Family event to celebrate Earth Day to be held at Number One Riverside

In celebration of this year’s Earth Day, several Rochdale-based charities, organisations, and community groups have collaborated to host a free, family event, Reduce Waste Rochdale.

Those involved include Touchstones, Community Arts North West, Rochdale Town Hall, Pioneers Museum, and local Rochdale primary schools.

Touchstones Rochdale, in collaboration with Community Arts North West, Rochdale Town Hall, Pioneers Museum and primary schools from within the borough, are hosting a family-friendly event at Number One Riverside in Rochdale town centre on Saturday 20 April.

The day is in celebration of the globally recognised awareness event, Earth Day, on 22 April. This is an annual event that aims to diversify, educate, and activate the environmental movement worldwide.

First launched in 1970, the founders of earthday.org have been mobilising more than one billion people every year to aid its mission, and this year’s theme is ‘Planet v Plastics’, which highlights the risks and changes needed when it comes to the amount of plastic we use in our lives.

Reduce Waste Rochdale will embody this theme through family-friendly activities set to run throughout the day and will also feature a special performance titled Force of Nature in collaboration with Rochdale residents.

The Force of Nature performance features Rochdale Women’s Welfare Association members who will share their reflections on environmental sustainability in Pakistan. The group have been working with poet and spoken word artist Sarah Yaseen.

Sarah Yaseen worked with the Rochdale Women’s Welfare Association for over a month to run writing and memory workshops about the changes to the environment in Pakistan. With many women having family roots in Pakistan, the group knows how the climate emergency seriously impacts the country.

Jennie Vickers, Creative Learning Manager at Touchstones commented, “Earth Day is such an important day in the calendar for our planet, and one that really lends itself to educating our younger residents about the future.

“We love to celebrate and engage residents for Earth Day in fun and exciting ways, and this year’s ‘Reduce Waste Rochdale’ event does just that. It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with so many people from within the borough to create such a special event.”

 

 

During the event, attendees can view unique art installations created by school children over the last few months. Visual artist Danielle Lovett has worked with Touchstones and pupils at St Peters CE Primary School to create 3D sculptures and banners. Actor and puppeteer Tom Byrne has worked with Coop Heritage Trust and Newhey Community School on unique planters and poems. Peoplescape Theatre has created shadow puppets with Spotland Primary in partnership with Rochdale Town Hall.

Lord of the Bins – two puppets Gandalf the Garbage and Frodo Bin-Baggins – will be spreading their recycling message throughout the day; whilst Touchstones bring their mini-museum as part of the Collections on Tour programme – running whilst the museum is closed for redevelopment.

Visitors to the event can also engage in interactive art activities for all ages and join in open discussions on shaping the borough and our planet for the future.

Reduce Waste Rochdale is part of the Wild Outside programme funded by the Garfield Weston Foundation - a series of events, projects and learning activities that encourage children to celebrate and protect our natural environment through creativity and action.

Wild Outside is delivered by Create Rochdale partners, working together to inspire hope and optimism whilst giving voice to children and young people for whom the climate crisis is a real and present danger.

The event is free to attend and will run from 12pm until 3pm on Saturday 20 April.