With the Darnhill Festival just days away, we’ve been busy working with local community groups, Rochdale Connections Trust, Rochdale Youth Service, primary schools, and young people.
Join us on Saturday 6 th July between 12pm – 5pm.
The carnival parade, coordinated by Ben Turner, opens the festival at Argyle Parade at midday.
Local primary schools – Heap Bridge Our Lady St Paul’s, Woodland, and St Margaret’s - have been busy creating carnival costumes with artists, including Oliver Bishop, David McFarlane, Jo Foley, Debbie Goldsmith, Laura Sutcliffe-Tasker, Caroline Daly, and Dani Lovett. Young people from Brownhill Learning Community have been making carnival props with artists Danni Lovett and Caroline Daly in the lead-up to the festival.
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Carnival activity is taking place all over the area, and Darnhill’s Community Café has been a base for artists Laura Sutcliffe-Tasker and Dani Lovett, who have been working with local families to develop costumes and props for the colourful parade.
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This year’s festival theme, Searching For Safer Planets, is about the environment and how people can live more sustainably. Rochdale Borough Council Youth Service has worked with young people on the Darnhill Garden Project, where they’ve been repainting the plant boxes and replanting the garden.
The gardening doesn’t stop with the festival, as more sessions are planned for the autumn starting in September. Cartwheel Arts, in partnership with Rochdale Youth Service, is working with Darnhill Community Café, local families and artist Alex Blaky to help make the garden thrive.
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If you’re interested in participating in the next phase of the Darnhill Garden Project, please contact Steve Beal at steve@cartwheelarts.org.uk. Please put the Darnhill Garden Project in the subject line.
The space-themed carnival parade featuring out-of-this-world costumes, samba dancing, stilt walkers, and drumming kicks off the festival from Argyle Parade at noon.
The parade then heads to the festival site, where free activities for all the family are available between 12 pm and 5 pm, including art workshops, circus skills, theatre, storytelling, skateboarding, and live music.
The whole community is part of the festival each year; over 2000 people attend the festival. We’re looking forward to seeing you at Darnhill Festival on Saturday!