Pennine Mencap set to take over renowned local art gallery for a day of artistic performances

Residents are being invited to a day of performances exploring working-class life in Oldham in the mid-20th century hosted by Pennine Mencap.

The Oldham-based charity supports adults with learning disabilities and complex needs throughout all aspects of their lives.  

Its creative arts groups have been rehearsing for months for the Two Up, Two Down exhibition taking place at Gallery Oldham on Wednesday, October 28. 

Service users are showing their skills as three different performance groups each offer their interpretation of mid-20th century life in working-class Oldham and the surrounding area. 

Starting at 11am, visitors to the Gallery are invited to take part in themed arts and crafts sessions led by members of the Pennine Mencap team, who are excited to get the public involved in a day inspired by local storytelling. Moving through the varied rooms in the Gallery, the multi-disciplinary performances begin at 12pm. 

The ShowAbility group is a unique troupe that creates narrative-based dance pieces, in this case combining modern energy and movement with song choices that are, by turns, emotional and nostalgic. 

Performers have even created their own costumes for the event, wearing T-shirts that boast vintage photographs of the Oldham area as well as sentimental childhood images. A new poem written by the collective will also be unveiled and performed as part of Two Up, Two Down’s celebration of growing up in the terraces of Oldham. 

Stage Right Performing Arts group has been established since Pennine Mencap’s inception in 2012, and the dedication and intensity of the group’s rehearsals has led to an immersive piece recreating market life in the 20th century Cottonopolis. 

Audiences will be drawn into the storytelling of this exhibition, from common phrases, shared household experiences and raw insights into the lives of those in the Oldham area throughout the decades – all with a sense of creativity, fun and inclusivity. 

Pennine Mencap hosts Music Therapy sessions weekly with accredited Music Therapist, Alan Wells, who will be leading this band’s pieces, performing three songs that are very special to Oldham with live instrumentation and vocals. 

Two Up, Two Down is a thought-provoking exhibition that celebrates life in an underappreciated area, with barrels of modern history and stories ingrained in each brick. 

Pennine Mencap were inspired by Oldham’s Town of Culture status to create this event. 

Though the charity’s proposal for support from the Oldham Town of Culture grant fund was unsuccessful, the lack of funding has not stopped the project’s creative development. 

Despite a lack of resources, the Two Up, Two Down event is going ahead on the basis of sheer determination. The charity is committed to giving a prominent, public platform for its collective of diverse creators and performers.  

Visitors to the Gallery Oldham are able to view the Two Up, Two Down performances in two separate instalments. 

The first section, with an arts and crafts workshop at 11am and performances at 12pm, is followed by a second section with arts and crafts at 1pm, followed by a repeat multidisciplinary production at 2pm. 

“Building this production into what it is today has been a devised collaboration with our service users who shared their experiences and opinions on what they want to portray in these artistic pieces”, stated Tom Morris, the activity coordinator of the charity. 

The charity urges any members or businesses in the local area who want to support the charity to clear their calendars for their spectacular annual Celebration Ball on November 21. Tickets are selling quickly, and those interested are advised to grab them whilst you can. 

If you have any enquiries about the Two Up, Two Down exhibition or the Celebration Ball, please contact madison.holt@penninemencap.org