Anne and Rachel have been working with the community at Ford Green and Bradeley for the past couple of months.  Based at Bradely Community Centre where they are working with local children and adults to create a community allotment and garden.
You can follow the progress on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/festivalstoke - here's some re ent updates and photos:

• Building a BIG raised bed and slapping on wood preservative , painting the pea planter, digging up the turf for another veg bed, filling and planting up more tyres and with all the planting there’s plenty of watering to do. 🪴 🚿 
• Anne and Rachel have had another lovely session with the Boys (& girls) Brigade making two colourful banners to go on the fence at Bradeley Community Centre to let passers-by know about the garden 
• It was a great Greening Ford Green session at Bradeley Community Centre on Friday evening. 

Many thanks to everyone who came along and built a planter, dug out a vegetable bed, installed and painted tyres, built pea wigwams, planted peas, giant pumpkins, potatoes etc. 🙌🏼 
And we already have a crop of lettuce and pakchoi!! And the rain held off. 🙏 

Here at plot 33 we’re quite proud of our shed made from repurposed materials by artist Richard Redwin.  It was recently used in the Art Exhibition 'Strong Roots' by Sally Fitchard.   So when we saw that there is a competition in Stoke on Trent for the best shed we decided to enter our shed, along with Sally's artworks! 
Fingers crossed 🤞🏼💚

We were delighted that the weather cleared for our second Allotment Gallery on Saturday 7th July.  It was great to see so many visitors to the allotment enjoying the artworks created by Sally Fitchard and the children of Stoke Minster school, listening to the great music and enjoying the tea and cake.

During this commission Sally was inspired by the individuality of allotment buildings. In collaboration with Wonder Women and 60 year 3 children from Stoke Minster Primary School she has built a series of minature worlds in an array of materials and repuposed materials including clay, cardboard, timber, string, sticks and textiles. The project evolved as she spent time on the plot with the groups and resulted in her creating clay figurines of the Wonder Women and other characters for everyone’s delight.
“For this exhibition we will build our own worlds, in an array of materials such as clay, timber, string, sticks, bamboo, cardboard, repurposed textiles.” 
Here is a selection of photos of the exhibition

What a great evening we had on Friday 7th June at Plot 33 for the first of our Allotment Gallery pop-up exhibitions.  Plot Weaving was the theme by artist Francesca Buxton.  Over the previous four weeks Francesca had been creating her own beautiful woven circles and objects for display and had led workshops, alongside our own artists Rachel and Anne, for others to create their own weavings, bringing in themes of growing, gardening, recycling and nature.
The display worked so well in the allotment setting - in. the greenhouse, amongst the growing plants.  The weather stayed fine, we had a great turn-out, refreshments and live music by James.  Those who came had the opportunity to have a go at their own weavings to add to the exhibition and talk with Francesca about her work.   One man commented that he wouldn't feel comfortable going into an art gallery and how good it was to have "proper gallery artworks in an allotment that feels so welcoming".  
The photos were taken by Natalie Willatt.
There are three more allotment galleries booked for July, August and September.  Checkout our socials for more details.

It's been great to welcome Francesca Buxton to Plot 33 at Richmond Street allotments during May. Francesca is the first of the Allotment Gallery artists and is working with the Wonder Women group to create Plot Weaving.  Francesca explained the weaving techniques and then the group did some circle weaving on recycled plant pots. All in all it was a fabulous way to get this lovely project started.
It was a most mindful and relaxing morning and everyone loved it.  For the second workshop the group gathered at Art Stop, Festival Stoke's base just down the road from the allotment due to heavy rain.  Again it was a superb session creating beautiful objects.  Francesca is also working separately on her own weavings for the exhibition.
Her pop-up exhibition will be on Friday 7th June 4pm - 7pm at Richmond Street Allotments.  All welcome.

We're delighted to introduce the four artists chosen to work with us on Allotment Gallery during this summer.  The are, clockwise from top left:
Blythe Taylor, Sally Fitchard, Francesca Buxton, Natalie Willatt.
You can find out more about them as artists and their proposed project for Allotment Gallery over on the web page.  Each artist will be working for one month to create their project alongside festival artists Anne and Rachel.  They will host workshops for local groups individuals, including working with the local school - these will mostly be based at the allotment on Richmond Street, but at times in Stoke Market or at our base in Art Stop.
We are excited to see what wonderful art they bring into the allotment.  
At the end of their 'month' there will be an exhibition open to the public at the allotment with a joint Allotment Gallery celebration in September.  So keep an eye on our Insta and Facebook pages for dates and more details.  

Allotment GalleryCheck out the Artist Commissions on the Allotment Gallery page.  Open until 15th March 2024

With the support of James (breaking pallets ) and Wonder Women (sawing) at Plot 33, Festival Stoke have been working at Queens Hospital in Burton with patients and staff to create a series of giant upcycled pallet birch leaves. Working at bedsides Anne & Rachel have been chatting to patients & encouraging them to draw images from photos taken in the hospital’s Badger Wood. The images will be transferred to the leaves and the leaves installed on the fencing of the recently created hospital ground’s sanctuary for patients, visitors and staff ‘The Halo Garden’.  We'll post photos of the finished fence!

Festival Stoke are delighted to once more be involved in the Hi!Stoke* festival weekend in Stoke town centre at the end of September.  There's lots of heritage-themed creative activities taking place for you to join in with.  Festival Stoke's artists will be hosting moth-themed activities at Stoke Minster. Join them to get creative and learn more about the pepper moth in the city.
Friday 29th 6.30 - 7.30pm - Join Festival Stoke artists to help create a sheet moth trap. Warm drinks will be available.
Saturday 30th 11am - 3pm  - Drop-in to the moth-making workshop to create origami and collage moths from upcycled materials.
Both events are suitable for children and adults and are free to join in.
* Hi!Stoke is an event for the Heritage Stoke Action Zone