Team appointed for borough’s major art investment

Posted by on 24 Mar 2023

Photo: Front: Councillor Janet Emsley, Councillor Neil Emmott, leader of the council, Councillor Sue Smith. Back (left to right): Bernadette Bone (Conservation architect and heritage consultant), Luke Cooper (Architectural Emporium), Oliver Boaler (Rochdale Development Agency), Chris Allsop (Identity Consult), Stephen Hunt (Stephen A Hunt & Associates), Kate Watson (Sutcliffe) and James Quirk (Hive Projects).

Plans that will see over £8.5 million invested into arts and culture in the borough over the next 3 years thanks to Arts Council England funding are well underway.

Major projects in Rochdale and Heywood have been awarded financial support from the Cultural Development Fund and Capital Investment Fund, and this week senior councillors met representatives from the newly appointed design team and architects now working on plans for Touchstones Rochdale, the borough’s arts and heritage venue and Heywood Civic Centre.

Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) are managing the project delivery on the council’s behalf and teams have begun work on the design process which will lead to the submission of full planning applications in the next couple of months. Building work on the sites is set to start in October 2023.

North-west based Hive Projects will lead on the project management of both schemes, with Architectural Emporium appointed as architects of the Touchstones Rochdale scheme and K2 Architects for Heywood Civic Centre. Structural and civil engineers Sutcliffe will work across both projects alongside quantity surveyor Identity Consults and mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers Steven Hunt & Associates.

Leader of Rochdale Borough Council councillor Neil Emmott said: “I’m pleased to see the teams in place now who will be helping deliver these exciting upgrades. We have a wealth of expertise behind us and although there is much to do we look forward to seeing the detailed designs which will be shared as they progress.”

The funding will see Touchstones Rochdale transformed into a visual arts-led creative and cultural hub with new flexible performance and production spaces for artists, improved areas for training, live events and exhibitions. It will get a new retail and catering offer along with improvements to displays, archives, collections and public access to bring the building into the 21st century.

Work at Heywood Civic Centre includes increasing the size of the foyer, café and bar areas, along with upgrades to the performance space, increased accessibility and reducing the building’s environmental impact. Adaptions will enable the venue to build on the success of its popular events programme with new opportunities for the community to participate in the arts, as well as relocation of local organisation Cartwheel Arts to a new base at the centre. Both venues are operated by the council’s leisure partner, Your Trust, which is also a partner in the projects.

Councillor Janet Emsley, Councillor Neil Emmott, leader of the council and Councillor Sue Smith meet the team who are working on Heywood Civic Centre. Back (left to right) Richard Duddell (RDA), Kevin Horton, (K2 Architects) and James Quirk (Hive Projects) in the main auditorium at Heywood Civic Centre.

Work is also beginning on plans for a cultural district in Rochdale town centre to make the most of the heritage, cultural and creative offer, with new creative spaces and environmental improvements including paving, landscaping and lighting across Rochdale Town Hall Square. Work will start soon on new public art, signage and marketing to improve the overall experience and attract more visitors.

Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and co-operation who visited both sites and met the new team said : “This investment will all help us make much more of the assets we already have to tell a more powerful story, together with events and cultural activities across the borough, creating more opportunities for local people and visitors from across the region to participate in and enjoy culture here. Touchstones Rochdale, Heywood Civic Centre and Rochdale Town Hall are much loved spaces but are in need of updating so 2023 is going to be an exciting year.”

The Cultural Development Fund is a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) fund administered by Arts Council England. The Capital Investment Programme is funded by Arts Council England and The National Lottery Fund.

Jen Cleary, Director North, Arts Council England, said: “We’re delighted to support these projects in Rochdale, one of the Arts Council’s priority places. The awards are just part of our commitment to invest more in the town over the next 3 years. We’re particularly excited to be involved in the Touchstones Rochdale and Heywood Civic Centre capital projects, which will significantly improve opportunities for local people to experience great arts and culture in the borough, as well as provide homes for our new National Portfolio organisations Touchstones Rochdale and Cartwheel Arts.”