Drop-in and join Touchstones at The FestiDale for family-friendly drop-in activities full of fun, magic, creativity, and tales!

From 11.30am to 4.00pm you can expect storytelling, a mini museum, community sharings, performances, music and food with Touchstones, Rochdale.

Scrumptious
by Beggars Belief
11.30am – 12.30pm and 2.00pm – 3.00pm  Age: 4+

Join Sylvie, the sweetshop owner and her friends
from Storybook World as they try to
make the world’s finest ice-cream.

Activities in the Afternoon
12pm – 4pm
Get a Portrait, have a look at some fascinating objects
in their Mini Museum, Make with Clay drop-in with Aliyah Hussain,
Badge Making, and an Exhibition of young people’s art
created as part of Touchstone’s Side-by-Side.

Story of the Museum
12:30pm – 12:45pm & 3pm – 3:15pm
Discover fascinating artefacts through a unique story,
telling the tales of the treasures found at Touchstones Art Gallery & Museum
with two special performances.

Gut Feelings Meri Jaan Screening
1pm – 2pm
A film made with Rochdale residents, responding to the
‘Ethnic Minorities’ section of the local history archives
held at Touchstones Museum and Art Gallery.
Together they asked: what do we find when we go looking for
ourselves in the archive? How can we alter the course of history through a new script?

Side by Side Sharing
3.15pm – 3:45pm
A new community programme is happening in and around Rochdale
to celebrate the reopening of Touchstones next year.
Find out how to get involved and what they’ve been up to!

From 3.15pm-4.15pm Touchstones will also be providing a picnic and cakes. Vegetarian and vegan options will be available. Food is offered as Pay What You Can with cash and card accepted.

Stick around afterwards for the first performance of Tales of the Dale followed by music from Shenanigans!

The FestiDale is part of Local Exchange, the Royal Exchange Theatre’s ambitious long-term programme co-curated with ambassadors and champions in communities across Greater Manchester. This is what has been said about past festivals…

“Amazing experience showcasing the community. Loved it.”

“We need these stories told in the communities that need to talk about them”

“It brought people in who may never seen theatre. Told stories never heard.”