Welcome to Leigh, Atherton & Tyldesley where we are currently beginning our second residency of Local Exchange in the area.

We have been working with local communities since 2019 to celebrate and build arts and culture in, for, and by Leigh, Atherton, and Tyldesley.

Now, we are looking forward to our second community festival in the area, when the Royal Exchange’s pop-up theatre, the Den, returns in 2025.

 

2024-2027

Local Exchange is now gearing up again in the area, seeking a new group of Local Exchange Ambassadors, Champions, community groups and organisations to collaborate with:

  • Ambassadors: Meet monthly to set the agenda for the work we will do in the area, co-create a two-week festival in the Den and support their local community to get involved.
  • Champions: Meet quarterly to add their voice to the work we will do in the area, support the delivery of a two-week festival in the Den and support their local community to get involved.
  • Organisations: Opportunity to collaborate on creative projects, share skills, and help develop our participant and audience base.

If you’re interested in becoming an Ambassador or Champion, please express your interest by filling out this form.

 

2019-2023

During our initial residency from 2019 to 2024 in Leigh, Atherton, and Tyldesley, we formed valuable partnerships with local groups and individuals. Together, we organised the memorable THE DEN IN LEIGH festival in 2021, featuring 27 socially distant performances, events, and workshops. Highlights included BLOODY ELLE – THE GIG (which transferred to the West End in 2023), an interactive children’s Digital Ghost Hunt by Kit Theatre, the LocalTale playwriting competition, and more.

Following the success of the DEN IN LEIGH festival, the Local Exchange Ambassadors commissioned director/writer Joe Gilmour to create BEST EVER PLACE EVER in 2022. This community show, involving a local cast, was developed through workshops with people from the area and performed at Spinners Mill with chips provided by Green Lane Chippy.

In 2023, the Ambassadors aimed to share various aspects of theatre- making by co-creating the ‘SPINNING TALES‘ workshop series, which took place across the area, led in the main by local workshop leaders. The year concluded with A PLAY IN A DAY, where residents of Leigh, Atherton, and Tyldesley were invited to create a show at the Royal Exchange Theatre. Inspired by stories, poems, and thoughts shared by participants, director Sam Holland-Bunyan, along with a Royal Exchange creative team, guided the creation of a brand-new play in a single day.