A Summer of Play and Creativity across Rochdale’s neighbourhoods

Thousands of children and families enjoyed a summer of free creative activities across Rochdale borough, thanks to a collaborative programme led by Rochdale’s Cultural Education Partnership.

Bringing together 18 organisations, the partnership worked to make it easier for families to discover what was happening locally, access free activities and enjoy a fun, creative and low-cost summer. 

Ahead of the school holidays, more than 5,000 Culture Quest booklets were distributed through schools, libraries and leisure centres. The booklets brought together information about free, family-friendly cultural activities taking place across the borough, from outdoor cinema screenings and hands-on creative workshops to dance taster sessions at Heywood Civic. 

Children registered with Children’s University could also use their Culture Quest booklet to collect stamps when attending cultural events. These stamps provide evidence of participation in enrichment activities and count towards their Children’s University graduation, organised by Altus Education Partnership. 

Rochdale Pioneers Museum was among the organisations involved in Culture Quest, delivering family workshops in libraries as well as welcoming visitors to the museum in Rochdale town centre. 

Caitlin Shentall, Education and Outreach Officer at Rochdale Pioneers Museum, said: “Overall, we had a really positive summer, with all our sessions being well attended and lots of families visiting us in general. I think being involved with Culture Quest was a major factor in that.” 

One of the highlights of the summer was Playbox in the Park, which attracted more than 1,000 children and adults to Balderstone Park. A giant pink shipping container packed with play equipment was brought to the park by Playful Anywhere. Professional play workers, known as Play Rangers, transformed its contents into opportunities for children and families to play, create and explore together. Local cultural organisations joined the Playful Anywhere team to offer a changing programme of creative activities, including den building, circus skills, heritage-themed games and crafts. 

It was the first time local partners had collaborated on an event of this kind at the park, and the response was fantastic. 

Feedback from families included: 

“We only came for an hour and we’ve been here all day.” 

“We had the best time. Volunteers were so friendly and there were lots of fun activities. Thank you!” 

“You’ve done an amazing job for the community. You’ve all been engaging and helpful.” 

After four days at Balderstone Park, the play equipment was transported into Rochdale town centre to be part of Side by Side Festival, where families could enjoy three days of free activities including children’s theatre, artist-inspired workshops and storytelling sessions for children aged 0 to 4. 

The Cultural Education Partnership also teamed up with the HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) programme to bring artist-led workshops directly into community settings across the borough. More than 450 children took part, trying activities including breakdancing, circus skills and performing arts. For many, the sessions provided an opportunity to experience something new, develop their confidence and discover different ways to be creative. 

This collaborative approach to summer programming was supported by Arts Council England’s Place Partnership Fund, secured by Rochdale Development Agency and supported by Rochdale Borough Council. The funding is helping local cultural organisations work more closely together, build stronger connections with schools and community partners, and make creative opportunities more accessible to residents. By working together to coordinate activities, share information and take creative experiences into neighbourhoods, more children in Rochdale Borough have opportunities to discover and enjoy culture close to home.