We are delighted to announce our partnership with EMR (East Midland Railway) for the Spring Events programme.  It's easy to travel to Stoke by train from one of the stops along the 50 mile route across North Staffordshire from Crewe to Derby, and you can book your tickets direct from our website, click here:

• Derby 
• Uttoxeter
• Tutbury & Hatton
• Blythe Bridge
• Stoke-on-Trent
• Longport
• Kidsgrove
• Alsager
• Crewe

Stoke town centre is only a five minute walk from the station which makes it a great option for visiting.

Artist Rebecca Davies was spotted out and about in Stoke's pubs last week sketching images for the Festival's alternative guide to Stoke.  
The Mapzine,as we are calling it, will be large alternative artist-designed tourist guide to Stoke - like a map, but like a zine too (that's a trendy magazine loved by artists in case you were wondering!).
They will be free to take home as a lovely work-of-art featuring some of the best things about the town of Stoke.

We've just received some beautiful charcoal drawings of moths from artist and ceramicist Denise O'Sullivan.  Plans are taking shape for something wonder-full and mysterious this May.  Keep a look out on our social media sites @festivalstoke for more news, and remember, to #bemoremoth.

Art Street artist Richard Redwin is looking for unwanted pallets, small items of furniture with interesting markings, rope and pieces of wood - during January and February 2020.

The items will be recycled and reused in the art installation ‘Essence’ which will feature the 12 Secret Stars chosen from your nominations.
If you can help please comment with details or send us a message on facebook or email info@festivalstoke.co.uk if you can help, thank you!

Festival Stoke is looking for 12 Secret Stars of Stoke-on-Trent to feature in a public art project in Stoke Town Centre in Spring 2020.  Is there someone you could nominate?  Watch the video and click the link to fill in the online form.  But hurry!  it ends 10am on Friday 6th December 2019.
Sorry but the nominations have now closed.  Thank you to everyone who nominated a potential 'secret star'.

Do you know someone from Stoke-on-Trent who volunteers, raises money for a good cause, supports somebody in need, does good things in their community or puts others before themselves?
This is your opportunity to nominate someone who is doing good things for others, but as yet, hasn't been publicly celebrated for what they do.

Festival Stoke are looking for twelve Secret Stars of Stoke-on-Trent who are doing some of the following:

• Making a positive contribution to their community
• Doing good for other people
• Always thinking about other people 

Those selected will feature in a Festival Stoke commissioned public art project in Stoke town centre in March 2020, which will create twelve temporary statues/portraits, celebrating those from Stoke-on-Trent who are doing positive things for others.  Nominating someone is easy and doesn’t take much time at all.
To nominate someone, complete this online nomination form by following this link https://forms.gle/v9YRkQ2jBoPkNrBG7 
Alternatively, you can download a nomination form via the link below and email your submission to info@festivalstoke.co.uk 
Deadline: 10am Fri 6 Dec 2019
If you have any questions about the project, please contact Festival Stoke on email: info@festivalstoke.co.uk 

​Please note: As we are committed to equality and diversity, we want to attract a wide range of nominations so that the project can include people from the diverse communities of Stoke-On-Trent

​Friday 22 November 
Saturday 23 November
Workshops 1pm - 2pm

Spode Works
Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1

Festival Stoke will be at Stoking Curiosity Festival 10am till 4pm meeting people and talking about the exciting forthcoming events.
Find us in the Meadows room! 

Between 1pm and 2pm you can join in the free Zine making workshop with Anne.

Make your own collaged together Zine promoting an element of Stoke. 
What’s under your feet as you walk around town?
Find the quiet spaces or the Green areas.
Look up, what can you see? 
A fun and interesting activity and you get to keep a copy of your Zine! 

​‘Destination Stoke’ is the theme of our eight-week multi-arts festival which will take place in Spring 2020 celebrating Stoke as a creative and attractive place to visit and spend leisure time.  The main festival programme will run from mid-March to mid-May 2020, with taster events and activities during February. The festival programme will celebrate all that is good and creative about Stoke, and the new life emerging.  Artworks and performances in the town’s public spaces will interrupt, engage and provoke people to take a second look at the locality as artists cut through traditions of a place, jolting people to be surprised by what has been around for years, countering the pervading negative narrative about a place.

We welcome applications from artists for the Art Street element of the festival, please download the document below for full details.
Art Street: high quality unmissable outdoor art installations in the town centre and main streets of Stoke, for a period of eight weeks from mid-March to mid-May 2020. The artworks will be a series of ‘multiples’ resulting in a striking and dynamic transformation in the town centre. 

What a fantastic time we had at the Festival Stoke Big Weekend this August with lots of music, creative activities and community fun.  We'd like to say a huge thanks to everyone who helped to make it happen (see below), including the Summer Street Centre, who shared the costs of putting on the event and created the superb Acoustic Cafe for the Festival; and a super big thank yuo to the lovely children and adults of Stoke who came along, joined in the activities, danced, had fun and made it a special weekend! 

Here's a list of all the people and organisations who helped to make the event happen, on stage and behind the scenes:
Sue Redshaw for organising the Festival Cafe supported by the volunteer team from Stoke Baptist Church. Anne Kinnaird and Rachel Ballard from Letting in the Light hosting 'Greening Stoke' workshops over the weekend. Ash Wall and the Pilgrim's Pit team for organising the MainStage, and performing with Captain Stingray's Groove Machine, supported by Dodgy Jammers and Adele and Andy.  Adam Fenn and the Changes Band along with Emily Kate keeping folk entertained in Acoustic Cafe.  Val Simpson for extensive social media coverage on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Alan Barrett for face-painting with laughter.  Toby White as 'Neil the Snail' and Kate Marshall as 'Cakey Platey' in the Big Lunch tent.  Cllr Andy Platt for sponsoring the Big Lunch Tent with his Ward Budget.  The site-set-up team: Corin Hardcastle for organising supported over the weekend by Alan Barrett, Richard Redshaw, Mike Holdcroft, Richard Redwin, Martin Gooding, Adam Marshall, Derrick McIntosh. Richard Redshaw for photography. The Potteries Omnibus Preservation Society for bringing their vintage double-decker and their friends for the vintage cars.  Etruria Artists for the Potters Wheel and the Table Tennis Club at the Boothen Centre for allowing us to use their building on the day.  RMS for medical cover, Bread in Common for lunches, Dove Woodworking and Hippie at Heart for stalls.  Mike Holdcroft for designing the publicity materials, and Sarah Bonam and Marg Hardcastle for behind-the-scenes organising.  

Sunday 4th August 11am - 4pm
On Sunday come along and help Anne and Rachel from Greening Stoke create some more wonderful plant holders from upcycled objects.  We can help make Stoke not only green, but full of colourful plants too!
Look out for them on the Festival site on Sunday.