Explore technology at Rochdale Digital Festival

There’ll be lots of interactive fun and learning for under 18s and families

Bringing together people and technology, giving people the opportunity to explore the digital scene in the borough and get hands on experience with the latest initiatives, Rochdale Digital Festival returns to Number One Riverside in Rochdale town centre this weekend.

The festival - aimed at de-mystifying technology and showing how useful, easy and fun to use it can be - runs from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 8 June.

Organised by Rochdale Borough Council, in partnership with BBC Radio Manchester who will be broadcasting live from the event, the festival will celebrate digital in all its forms, with demonstrations, lots of free activities and more. 

With 17% of all UK households in fuel poverty, the Energyworks Green Doctor will be providing impartial advice on making your home warmer, cutting fuel and water bills, help reduce your carbon footprint and using smart meters.

The popular FixIt Bar will return, with O2 Rochdale Gurus and students from Hopwood Hall College providing hands-on help for any laptop, iPad, mobile phone or tablet problems. O2 will also be demonstrating their cutting edge technology, including making your home ‘smart’.

If you fancy a career working in digital technology, Hopwood Hall College staff will be showcasing their IT, creative and digital media courses. The college offer courses in networking and web design and can help take your passion for gaming into a career in games development. Take your video skills to the next level too with a creative media course or become a graphic designer.

New Rochdale start-up business Alternate States will be demonstrating the latest in virtual reality experiences and if you fancy learning to code or just want to get your hands on new tech, there will be plenty to try, take part in and enjoy. 

You’ll be able to join an Instagram #DrawThisInYourStyle live collaborative arts project with Doodlher.com – who will be using social media to produce art live.

Experts from Skills for Employment will be providing careers advice for anyone looking for a career in digital technology as well as help with things such as applying for a job via social media, searching for jobs and writing an electronic CV.

There’ll be lots of interactive fun and learning for under 18s and families, helping children and young people to learn through play using coding, robots, electronics and making activity using the latest digital kit.  Heritage Hackers will invite you to meet their dinosaur robot before taking part in an augmented reality dinosaur hunt across the town centre!  They’ll also be hosting lots of child friendly sessions including mindcraft, coding, and scratch (coding for tots).   

The councils adult care service will be showcasing some innovative new assistive technology to help increase independence in peoples own home.

Two free masterclasses for businesses will be held the day before (Friday 7 June) at Touchstones Rochdale, hosted by the Business Growth Hub. One will show all businesses how to improve the performance of their website on internet searches with another aimed at the manufacturing sector focusing on rapid prototyping and 3D printing. 

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/59778/events-in-rochdale/rochdale-digital-festival