by Tess Seddon, is back on tour following successes at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024 (winner of Broadway Baby’s Bobby Award) and a UK Tour in 2025.

We met Danny, plastering since he was a kid, he’s not scared of anything, he’s RUM. Danny’s been up all night and now he’s rushing to finish a job before he has to give the speech of his life.

“This plaster will outlive me. I shape these rooms but in turn they have moulded me. Hiding secrets. Weak spots made to look strong.”

A brilliantly written and performed piece of theatre RUM proved to be thought provoking, darkly humorous and powerful wrestling with the too often unexplored issues around masculinity, mental health and addiction in the building trade.

Jade thought the  play was funny and engaging with laughter despite the serious content.  “I feel it would be fabulous if it could reach a young audience.  Young men who are about to embark in the workplace could benefit greatly and it may steer them away from danger and poor choices.  It would be lovely to see others who are not within that world but live with or support trades men and recognise the struggles they face before it’s too late and negatively impacts their lives.  It would be amazing to see this brought to life in perhaps a TV series so it can be brought to the masses.  There potentially are many more topics and conversations that could be had which would lead from some of the monologues.”

Audience member Joey, “An enjoyable performance.  Really got into it and was immersed.  The topics were poignant.  It took me back to when I was a labourer and the work antics.  Well delivered and the audience appeared locked in.”

Jade chatted with Joe after enjoying the show. “ He explained some of the background contents and where that had come from.  I was particularly interested in hearing how he’s developed the story line.  He spoke of things to come, and I am looking forward to any and all new ventures and theatre events he may have coming up in the future.”

To find out more search RUM by Joe Mallalieu on Facebook. 

Touchstones are proudly partnered with ANDYSMANCLUB, a men’s suicide prevention charity who offer free to attend peer-to-peer support groups for men aged over 18 across the UK and online. Visit: https://andysmanclub.co.uk/

Relaxed Recitals from Chetham's School of Music in Rochdale Town Hall

Preview by Steve Cooke

Relaxed Recitals from Chetham's School of Music will take place on the ground floor of our stunning Town Hall and feature performances from some of the most exciting young musicians in the UK.

There's no dress code and you don't need to know Beethoven from Bach. It's your chance to enjoy an hour of incredible live music.

Free

Refreshments will be available for a donation.

14:00 - 15:00 Wednesdays 10th June and 17th June  at Rochdale Town Hall, The Esplanade, Rochdale OL16 1AZ

To find out more about Chetham’s school of music visit: https://chethamsschoolofmusic.com/

Fun! With Barbara Nice at Heywood Civic

Preview by Steve Cooke

Get ready for 5-star award-winning entertainment with “Fun!”  with the “tip-top Queen of Comedy” Barbara Nice at Heywood Civic

In Barbra Streisand’s recent autobiography, she says: “I haven’t had much fun in my life, to tell you the truth. And I want to have more fun.”

An invitation to Join ordinary housewife extraordinaire Barbara Nice for a laugh-out-loud joyful get-together to reconnect with what makes life worth living.

Barbara says, “In these dark days, we need to find fun whenever we piggin’ can”.

Expect Barbara’s unique comic insights into the current state of play on how we are all getting on.

Fun! is suitable for anyone aged from fourteen to four score & ten, guaranteed to lift the spirits and put a spring in your step.

For this show at Heywood Civic, they have three prices to choose from for the same seat:

£16: A standard price – fair pricing for the show you’re going to see

£14: A slightly lower price – for people who need it

£18: A slightly higher price – for those who want to help support our programme

You can select the right price for you at checkout: https://heywoodcivic.co.uk/event/fun-with-barbara-nice/

19:30 on 26 June  at Heywood Civic LCpl Stephen Shaw MC Way, Heywood, Greater Manchester, OL10 1LW

RECOMMENDED

Saturday, 13 June 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.

Free

For families with children aged 2 and over, and teenagers.

No need to book, you can just turn up.

Email: RochdaleCentralLibrary@rochdale.gov.uk

12pm - 1pm

Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16 1XU

Sunday, 14th June 2026

Conservator Talk and Tour - Rochdale Town Hall

Look deeper into the history of the conservation of the decorated walls and ceilings at Rochdale Town Hall.

Our Civic History and Decorative Surfaces conservator will take you round the Town Hall and discuss the restoration of the wonderful painted surfaces in the building. Learn about the technical analysis of the wall paintings, how they were conserved, and the challenges of conserving the artworks for future generations.

£9.45 (including commission)

For adults and families.

Booking required:

Please book your place by 13 June on Your Trust: https://www.yourtrustrochdale.co.uk/whats-on/events/conservators-talk-and-tour/

Email: hello@rochdaletownhall.co.uk

13:00 - 14:30

Rochdale Town Hall, The Esplanade, Rochdale OL16 1AZ

Wednesday, 17 June 2026

Toad Lane Concerts - Rochdale's Weekly Music at Lunchtime

This week we have -  Jasmine Ai Higgs soprano (RNCM) & Logan Ferris piano (Manchester University)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