Breaking Barriers and the Impact of Community-Led Creativity

Two months after Richard Street Studios celebrated its first birthday, Rochdale Creates paid a visit to the vibrant creative hub in the heart of Rochdale. There, we met lead tenants Breaking Barriers and heard about the many success stories that have emerged from a year of workshops, theatre performances, creative collaborations and more.

Once a weights and measures building, Richard Street Studios now serves the artists and makers of Rochdale’s creative and cultural scene, with seven studios catering to multiple disciplines. Located at the centre of the town’s developing creative cluster, the space benefits from excellent transport links, with rail, Metrolink and bus services just around the corner. Its fit-for-purpose facilities also mean local creatives can work and rehearse without travelling into Central Manchester.

Speaking with Executive Producer Jodie Ratcliffe, it quickly becomes clear the pride Breaking Barriers take in their role as creative operators of the studios and the depth of their impact on the local community over the past year alone.

Breaking Barriers was born from Artistic Director Parvez Qadir’s desire to give back to the community he grew up in. Coming from a South Asian heritage and a place where over fifty languages are spoken, he was acutely aware of the barriers faced by people from multicultural backgrounds entering the arts. Five years ago, he founded Breaking Barriers as a nurturing and accessible Pakistani-led organisation.

“Breaking Barriers seeks to address the issues that many others and I face every day when it comes to accessing high-quality art and culture. We offer unique and magical experiences on people’s doorsteps, provide training for local budding creatives and guide them through mentorship and paid employment opportunities. We tell stories that are often untold and help cultivate a greater appetite for arts and culture in our town.” - Parvez Qadir, Artistic Director.

Breaking Barriers’ work amplifies unheard voices, using film and monologue to tackle social issues, educate audiences and foster safer, more connected communities. The organisation’s multi-disciplinary output spans three strands, the first being social impact films. As Ratcliffe explains:

“One of our films was shown at Westminster to influence policy. In the UK, if a person goes to prison and has a child, that child currently receives no ongoing support. We worked with an amazing charity called Children Heard and Seen to make a film to raise awareness and inspire change.

“We also made a film with Georgia Harrison from Love Island for a campaign called Consent Conversations, commissioned by Thames Valley Police, interviewing hundreds of young people aged 18 to 25 about consent and what it means.” Consent Conversations was screened on the main stage at Reading Festival and contributed to a 60% reduction in reported consent-based incidents on site.

Educational monologues form their second strand. Parvez created Crossing the Line, a short monologue exploring Child Criminal Exploitation through the eyes of an 18-year-old boy groomed into a local gang. The piece has toured Greater Manchester for five years, reaching thousands of young people, educating them on the warning signs of grooming and how to spot un/healthy relationships. 

More recently, Breaking Barriers developed Blind Side, a monologue addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG), commissioned by Tameside Council and Greater Manchester Police. Created with input from a thousand young people, the show explores safety, allyship and lived experience and is currently touring schools across the region.

“After the monologue, we hold a facilitated discussion to make sure nobody leaves without knowing who to turn to,” says Ratcliffe. “We don’t want young boys to feel called out, but if they realise they haven’t been an ally before, we make sure they leave understanding how to be one.”

Their third strand focuses on outdoor, community-led projects. Stories We Tell, an immersive guided walk celebrating the people and places of Rochdale through recorded local stories, returns this January and February with Arts Council support and as part of Greater Manchester Town of Culture programme 2025-26. It will bring the streets to life with binaural audio and projected films, sharing local stories of the past and the present. Ratcliffe tells us how five young people were recruited to help deliver this visual feast, reflecting Breaking Barriers’ commitment to developing future creative leaders. 

This ethos is echoed by Young Producer Liam Hobday, who worked on What About Me?: “The process was incredibly collaborative. The Young Company model encouraged us to take initiative, lead on ideas and support each other’s growth. I can see how much this experience has shaped me, both as a producer and as a person.”

Another project, Elevation, a guided walk along the scenic route of Blackstone Edge, brings together communities who often feel excluded from green spaces. Ratcliffe recalls leading women who had experienced domestic abuse and found a renewed sense of safety and connection through the shared experience up on the moorland.

Breaking Barriers is also rethinking ownership of creative work. Rather than retaining control, they hand projects over to local residents, training and paying them as walk leaders and facilitators. These Cultural Pioneers gain invaluable skills, confidence and pathways into creative leadership. Jodie delights in telling us how one participant, Frank, even credits time spent working on the moors with improving his health, and Tobi has gone on to gain an Assistant Director credit on the project one year later.

With a seven-year contract at Richard Street Studios ahead and a growing case for non-profit status, the organisation’s momentum shows no sign of slowing. As Parvez puts it: “Five years into running Breaking Barriers and we’re only just getting started… watch this space!”

If you'd like to be a part of Breaking Barriers' work, there are opportunities to support Stories We Tell: Rochdale through volunteering, as well as by attending the event and experiencing the town brought to life through sound, light and film. You can secure your free tickets here.