Launching on Tuesday 3 October and running until Saturday 28 October 2017, the Hidden Tales digital arts trail reveals eight personal and inspiring films of change and survival. The unmissable artworks, which are on display in public spaces around Rochdale’s town centre, feature a poem, a portrait, and a QR code, which link to the series of short films about addiction, mental illness, hope, and resilience.
To create the art pieces and films, Petrus Community’s service users and volunteers shared their stories and worked closely with CAN’s creative team which included Creative Producer, Sara Domville, award-winning Filmmaker, Mat Johns, and Poet, Martin Stannage. The result is a journey into eight remarkable life stories, all deeply moving, inspiring, and sometimes very funny.
“Our partnership with Petrus is a long-standing one, so we’ve got to know many of the volunteers and people seeking their support very well. During the course of my relationship with the charity, I’ve seen humanity’s finest attributes – faith, strength, kindness, honesty.”
“It was so important that Hidden Tales when offering a platform for people’s stories was deeply rooted in those values.”
“It’s about finding the best in place in people, on their terms, in their words, in very challenging times. Placing the work outside a gallery space, making the videos available digitally, on-site in Rochdale and via mobile phone means that the sense of reality becomes intentionally acute.”
Sara Domville, CAN Creative Producer
“We’re delighted to be taking part in the Hidden Tales project. These stories are touching and honest portraits of people overcoming challenges and show the importance of understanding in our society.”
“We have worked closely with CAN to help give our service users and volunteers a platform to tell the world their stories and I hope that the people of Rochdale enjoy following the trail.”
Phil Foster, Deputy Coordinator at Petrus Community
The Hidden Tales digital art trail is free, no ticket is required and starts at Touchstones Rochdale, the town’s museum, cafe and art gallery, where visitors can pick up a map to follow the trail to discover the rest of the artworks dotted throughout the town centre. Sites include Rochdale’s historic Town Hall, the Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre, and the Pioneers Museum.
In addition to the digital arts trail, there will be a Live Performance and Film Screenings of Hidden Tales at The Vibe, Rochdale on Tuesday 17 October. The event featuring raw talent, spoken word, music, and film, hosted by the Mancunian wordsmith, Mike Garry, and is part of the Rochdale’s Literature and Ideas Festival. Tickets are £3.
Watch the Hidden Tales trailer:
