Month: August 2024

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Welcome to Rochdale – poem available online

Town Hall lit up with lights inside at dusk

I’m really pleased with the work that Royal Exchange Theatre and the local ambassadors, champions and the filmmaker have done with the words they commissioned for FestiDale. It was great to be involved in the project and the whole event was positive and uplifting – just the kind of creativity, art and entertainment that we need.

The film is now online and you can watch it on YouTube – Welcome to Rochdale on YouTube

and also on the Royal Exchange website – Link to Royal Exchange Community Rochdale Page

Now that the poem has been published in video form I am adding the text version here – I’d love to know what readers think – you can comment on this post.

Welcome to Rochdale

Welcome to Rochdale,
Nestled in the valley of the Roche,
beneath the mighty Blackstone Edge,
rooted in history, striding into the future,
an industrial giant of the Victorian age,
celebrated by our grand Gothic Town Hall.

Welcome to this borough of innovation.
History woven with silk, wool, cotton, kevlar,
and the glass fibre moulding for Concorde’s nose.
Welcome to the UK’s highest broad canal,
longest rail tunnel at Summit,
and the Worlds first railway tunnel in Healy Dell.

Welcome our green-award-winning offices,
library and Interchange on Riverside,
Be astonished by our ideas and sustainability!
Welcome to this home of innovation.

Welcome to the home of Samuel Bamford,
Weaver, poet and leader of marchers to Peter’s field,
and John Bright, radical, anti-slavery hero.
Welcome to the cotton famine road.

See our memorials, testament to sacrifice,
from our archers at Flodden, the fallen in the Boer War,
the Great War, World War Two and all conflicts since.
Remember them, and remember Fusilier Lee Rigby.

Welcome to Toad Lane, the home of cooperation,
a quiet rebellion against poverty and inequality,
that spread across the country, onto a world-wide stage.
“Each for all; and all for each”
	
Visit our stages, our performers.
See “Our Gracie’s” statue by the Town Hall,
Hear Lisa Stansfield, ‘All around the World”.
Watch Mike Harding, Steve Coogan,
spot top twitcher Bill Oddie,
soap stars Julie Goodyear, Anna Friel and Sue DeVaney.
Celebrate the Courteeners, and the “Stones” illicit concert behind the lake.
Celebrate our bands, singers, cloggers and dancers, placing Rochdale centre stage.

Celebrate our sports stars, on track and field.
Row, sail, paddle, or cruise aboard the Lady Katherine,
on Hollingworth Lake, where Captain Webb practiced to swim the Channel.
Celebrate Rochdale AFC, the Hornets, and our many sports clubs.
Celebrate European Cup winning Lioness, Kiera Walsh,
and World Champion cyclist Mandy Jones.

Cherish our churches, marvel at our mosques, meeting places and halls.
See our history, experience our present, and glimpse our future.

Welcome to a home to the peregrines, the lost, the wanderers, those with no place to go.
Meet the people who will speak with you and extend a hand of support.

Look at our communities, our buildings, our spaces.
Look to the sky, to our much-loved clock tower,
where the Peregrines raise their young.
We welcome them all, new sons and daughters of the Dale.

Welcome to Rochdale.

(c) Seamus Kelly 2024


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Poetry / Spoken Word Workshop – FestiDale – Friday 16th August 3.00pm to 5.00pm

image of a sunset with an autumn tree and lovely golden colours

I’ve created this workshop on behalf of Cartwheel Arts for FestiDale, from the Royal Exchange Theatre, at Kingsway Park High School in Rochdale.

The theme is “I come from” and participants will be able to write about the things that make us who we are, and most importantly the things that make us happy.

There will be examples, discussion, templates and support and your words can be shared with others at the session. This workshop is open to both new and experienced writers and all materials and support will be provided. You can book a place online on a pay what you feel basis (from only £1) on the FestiDale website https://www.royalexchange.co.uk/season/the-festidale/.

Looking forward to seeing and hearing the work that will be produced.


The Animal Olympics: Exciting Session at Junction Library in Middleton
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The Animal Olympics: Exciting Session at Junction Library in Middleton

Tomorrow I will be delivering my first session as part of this Summer’s HAF (Health, Activity and Food) programme for Your Trust at Junction Library in Middleton.

A picture of the Olympic rings with a line drawing of a different animal in each ring

The theme for these sessions is “The Animal Olympics”. Inspired by the recent Olympic Games in Paris the story and associated materials imagines an Olympic Games where the competitors are animals representing their countries.

There are competitors from the same continents taking part in events that are similar to those we have seen in Paris. Does everything go as planned? Who wins the medals?

All will become clear tomorrow and the children will be able to create their own versions and pictures. Promises to be a fun session.

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“Welcome to Rochdale” previews at FestiDale Launch

Last night, 7th August, saw the opening of the Royal Exchange Theatre’s FestiDale events in Rochdale.

I was delighted to hear my poem, Welcome to Rochdale”, performed by some of the local ambassadors and champions for the theatre, ahead of the opening speeches. The poem speaks of some of the history and innovations for which the town is famous and the social values that led to the formation of the cooperative movement, support for anti-slavery and welcoming new people to our community.

Members of the ambassadors and champions reading “Welcome to Rochdale”

I was really pleased by the reception my words received, and really impressed by the way the group performed the work. Shortly after the speeches we had a chance to watch the film of the poem and I am grateful for the performers, producers and film-maker, who made a really good film.

The large audience was welcomed by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Councillor Susan Smith, the CEO of the Royal Exchange Theatre and the Headteacher of Kingsway Park School. Ambassadors and Champions introduced the events that will be included in the festival and all were warmly welcomed by the audience. Full details of the program can be found at https://www.royalexchange.co.uk/season/the-festidale/ where you can also book for the various ticketed events.

Deputy Mayor Janet Easley and Cllr Susan Smith

Music for the evening was provided by Littleborough Brass Band and with food and mocktails from New Cooperators everyone had a good time and the festival is set for a successful and creative run from today to 18th August.

Beautiful Artwork from Nic , 16 Serendipity Lane - which will be on show throughout the festival.
Beautiful Artwork from Nic, 16 Serendipity Lane
Photo of myself (Seamus) having just watched the film of my poem in The Den.
Sitting in the Den after watching film version of my poem
My new poem heads into the world tonight
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My new poem heads into the world tonight

My last post spoke about a poem that I had just completed for a commission. The details of the commission and the poem itself have been kept quiet pending its release – but I have titled it “Welcome to Rochdale”. I cannot reveal the content until it is public but I can say that the poem, about people and places in Rochdale, is optimistically upbeat. When I received the commission I was asked to make something positive and I was able to say that my work in this case would be unrelentingly positive.

The commission came from The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester and they were looking for a 3 minute poem to use for a film as part of “FestiDale” a festival celebrating creativity being held in Rochdale. Festidale opens tomorrow, Thursday 8th August, and all events are being held in Kingsway Park High School. You can find the full programme at https://www.royalexchange.co.uk/season/the-festidale/

As part of the festival I will also be running a creative writing workshop on behalf of Cartwheel Arts from 3.00pm to 5.00pm on Friday 16th August – places can be booked on the link above and you can choose to pay either £5, £3 or £1 for your online ticket.

The workshop is titled “I come from….” And will give people a chance, and encouragement, to write about origins, place, family etc. I’ll share some examples for people to hear and read to give a flavour of what can be done. Participants do not need to have written poetry before and I will introduce some basic techniques and ideas to get everyone going. I’ll also provide materials and draft structures so that people won’t need to bring anything along.

I’m looking forward to seeing the film of “Welcome to Rochdale” this evening at the special preview event. Of course as well as the exciting anticipation to see the piece performed on film by local ambassadors and champions of the Royal Exchange Theatre, there is always a little bit of nervousness: How will they have made the work look? Will the audiences like it? Once the film is made available online I will post a link here and on my social media channels.

Massive thanks to the Royal Exchange Theatre for commissioning me to write the poem and to Cartwheel Arts and Rochdale Development Agency for suggesting they should ask me.

More to follow after the launch.