Hidden Tales, a digital arts trail set in Rochdale

Tuesday 03 October 2017 - Saturday 28 October 2017

Various Locations
Rochdale

Details:

Breath taking tales of lives spent finding paths through adversity and surviving against expectations, featured in the inspiring, innovative digital arts project, Hidden Tales, include a professional horticulturalist who learned his trade through illegal marijuana cultivation and a nun whose encounters with tragedy only cemented her faith and desire to support the vulnerable.

Accessible via smart phone via codes found in public spaces, journeys into remarkable, real-life stories of addiction, mental illness, hope and resilience feature in Hidden Tales, a digital arts trail set in Rochdale, between Tuesday 3 – Saturday 28 October 2017.

A partnership between CAN (Community Arts North West) and Petrus a charity in Rochdale working with people who are homeless or at risk, the 18-month project determinedly tells stories of perceived human weakness and undeniable, often unlikely strength with unique wit, dark humour and honesty.

A poem, a portrait and a QR code on a large-format print becomes a door into other people’s worlds, recognising their resilience against addiction, mental illness, personal tragedy, homelessness and isolation. Breath taking tales of lives spent finding paths through adversity and surviving against expectations include a professional horticulturalist expert, whose career owes everything to ADHD and illegal marijuana cultivation, and a nun whose encounters with tragedy only cemented her faith and desire to support the vulnerable. 

Purposely positioned in the town the stories are told, siting audiences alongside the subjects, the specially commissioned artworks are to be hosted in a range of public locations, to either be found by accident or as part of a published trail. The trail starts at Touchstones, Rochdale’s cultural centre, where visitors can pick up a map and follow the trail to find the rest of the artworks throughout the town centre, including the historic Town Hall, the Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre and the Pioneers Museum. 

Petrus service users and volunteers with stories to tell spent time with CAN’s creative team, including award-winning filmmaker Mat Johns, poet Martin Stannage and CAN Creative Producer, Sara Domville and each given the opportunity to tell their story, their way. 

Hidden Tales’ raw, storytelling and poetry-penning talent has a further chance to make their words heard in a live event taking place at The Vibe, Rochdale on Tue 17 October 2017 (2pm – 4pm) hosted by Mancunian wordsmith, Mike Garry. An afternoon of music, poetry drawn from workshops held in the Rochdale area and the screening of the eight short video portraits created for the Hidden Tales Trail, it is part of Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival 2017.

Hidden Tales, Digital Arts Trail, Rochdale, Various Locations, FREE

Tue 3 Oct – Sat 28 Oct 2017

Information and Art Trail Locations: http://hiddenrochdale.co.uk (live from Tue 3 October 2017)

Hidden Tales Live Performances and Film Screenings, hosted by poet, Mike Garry: Tue 17 Oct 2017, 2pm – 4pm, The Vibe, 34 Drake Street, Rochdale. Part of the Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival.

http://hiddenrochdale.co.uk