Touchstones Rochdale

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Touchstones Rochdale An art gallery & museum housed in a historic Grade II listed building, hosting exhibitions & events. Touchstones Rochdale is part of Your Trust.
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A charity based at the heart of the borough of Rochdale supporting the local community to live active, creative, happy and healthy lives.

13/10/2026

Just over a week to go until No Such Thing at Heywood Market! ⭐️

Join us at Daisy’s Café on Thursday 22nd of October for a free lunch with one of our Community Curators! This is a chance to have a conversation with someone you wouldn’t normally meet, in a relaxed location.

There’s only a few places left, so sign up now! The link is in the bio or visit our website.

12/10/2026

In today’s Creepy Collections episode, Steph introduces us to Ivy, a mysterious statue in our collection who’s left us with more questions than answers. We’re not quite sure who she is or what her story might be, but there’s something a little eerie about her…

If you know anything about Ivy or her possible history, we’d love to hear from you! 🔍

10/10/2026

We’re working towards a future where everyone in Rochdale can live active, creative, happy and healthy lives - no matter their background.

As a Charity, that’s our mission.

It’s why we run programmes that help people rebuild their health, discover creativity, feel connected, gain confidence and find joy at every stage of life. It’s why we open our doors to everyone, especially those who need us the most.

If you’d like to explore how you can help shape our future, please visit our website or get in touch.

This week is and and are encouraging you to practice your skills in image interpretation and close looking. Learn ...
09/10/2026

This week is and and are encouraging you to practice your skills in image interpretation and close looking.

Learn more and join in with activities, content and resources all this week at artuk.org (find the link in ’s bio)

You can also view our online shop on Art UK, through the link in our bio.

07/10/2026

Another creepy find from the collections 👀

This time Ric, our Digital Coordinator, stumbled across a rather unsettling wooden nutcracker carved in the likeness of General Charles Gordon, former Governor-General of Sudan. We can see why it made the Creepy Collections cut… 😳

🍽️ No Such Thing is coming to Heywood!What if you sat down for lunch with someone you’d never normally meet?Join us for ...
06/10/2026

🍽️ No Such Thing is coming to Heywood!

What if you sat down for lunch with someone you’d never normally meet?

Join us for No Such Thing: a free lunch and a chance to share a one-to-one conversation with a stranger. Hosted by our Community Curators from The Dining Room, each lunch is a relaxed 45-minute experience, with thoughtful prompts to help the conversation flow.

📅 Thursday 22 October
📍 Daisy’s Café, Heywood Market Church Place

Lunch is provided, with vegetarian, halal and gluten-free options available.

Spaces are limited, so please only book if you can commit to the date and time.
Find out more and book your place here: https://www.yourtrustrochdale.co.uk/no-such-thing/

Photo Credit: Ed Jones

05/10/2026

🐦‍⬛ Something’s watching…

Eleanor from our Creative Learning team takes us inside our taxidermy collection to meet one of its eeriest residents - a raven that looks like it could come to life at any moment 👀

A powerful multimedia performance bringing forgotten voices, music and history into the present.Inspired by 1905 recordi...
02/10/2026

A powerful multimedia performance bringing forgotten voices, music and history into the present.

Inspired by 1905 recordings of Ava-Guaraní singers from a plantation in Northern Argentina - Rafael Montero, a descendant of those recorded, explores ancestry, remembrance and reconciliation. All the while uncovering the plantation’s connection to Rochdale, through its British owners, the Leach Brothers.

📅Friday 23 October at 7:30pm
📍Rochdale Ukrainian Centre
🎟️ Book your place now: https://www.yourtrustrochdale.co.uk/whats-on/events/arete-guasu/

01/10/2026

Welcome to Creepy Collections! 👻

We’re kicking off our new series where staff choose their creepiest object in the Touchstones collection, starting with Thomas who’s picked a rather unsettling wax doll 😳

Watch Thomas tell the story and let us know… would you be brave enough to stand next to this one?

28/09/2026

This painting "Study of cumulus clouds" attrubuted to John Constable had some damage to the frame, so our Digital coordinator and our Arts & Heritage technician spent some time working on a repair. The frame was scanned and a piece was 3D printed inside a frame that could be used to make a silicone mould. This mould was used to cast a plaster replacement piece, which was then sanded, cleaned up, painted and added to the frame.

This year we celebrate , marking 250 years since artist John Constable was born, with a conserved frame.

Constable’s finished paintings were not spontaneous responses to the landscape. Behind them lay extensive preparatory work – oil sketches and pencil drawings in sketchbooks.

Between 1820 and 1823, Constable produced dozens of oil sketches that tested his speed and skill against the fast changing skies.

Address

The Esplanade
Rochdale
OL161AQ

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

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