Buildings in Rochdale town centre have been transformed into dramatic landmarks, each telling a story inspired by Rochdale’s history, people and culture.
Internationally acclaimed artists descended on the town in September for Common Walls, a mural festival and arts event, that has brought large-scale artworks to the town centre.
Artists
Onur
Globally acclaimed for radiant, detailed large-scale murals, Onur’s festival piece is pure Rochdale energy inspired by Rochdale’s Gracie Fields’ wild tune ‘The Rochdale Hounds’. A tribute to heritage, humour and home town pride.
Culture Co-op
Zahirah Hafiz, Elizabeth Chandler, and Evan Barlow. Culture Co-op reimagine the past. Three artists teamed up with Rochdale’s communities to reimagine the history of a former textile warehouse through Islamic Arts. Panels transformed boarded up windows into vibrant images that celebrate heritage, identity and creativity.
SECA
Seca paints sound and soul. His mural dives into Rochdale’s role in the ‘Madchester’ music revolution of the late 80s and early 90s, Cargo Studios, 24 Hour Party People, and raw cultural energy. It’s vivid, loud, and rooted in a movement that still shapes the music of today.
Cabasa
Led by Rhian Kempadoo-Millar, Lizzie Rigby and Emily Wood, the mural dives into women’s unheard stories around reproductive health. Inspired by voices from Rochdale’s Soul Sisters, Seriously Crafty and beyond, it’s bold, beautiful and rooted in lived experience.
Insane51
The Greek muralist has pioneered the ‘double exposure’ technique to create murals that shift to reveal two worlds. Exploring the balance between fragility and renewal, this mural is inspired by a poem from Rochdale school children created as part of Wild Wonders 2024. Grab some 3D glasses and see it shift.
.Epod
.Epod blends classical flair with urban edge. .Epod’s mural ‘TOTAL.E WIRED’ riffs off The Fall’s track recorded right here in Rochdale. The subject is caught in a web of tech and media, wired to forces beyond their control. It’s sharp. It’s surreal. It’s a mirror to modern life.
Aylo
Aylo’s mural, ‘Dreams Never End’ is inspired by New Order’s track; recorded in Rochdale’s Cargo Studios, it’s a bold tribute to the ongoing fight for women’s rights and the role of the Rochdale founded Co-op in women’s suffrage.
