Young talent shines at Rochdale’s FAB Youth Arts Festival

FAB – Rochdale's new youth arts festival took to the streets and venues across the town with young people’s creativity at the centre of a packed programme during the closing weekend for Rochdale’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture 2025-26. 

Created with young people for young people, FAB (which stands for freedom, art and belonging) featured theatre, live music, dance, poetry, circus, exhibitions, e-gaming, murals a carnival parade and more, attracting over 1,500 visitors, showcasing work by local children and young people.   

There were tours of the towns murals as well as the unveiling of a big new one created especially for the festival on the side of the Regal Moon building in Rochdale town centre by top mural artist Hayley Garner (aka Aylo), who curated of last year’s Common Walls International Mural Festival.   This epic creation was inspired by the views and aspirations of over 100 local children. 

There was a lively carnival parade through the town centre, which drew big crowds, led by local performers from Global Grooves and the Nigeria Community Association.  

M6 Theatre performed a captivating show for younger children called ‘The Street Where I Live,’ at Number One Riverside, featuring Cyril the cat and his owner Granny Bradshaw.  

There was an outdoor art exhibition at the Square Gallery in front of Rochdale Town Hall, featuring stunning work by art students from Hopwood Hall College who have been working with social enterprise PLACED and Rochdale Development Agency to explore the future of the town and how they would like local public spaces to look.  

A special edition of the regular Teenage Market was held inside Rochdale Town Hall, promoting young creativity and enterprise, with stalls filled with handmade goods, artwork, music and more from talented local young makers. 

New murals were created on Yorkshire Street, with young artists mentored by Aylo and delivered by The Butterfly Effected. 

Number One Riverside hosted a Poems to Change the World Exhibition as well as poetry workshops hosted by the town’s two young poets in residence Alende Amisi and Sasha Mostafa. 

Rochdale Music Service played a wonderful mix of solo and group pieces with young musicians showcasing their musical energy and talent.  They also hosted workshops, with visitors exploring their own talents, trying out instruments themselves.  

There was a ‘Good Shout - Youth Voices Across Art Forms’ exhibition in the town centre, bringing together young creatives and professional artists from Ebor Studio, working in photography, music and textile art for a new interdisciplinary exhibition.  

Films produced by local young people from PINC College and Touchstones Rochdale’s Side by Side project were screened at the town’s Reel Cinema. 

There was also a performance of ‘Ward 76’ - a play by disabled artist Sam and his mother Shirley, inspired by Sam’s own experience growing up in hospital. With humour, a touch of mystery and honest conversations it explored anxiety, disability, loneliness and the pressures of growing up.  

The festival’s main sponsor, Hopwood Hall College was another festival venue, hosting a range of events and workshops including a student art exhibition and e-gaming event featuring retro consoles, virtual reality and formula one racing simulators.   Budding young creatives were shown how movies are made during a hands-on film workshop and there was also an opportunity for young people to try out arts and crafts. 

Skylight Circus Arts Youth Circus showcased their circus and aerial skills before inviting families to try juggling, diabolo and plate spinning.  

Amaranthine by Company Chameleon was a striking dance performance staged at Number One Riverside that explored the story of two people in love, and also in conflict. The dancers navigated the push and pull of disagreement and the journey towards acceptance, with powerful moves. For younger children there was a Heritage Scavenger Hunt around Broadfield Slopes at the back of the town hall.  

Young people were involved in all areas of the FAB Youth Arts Festival, gaining valuable experience, including media students who took charge of social media feeds during the event. Pete Courtie, head of culture and placemaking at Rochdale Development Agency said: “A big thank you to all the young people who helped produce and deliver this festival, supported by the council’s youth service and Create Rochdale, they have all worked so hard.   FAB provided our young people with an inspiring platform to showcase and celebrate their amazing creativity and was a perfect way to our year in the cultural spotlight. Do go and take a look at the artwork on display at The Square Gallery in front of Rochdale Town Hall and the inspiring new murals.” 

Julia Heap OBE, principal and chief executive of main sponsor Hopwood Hall College said: “We were very pleased to support the first FAB Youth Arts Festival, during the closing weekend of Rochdale’s magnificent year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture. It was great to see so much cultural and artistic talent and we were proud to help bring the celebration to life.” 

FAB Youth Arts Festival was supported by the government’s Flexible Funds, Hopwood Hall College, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Arts Council England and Rochdale Town Hall.  

The FAB Youth Arts Festival was part of spectacular line up of festivals, live performances, exhibitions and art during Rochdale’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture 2025-26. The title, awarded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, celebrated the town’s rich history, creativity, talent and diverse arts scene.