About
A community arts project for Rochdale celebrating the men and women who sacrificed everything for principle on The Cotton Famine Road. Through drama, film, music, dance, and an educational schools project, we wish to mark this incredible moment in Rochdale’s history.
In the early 1860’s, during the American civil war of 1861 - 65, Rochdale stood alone among the Lancashire towns in its support of the anti-slavery movement in the North.
It was the cause of great hardship and hunger, yet the workers of Rochdale stood united and refused to work any cotton picked by slaves. The looms stopped. The Mills closed. The work dried up. The money ran out.
By 1862, the famine was not just of cotton, but of every necessity, including food. People were starving. Somebody had to act.
Finally, the government relented and passed the Public Works Act of 1863, enabling the local authority to commission public construction work as a means of paying those in desperate need. The Cotton Famine Road up on Rooley Moor was built by mill workers as a result of this programme.
This project will not just celebrate the people, but also explore the theme of international solidarity that underpins this remarkable story. The mill workers of Rochdale, though they starved and suffered terribly for it, made common cause with the slaves of the American south. This is a perfect confluence of black history and the story of the English working class of the 19th century to make a bold and powerful statement about morals, freedom, and justice.
Rochdale has a rich and powerful history of progressive and liberal politics. From the Luddite rising to the Chartists movement, to the establishment of the Co-operative movement, Rochdale was at the forefront of every important development. Solidarity and mutual support are in the DNA of the people here.
The Project:
At the heart of the project is a new play, written by Mick Martin, which follows the travails of workers, mill owners, and activists during the Cotton Famine. The play will be performed by a local community cast, supported by a fully professional production team.
Alongside this, a wide range of engagement projects will involve members of the community from across Rochdale's broad geographic and social spectrum.
In the early 1860’s, during the American civil war of 1861 - 65, Rochdale stood alone among the Lancashire towns in its support of the anti-slavery movement in the North.
It was the cause of great hardship and hunger, yet the workers of Rochdale stood united and refused to work any cotton picked by slaves. The looms stopped. The Mills closed. The work dried up. The money ran out.
By 1862, the famine was not just of cotton, but of every necessity, including food. People were starving. Somebody had to act.
Finally, the government relented and passed the Public Works Act of 1863, enabling the local authority to commission public construction work as a means of paying those in desperate need. The Cotton Famine Road up on Rooley Moor was built by mill workers as a result of this programme.
This project will not just celebrate the people, but also explore the theme of international solidarity that underpins this remarkable story. The mill workers of Rochdale, though they starved and suffered terribly for it, made common cause with the slaves of the American south. This is a perfect confluence of black history and the story of the English working class of the 19th century to make a bold and powerful statement about morals, freedom, and justice.
Rochdale has a rich and powerful history of progressive and liberal politics. From the Luddite rising to the Chartists movement, to the establishment of the Co-operative movement, Rochdale was at the forefront of every important development. Solidarity and mutual support are in the DNA of the people here.
The Project:
At the heart of the project is a new play, written by Mick Martin, which follows the travails of workers, mill owners, and activists during the Cotton Famine. The play will be performed by a local community cast, supported by a fully professional production team.
Alongside this, a wide range of engagement projects will involve members of the community from across Rochdale's broad geographic and social spectrum.