Cartwheel produces a diverse variety of work, using many different media and artforms. We currently group our projects and arts development work into four strands.

The largest strand is Stronger Communities , which covers a range of projects building links within and between communities. 

All Well & Good is a programme which aims to promote wellbeing, raise aspirations and self-esteem, and enable people to have more control over their lives and to live independently.

Youth and Diversity brings together our work with young people and with BME, especially South Asian, communities in the region.

You Live & Learn reflects our emphasis on learning through doing, rather than providing basic training projects.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for please get in touch.

Selection of Projects

Auto Aukestra

The Auto Aukestra was created by young people from Darnhill, working with musician Mitch Oldham and Kickstart, supported by Rochdale Youth Service. The project was part of Changing Gear, an initiative to reduce vehicle crime on the estate.

Art & Soul - The Painted Note

In September 2011 Art & Soul received funding from Awards for All to run 20 visual art sessions on the theme The Painted Note: art inspired by music. The work culminated in 4 exhibitions, a book and 2 group pieces of original art that were donated to Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum and Rochdale MIND cafe at Birch Hill hospital.

Darnhill Festival Pumpkin Party

The Darnhill Festival Association held a spooky fundraiser in October 2011 to raise funds for GOLD! Darnhill Summer Festival 2012.

Darnhill Summer Festival 2011 - FOREST festival

Highlights included a chainsaw carving demo, gypsy flower carving, wood bending, facepainting, inflatables, storytelling, song and dance performances, felt making and much, much more...

Art & Soul - Still or Sparkling

Cartwheel Arts received a grant from Heywood Together Trust in January 2011 to run some sessions for Art & Soul on the theme of water. This resulted in an exhibition at Heywood Sports Village and the production of some postcards.

Bags4Life

Delivered in association with Barnardo's Young Person's Forum. The project resulted in an exhibition at Wheatsheaf Library in March 2011.

AWE - Take a Walk on the Wild Side

Arts for Wellbeing and Enterprise (AWE) was a project for adults with mental health problems, that took place across the Wigan borough during 2010. It was a chance to explore creativity in a supportive group environment - and look at all sorts of interesting enterprise ideas.

Darnhill Christmas Festival 2010

Organised by Cartwheel Arts and the Darnhill Festival Association as part of Tell Us Another One celebrations. The theme this year was WINTER SMELLS & SPELLS

Darnhill Summer Festival 2010

Organised by Cartwheel Arts and the Darnhill Festival Association. The theme this year was RAINBOW NATION

Arts for Wellbeing and Enterprise

A project for adults with mental health problems, taking place across the Wigan borough during 2010.

Art for Wellbeing

See photos from our series of ten week courses for adults with mild to moderate mental health issues.

Rants, Rhymes and Reflections.

Rants Rhymes and Reflections is a fantastic book published by Cartwheel for MoorEnd Development Trust.

Darnhill Christmas Festival 2008

Pictures from the Christmas Festival 2008.

Folk On The Hill

This delightful book presents a fascinating range of voices from Middleton’s Langley estate. Charting life as experienced by the first arrivals in the 1950s through to the joys and challenges of later generations, this book explores Langley – and its folk – in all their guises. The Folk On The Hill publication is now available here.

Livin Ur Lyf

A six week exhibition of work created by Barnardos Rochdale's Young Persons Forum, showing that Everyone Counts.

Darnhill Summer Festival 2008

Its a small world! And that was the theme for this years Summer Festival.

Darnhill Christmas

Festival 2007

Past, Presence and Future was the theme for 2007's Christmas Festival.

Newbold Festival

Images from the Newbold Festival 2007.