A mural festival held in Rochdale has won a national award recognising creative placemaking. The project was praised for its community impact and lasting legacy.
Common Walls International Mural Festival, led by the Culture and Placemaking Team at Rochdale Development Agency in partnership with local artists The Butterfly Effect, has won the Activation Events category at the Pineapple Awards.
The award recognises projects that successfully bring people together through culture and place based activity. Judges selected the Rochdale festival from entries across the UK, highlighting its strong community engagement and long term impact.
The festival formed part of Rochdale’s programme as Greater Manchester Town of Culture. It brought together international street artists with local communities, creating large scale murals inspired by local identity and heritage.
Judges described the project as “a premier blueprint for how creative activation can strengthen a town’s cultural identity.”
Rachel Laver, managing director of Rochdale Development Agency, said: “Winning a Pineapple Award is an incredible achievement and a huge moment of pride for Rochdale. Common Walls showed what’s possible when culture, community and place are brought together with ambition and care. The festival didn’t just animate our town centre it created lasting connections, celebrated local identity and left a legacy that will continue to inspire long after the murals were painted.”
The project was delivered through collaboration between Rochdale Development Agency, Rochdale Borough Council, artist Hayley Garner known as Aylo, and The Butterfly Effect CIC.
Pete Courtie, head of culture and placemaking at Rochdale Development Agency, said the work reflects ongoing investment in local spaces. He said: “We’re investing in our places by working closely with artists and local communities by listening to residents and collaborating with them to shape spaces that reflect who they are and what they want for the future.”
The Pineapple Awards are dedicated to placemaking and are judged by a panel from development, design, culture and local government sectors.
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