Blackstone Edge is the setting for an immersive experience that adds new meaning to this iconic landscape.
Rochdale Festival of Ideas
In March, Rochdale hosted its first ‘Festival of Ideas’. Coinciding with the reopening of the renovated Rochdale Town Hall, it brought together artists, musicians, community groups, and schools to explore the power of creativity in bringing together everyone across Rochdale’s diverse community.
Interview with Stephen Wilkinson, founder of Sober Gay Socials
Dry January has ended, temperance is no longer topical. However, taking a break from booze or stopping altogether is something which is increasingly talked about, with one third of under 25s choosing not to drink at all, it seems abstinence is here to stay for some.
Panto flash mob gather to save Oldham Coliseum building
The Oldham Coliseum closed its doors for the final time on 31 March this year with their emotional farewell performance, ‘Encore’. Last weekend, on what would have been the opening performance of the theatre’s renowned pantomime, members of the Save Oldham Coliseum Campaign Group formed a flash mob through the town in a bid to reopen the Fairbottom Street building.
Interview with Kevin Leach, technical manager at Oldham Coliseum
Kevin Leach worked at Oldham Coliseum since June 2006. For about 14 years he was a stage technician before becoming technical manager just before the pandemic. Though having to deal with redundancy himself, he campaigned to save the theatre too, and has posed questions to Oldham Council in his fight for answers and assurances for his colleagues.
Review: Encore Coliseum
It was a show unlike any other. With a cast of stars who began their careers at the Coliseum, with future stars of the stage and screen, with amateurs who have been welcomed onto that stage as they escape the real world with their love of theatre, the show encapsulated the spirit of the Coliseum. This was the last show at Oldham’s Fairbottom Street theatre.
“Lipstick on the pig of austerity” – Equity’s view on the Levelling Up agenda that’s decimating the arts
On Thursday 9 March, Equity met with the Arts Council for talks to save the Oldham Coliseum and the acting jobs it provides. Following this, the actors’ union held a press conference outside the Arts Council offices on Lever Street.
“They’re depriving a whole generation of accessible arts, of ambition, of hope and storytelling”
Oldham Coliseum played host to a star-studded line-up on 21 February, but it wasn’t the usual entertainment on offer. Actors from the North West joined members of the public to save the venue from closure. Coronation Street’s Jane Hazlegrove attended, and we caught up with her after the meeting to talk about her connection to the Coliseum.
Save Oldham Coliseum: actors and community unite to keep theatre in Oldham
Yesterday, 21 February 2023, the actors’ union Equity held a public meeting to discuss the Oldham Coliseum Theatre’s uncertain future. Representatives from the industry addressed a packed auditorium, while those with the political and financial capital to save the building were notably absent.
Events dampen the numbers but not the spirit of a community fundraising Halloween record attempt
Did you see any spooky goings-on in Platt Fields Park this Halloween? You might have encountered a world record attempt at the most people dressed as ghosts in one place!