Sound walk and performance
NORTHERN LANDS PUBLIC ART TRAIL
A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT BETWEEN THE CULTURE COOP AND EBOR STUDIO
Come and immerse yourself in joyful and poignant artworks from local artists who have been commissioned to create public experiences that concern the urban industrial landscape, our collective histories and social activism right on your doorstep.
The Northern Lands Public Art Trail is an outdoor multi-events project hosted by Rochdale Culture Co-op in collaboration with Ebor Studio, and is an Arts Council England funded Creative People & Places project.
The Trail is free to experience for the public and comprises 4 micro events in November and December 2025. All of the event’s locations are in publicly accessible areas within the Pennines Townships of Rochdale: Littleborough, Wardle, Milnrow, and Smallbridge. There will be a total of 4 professional artist installations and performances which will be related to the heritage and contemporary characteristics of the Pennines Township.
The Trail is designed to showcase artists of the local area and engage with a local audience to celebrate the heritage of Rochdale and the Pennine areas. The trail is made up of visual arts including photography, performance, sound works and theatre. The events are small in scale, and will be appealing to all ages.
Sound walk and performance 8th and 9th of November
Textiles and puppetry theatre performance 22nd and 23rd November
Sound Installation 28th November and 7th December
Outdoor photography exhibition 28th November - end of December
On the 8th and 9th November 2025 between 10am-4pm each day, Natalie Sharp will be installing sound works along the wall of the Rochdale Canal by the Summit for members of the public to intimately experience.
This sound trail will lead up to Sladen Wood Mill where a resolving immersive performance by the artist will be held from 12-4pm, this will be related to the artist’s own connection, and research of the canal and how users interact with it and how being near its waters influences our daily lives meaningfully and creatively.
Location: Rochdale Canal Side Summit Littleborough and Sladen Wood Mill Todmorden Road, Littleborough OL15 9EW.
8th and 9th November 2025
Sound installation – Summit canalside, 10am-4pm
Immersive performance – Sladen Wood Mill, 12-4pm
Natalie Sharp
@nat_sharp
Sound Installation
A spatial audio piece inspired by lost sounds will be installed in a pedestrian underpass in Milnrow. Using recordings of local clogging group Oakenhoof, field recordings, and found sound, Maryanne Royle will present a soundscape exploring industrial heritage, dance, and the work commute in a contemporary setting. The installation will be open as a drop-in on the 28th of November and the 7th of December 2025. The nearby Ellenroad Steam Museum will be having their open day on the 7th of December, drop by to both!
Location: Milnrow Pedestrian Underpass, Elizabeth Way, Milnrow, Rochdale OL16
Date: 28th November 2025, 2pm-7pm, and 7th December 2025, 12-4pm.
Woolly minds under woolly hats
Textiles and puppetry theatre performance
A puppet play will be touring the Pennine Townships on the weekend of 22nd and 23rd November, welcoming all members of the public of any age to enjoy. Helen has created a play of knitted puppets based on the decades of peace work of two local women Rae and Pat. Having protested for peace at the Greenham Women’s peace protest in 1981, Rae and Pat have continued to fight for the campaign of nuclear disarmament and have worked across the world for political and social peace. Now their story is coming to life through knitted performance in the back of a car boot to celebrate the political and social action of Rochdale.
Location: Littleborough, Milnrow, Wardle and Smallbridge
Date: 22nd and 23rd November 2025, 11am-4pm
Sat 22nd November
11am-12, 37 Church Street, Littleborough OL15 8AB
2pm-3pm, 448 Birch Road, Wardle Rochdale OL12 9LH
Sun 23rd November
11am-12, Stevenson Square, Smallbridge Rochdale OL12 9SA
2pm-3pm, Milnrow and Newhay Memorial Park 115 Newhey Road Rochdale OL16 4HF
Helen Davies
@helendavies_yarnartist
Outdoor Photography Exhibition
Stefan is a local photographer who specialises in making documentation about working class life and observations particularly in the Rochdale area. For this project he will be focusing on how we interact and use the canal in our daily lives and be collecting stories from the people he comes across in his journey up and down the Rochdale Canal. There will be a display of photographic images and text including quotes collect from local people about their connection to the canal. This will be along Rochdale canal side between Littleborough and Smallbridge from 28th November to December/January.
Location: Rochdale canal side, Canal Street, Littleborough OL15 0HA
Under the road bridge towards Smithy Bridge
Date: from 28th November – end of December 2025
Stefan Byrom
@es.bee