WEEKEND COLUMN SATURDAY 18 APRIL 2026
- STEVE COOKE AATA
- 21 hours ago
- 7 min read
previews, reviews, interviews, and recommendations with Steve Cooke
WEEKEND COLUMN SATURDAY 18 APRIL 2026
Common Walls: Youth Voices
Review by Steve Cooke
Hayley Garner [AYLO] has very deservingly been awarded Creative of the Year at the inaugural Rochdale Cultural Awards Ceremony at an impressive ceremony in Rochdale Town Hall.
A multi-disciplinary artist and curator of last year’s very popular Common Walls International Mural Festival, one half of world-renowned street art duo Nomad Clan, Rochdale born Hayley has brought bold, large-scale murals to Rochdale and Heywood. Work that explores human connection, emotion and perspective, transforming public spaces through powerful visual storytelling
She also has wrapped up what she says “might be one of the most important projects I’ve been part of this year, Common Walls: Youth Voices, part of Rochdale’s Youth Arts Festival (FAB)”.
Over the past month, AYLO and the Common Walls team worked closely with a small group of young creatives from Rochdale, supporting them through a series of workshops focused on both mural practice and the realities of working in the creative industries.
Covering everything from idea generation and collaborative design through to CV writing, artist statements, portfolio building and scaling work up onto a public wall.
AYLO tells us, “What stood out most wasn’t just the final mural, but the shift in confidence, ownership and ambition. From day one to completion, the level of growth was clear. They showed up, put the work in, supported each other and took the process seriously, and it shows in the end result.”
“This is exactly why opportunities like this matter. In towns like Rochdale, there is no shortage of talent, but access, guidance and real-world experience aren’t always there. When young people are given the time, space and proper support, they don’t just take part, they step up.
It’s been a genuine privilege to work alongside this group. We’ve created something they can be proud of, but more importantly, they’ve built a foundation to move forward from. And they’re already doing that, with commissions and opportunities beginning to come in off the back of this project.”
You can enjoy these wonderful additions to our urban art scene in Rochdale and Heywood – yet another lasting legacy of our highly successful year as GM Town of Culture and yet another reason why we should become the National Town of Culture.
The Common Walls Mural Map is your free guide to Rochdale's open-air art gallery. Use it to explore over 20 stunning murals which tell the stories of the town's people, history and culture. Pick one up at Rochdale Town Hall, Fireground, The Baum, Pionero Lounge, Hampton by Hilton Rochdale, Number Ten Gallery, Buckley Menswear and Number One Riverside or view/download it at rochdale.gov.uk/TownOfCulture Arts Council England
Sounds From The Other City (SFTOC)
Preview by Steve Cooke
Sounds From The Other City (SFTOC) is Salford and Greater Manchester’s annual independent music and arts festival, celebrated for showcasing emerging talent in unconventional spaces such as pubs, churches, galleries, and concert halls. The 2026 edition marks the festival’s 21st year and continues its tradition of championing local promoters and offbeat artistry.
Venues: 17 stages across Salford, including Maxwell Hall at Salford University, St Philip’s Church, Peel Hall, Islington Mill, Salford Museum and Art Gallery, The Old Pint Pot, Old Fire Station Café, Porta, The Green, The New Oxford, and Bexley Square.
Lineup Highlights
The festival features a diverse roster of over 100 performers from the UK and beyond.
Key acts include:
Maxwell Hall: Lynks (masked provocateur), Moonchild Sanelly (South African future ghetto funk), and Manchester’s jasmine.4.t (BBC 6 Music Artist of the Year 2025)
Peel Hall: Pollyfromthedirt (ambient pop)
St Philip’s Church: Blue Bendy (South London art-rock), ashnymph, and Pyncher
Salford Museum and Art Gallery: Ellen Beth Abdi and nu-jazz fusion outfit NONUNONU
Islington Mill: Programming from Band on the Wall, Reform Radio, queer day-rave BENT, LGBTQ+ POC collective Swagga, and performances by Sorvina, Renee Stormz, and DJ Chimpo.
For the first time, early-career promoters trained with Factory Academy will curate their own artist lineups at Islington Mill, adding fresh perspectives to the festival programming.
SFTOC is known as the “Christmas Day” of Greater Manchester’s independent music scene, offering a vibrant, multi-venue experience that blends music, art, and community engagement. The festival does not offer camping, but nearby hotels, hostels, and guest houses provide accommodation options.
Sounds From The Other City 2026 promises a full day of eclectic music and art across Salford, highlighting emerging talent and independent promoters. With over 100 artists performing across 17 venues, it remains a cornerstone event for the region’s alternative music scene.
For two decades Sounds From The Other City has been championing new music, local promoters and the off-kilter beauty of Salford, the oft-overlooked ‘other city’ to Manchester.
To obtain tickets visit: https://soundsfromtheothercity.com/
Sunday, 3 May 2026, during the early May Bank Holiday weekend.
Two local iconic theatre groups have joined forces to produce an iconic musical.
Preview by Steve Cooke
The Curtain Theatre and WAMDS [Whitworth Amateur Musical Society] are putting on one of the most beloved musicals of all time - Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical theatre classic tells the biblical story of Joseph, his colourful coat, and his rise from slavery to power in Egypt. Packed with well-known catchy songs and humour, it's a dazzling tale of dreams, hope, and forgiveness.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The Curtain Theatre Rochdale, Rochdale, OL11 1EB from Saturday 25th April 2026 - Sunday 3rd May 2026.
£16.27 (£15.00 + £1.27 booking fee)
Book tickets: https://www.ticketsource.com/curtaintheatrerochdale/joseph-and-the-amazing-technicolor-dreamcoat/e-ryvyvd
Troubled at HOME
Preview by Steve Cooke
After a well-reviewed run at Edinburgh Fringe, performer Suzy Crothers brings Troubled to HOME.
Troubled is an extraordinary tale of love, loss and human connection - told with tea and biscuits. Blending storytelling, projection and audience interaction, Troubled reckons with the past, offering us renewed hope for the future.
It’s 1993, Mum won’t let Alice go to Funderland because Belfast is burning. ‘How about Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves and Chinese chicken balls instead?’
Fast forward to 2023, where Alice meets Tim, falling in love (finally) but can she escape
the legacy of a childhood shaped by conflict or is this the moment everything unravels?
Age recommendation: 16yrs+ as this performance contains reference to BPD, alcohol misuse, conflict within home/society, descriptive language around a mental health crisis (including reference to self-harm/ hearing voices), bereavement.
The lead artist, Suzy Crothers has created this story based on her own lived experience and subsequent recovery. Whilst these subjects are heavy, they are placed in the context of a recovery journey and a feeling that a journey towards wellbeing is possible.
To learn more about what makes this show so unique, watch recent interview with Saffron, HOME's assistant programmer: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RE6B7VB0QBU
Saffron explained why Troubled audiences will receive a cup of tea on their arrival...
"You will receive a cup of tea as you settle into the performance. This absolutely obliterates the fourth wall from the moment the audience enters the space.
The story is hard; it is emotional and it is vast and it covers not only an array of topics, but a great expanse of time. We are told, through the use of a cup of tea and a Tunnock's tea-cake, to settle in.
We are told to get comfortable. We are invited to be told this story in a space that feels warm and welcoming and this is smart. From the beginning you are rooting for the character, you like her, you want her to succeed. You identify with what it is to feel safe, to feel loved, and to feel held.”
To book tickets visit: https://homemcr.org/whats-on/troubled
Thursday 7 May – Saturday 9 May
HOME 2 Tony Wilson Place Manchester M15 4FN.
RECOMMENDED
Saturday, 18 April 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.
12pm - 1pm
Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16 1XU
Saturday, 18 April 2026
Motown’s Greatest Hits – How Sweet It Is
This stunning 100% live show combines first class music with the slickest choreography and an amazing band, to deliver truly outstanding performances for the best Motown experience you will ever have!
This show will have you Dancing On The Ceiling, with songs from legendary artistes such as Lionel Richie, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson Five, The Isley Brothers, Edwin Starr and many, many more.
From £31.50
19:30
Middleton Arena, Lance Corporal Joel Halliwell VC Way, Middleton, Greater Manchester, M24 1AG
[Accessible viewing platform / area - Wheel chair / pram accessible]
Sunday, 19 April 2026
Tom Gates EPIC Stage Show
Based on the bestselling books by Liz Pichon, and brand new for 2025, Tom Gates EPIC Stage Show comes to our theatre bringing alive the illustrations and music that makes Tom Gates hugely popular around the world!
With catchy tunes and hilarious performances, this fantastic new stage show brings the best of the Brilliant World of Tom Gates into one live show.
From £16.28
15.30
Middleton Arena, Lance Corporal Joel Halliwell VC Way, Middleton, Greater Manchester, M24 1AG
[Accessible viewing platform / area - Wheel chair / pram accessible]
Wednesday, 22 April 2026
Toad Lane Concerts - Rochdale's Weekly Music at Lunchtime
This week we have - Johanna Leung clarinet (RNCM) and ChiChi Li piano (RNCM)
The concert series has been held at St Mary’s since 2001 and was granted the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2020.
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
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