‘Otherham’ Winter Festival is coming in January 2025 to reimagine Rotherham’s Town Centre with stunning Projections

As part of the yearlong celebration of our borough becoming the world’s first Children’s Capital of Culture, Rotherham will host a free Winter Festival from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th January 2025. The festival will feature a captivating trail of projection installations across the town centre, bringing to life a reimagined vision of Rotherham like never before. 

Flux Rotherham Programme Director Helen Jones said: “Last year over 10,000 people visited Rotherham Minster during the Winter Festival to visit The Museum of The Moon, which was amazing. But what people told us was they wanted a wider winter festival with more activity across the town, which is designed especially for Rotherham.  

“This festival responds to that wish, and with imitating the dog and Grimm & Co. on board, plus the incredible imaginations of Rotherham’s children and young people, we hope to create a free, world-class cultural experience right in the heart of our town.“ 
   
Flux Rotherham is thrilled to announce a unique collaboration with the renowned theatre company, imitating the dog. Chosen by Children’s Capital of Culture’s Youth Programming Panel, who have a key role in helping programme the year-long festival, this partnership promises to bring an extraordinary vision to life.  

The vision is to imagine a place where nothing is quite as it seems; where the imaginations of young people have transformed the town, giving it an otherworldly twist. This is “Otherham,” a magical town where stone walls might open portals to new worlds, where you can order the weather with your coffee, and where kindness is delivered by fluttering butterflies. It’s both familiar and fantastical, a reimagined Rotherham that invites you to see the town through a new lens.  

imitating the dog co-Artistic Director Simon Wainwright said: “”We can’t wait to create Otherham for Rotherham’s Winter Festival. It’s a project we dreamed up after an inspirational visit to the town centre and Grimm & Co’s wonderful storytelling emporium; a visit which truly sparked our imaginations and formed the idea to let the city’s young people dream up a magical, unpredictable and out-of-step world. Who knows what we’ll end up creating but that’s the most exciting part – what stories could these buildings contain?” 

To bring ‘Otherham’ to life, Grimm & Co. have launched a six-week writing program (every Thursday from 12th September to 17th October, 4.30pm – 6pm) for young people aged 12-16 years. Participants will dream up an alternative, mystical Rotherham, with their stories serving as inspiration for imitating the dog’s stunning projection designs. These creations will light up buildings during the Winter Festival, turning the town centre into a canvas of youthful imagination. To book a place visit: https://bit.ly/3XnRnmM [Eventbrite] 

 ‘Otherham’ Winter Festival project is led by Flux Rotherham in a collaboration between Children’s Capital of Culture, imitating the dog, RMBC Events and Grimm & Co.  We are excited to see this extraordinary vision come to life, with the help of children and young people, the local community, partner organisations and local businesses as we gear up for what promises to be this otherworldly Winter Festival 2025. For more information on how you can get involved, please contact [email protected]