Let me take you back to the swinging 60’s, to Whitworth Street in central Manchester and Station Road in Wigan. Seemingly ordinary looking buildings from the outside, but within those walls, a movement was building. Something distinctly Northern, with Motown and American Soul providing the soundtrack!

Who doesn't love a bit of live theatre? The collective experience of sitting together watching performers give their all for our entertainment, with no second chances, no cuts and resets, no room for error. We're taking a moment to celebrate the best theatres in our region and taking a peek into what's coming up in the near future in each one!

This isn’t about bringing “culture” to Rochdale. It’s about amplifying what’s already here. The artists, the food, the youth clubs, the theatres, the festivals, the stories, the spaces. It’s Rochdale being seen properly, and inviting the rest of Greater Manchester to take a closer look. As Andy Burnham put it, "Rochdale will surprise you. It’s got so much to offer and it’s going to be a wonderful year in the spotlight."

I remember the first time I heard my home 'area' referred to in a song, I was 5 years old. It features in this list actually, I couldn't comprehend how these people on the radio knew someone that I did, how they knew the same places I did.

Their tracks, produced in bedrooms, youth clubs and small recording booths set up amongst friends, provided a soundtrack to a generation. Kids from inner city areas and council estates across Greater Manchester who finally had music that depicted our day to day lives, things we saw, things we experienced, tracks that described in detail people we knew.