We're excited to update you on our Crafting Heritage project, which launched in 2024 with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Five trainees, all of whom have experienced forced migration, have built on and developed their skills in devising and facilitating craft workshops for 7 to 11-year-olds through the delivery of workshops in Primary schools across Rochdale.
Through the workshops, pupils have developed their knowledge and skills in Ukrainian Petrykivka, Argentinian loom weaving, Pakistani block printing, Indian Diwali tea light making, and Congolese doll making. Trainees have worked at St Thomas' Church of England Primary School, Newhey; Ashfield Valley Primary School; Harwood Park Primary School in Heywood; and Middleton's St Mary's R C Primary School.
In addition to the work in the borough's primary schools, Crafting Heritage trainees have shared their crafting traditions with diverse communities through workshops at Spotland Community Centre, Kashmir Youth Project (KYP), and Deeplish Community Centre.
The trainees are an important aspect of strategies to broaden the borough's creative workforce to better reflect the diverse communities of Rochdale.
Volunteering has been an essential aspect of Crafting Heritage. Threevolunteers joined the project: one with experience of forced migration, anemerging artist and a student placement. By making volunteering one of the programme's key outcomes, this element is playing its part in making volunteering more inclusive.
During 2025's Refugee Week, Rochdale Town Hall hosts the Crafting Heritage exhibition from Wednesday 18th to Sunday 22d June. The Town Hall is open from Monday to Sunday: 10am–4pm. We hope you can join us.