Arts & Heritage

Details

Category: Services

Operating from two main sites – Touchstones Rochdale and the Arts & Heritage Resource Centre, Link4Life's Arts & Heritage Service delivers an exciting programme of arts and heritage events, activities and exhibitions. We also care for the arts and heritage collections of Rochdale Borough.

Participating in arts and heritage raises confidence, self-esteem and aspirations. This engaging offer instigates a pathway to a life long engagement with learning and participation with its associated positive benefits to long term health and well being.

Our dynamic offer comprises of:

Arts Development

• It is the aim of Link4Life that this Borough is perceived as a dynamic and nurturing environment in which accessible, quality arts can flourish and participation in arts is seen by all people as an experience that supports the fulfilment of human needs.

   The Arts & Heritage Service does this by:

  • Working closely with and giving revenue support to Voluntary Sector Arts Organisatiions in the borough, which aim to engage people in creative experiences
  • Initiating and/or supporting individual projects which focus on access to the arts through participation
  • Working in partnership with different council services and other agencies to address personal and social issues in the lifes of people of all ages, cultural backgrounds, abilities and lifestyles
  • Advising and supporting arts organisations and artists to reach their goals in the arts development field
  • Giving information and advice to members of the general public about activities, project opportunities, involvement and training
  • Supporting events and event development
  • Promoting the value of the arts. 

Art Gallery

• Management and curation of the Art Gallery at Touchstones Rochdale which consists of four gallery spaces: one for the Borough's impressive collections, two for the best in visiting contemporary art, craft and design and a dedicated community gallery, Gallery One.
• Collect, care, documentation, conservation and promotion of the Art collection of RMBC
• Outreach, activities and events relating to the Art Gallery exhibitions and collections including outreach display cases at Heywood Library and Middleton Arena.
• Exhibit and interpret contemporary art and craft, support local artists and community groups through the dedicated community gallery (Gallery One) in association with the Gallery One Community Panel.

Life Long Learning

• Deliver and develop both informal and formal learning linked to the collections, exhibitions and participatory arts developing pathways onto a life long engagement with arts & heritage for the mutual long term benefit of participants.
• Delivery of school workshops and loan box service.
• Encourage volunteering in arts & heritage.

Museum

• Management and promotion of museum and Heritage Gallery at Touchstones Rochdale
• Collect, care, documentation, conservation and promotion of the museum collection of RMBC
• Outreach, activities and events relating to the Museum display and collections including outreach display cases at Heywood Library and Middleton Arena.

Local Studies

• Collect, care, documentation, conservation and promotion of Local Studies and archive collections
• Management of Local Studies collections, activities, displays and events around the Borough including two satellite Local Studies Libraries at Heywood and Middleton Libraries
• Support Rochdale Library service in Local Studies
• Management of the Local Studies Centre at Touchstones Rochdale

Visitor Services

• Front of House services
• Visitor Information Centre (Touchstones Rochdale) providing a focus for all Boroughwide and regional information re: tourist attractions and events.
• To promote the Borough and its attractions and events
• Support RMBC in raising the profile of the Borough and developing and promoting quality tourism products

Facility Management

• Facility Management- including building maintenance, meeting and conference services
• Health & Safety

National & Regional Context

The Service proactively seeks to engage with national and regional strategies, programmes and events including the 'Prosperity for all: the Greater Manchester Strategy', Cultural Olympiad, Torch Relay, International Year of Cooperatives 2012. This is achieved through the exhibition and events programme and through working in partnership with Sport & Leisure and Neighbourhood & Communities within Link4Life and other cultural providers to deliver a holistic cultural offer.

The Service engages with National and Regional organisations including:

• Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA),
• Chief Leisure Officers Group (CLOG)
• Arts Council England (ACE)
• Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) now ACE.
• North West Development Agency (NWDA)
• Marketing Manchester
• All About Audiences
• The National Archive (TNA)
• Renaissance North West
• North West Federation of Museums
• North West Regional Archives Council (NWRAC).
• Engage
• Group for Education in Museums (GEM)
• Greater Manchester Archivists Group (GMAG)
• Greater Manchester Museums Group (GMMG) (formerly Forum)
• Greater Manchester Arts Officers Network
• Greater Manchester Tourist Information Centres
• Museums Association