Entertainers, from swing bands playing Madchester scene dance tunes to French acrobats, and poets to Portuguese contemporary dancers are set to transform Stoke-on-Trent into one huge festival over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
The Big Feast is a festival like no other. It will see more than 80 performances across the city centre and beyond.

Red Herring: Funny Peculiar.

It is the second year that the Appetite arts programme has organised The Big Feast – and the number and diverse nature of the events has grown each summer.
The vast majority of the acts can be enjoyed free of charge while tickets are being sold for a handful of large shows.
While The Big Feast is held in around the city centre area, Appetite has arranged a pre-festival Taster Tour with artists appearing in shopping areas, parks and other venues across North Staffordshire.

The programme, for both the Big Feast and Taster Tour are outlined below.
A full description of performances and artists can be found on the Appetite website: http://www.appetitestoke.co.uk/whatson. The Big Feast brochure is also available to view and download from the website.

Programme:

Monday, August 24 (11am to 4pm).
Where: Bath Park, Weston Heights, ST£ 6RD
What’s On: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners
The Lift by Wet Picnic
The Poetry Takeaway.
Tuesday, August 25 (11am to 4pm).
Where: The Whitfield Valley Centre, Fegg Hayes, ST6 6QR
What’s On: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners
The Lift by Wet Picnic
The Poetry Takeaway
Funny Peculiar.
Wednesday, August 26 (11am to 4pm).
Where: Times Square, near Longton Market, ST3 1BZ
What’s On: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners
The Lift by Wet Picnic
The Poetry Takeaway.
Thursday, August 27 (11am to 4pm).
Where: Freeport Shopping Centre, Talke, ST7 1XD
What’s On: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners
The Lift by Wet Picnic
The Poetry Takeaway.
Bonus attraction: Traditional Indian dance workshop.
Friday, August 28 (10am to 12 noon).
Where: Tunstall Tower Square, ST6 5TP
What’s On: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners
The Lift by Wet Picnic

The Big Feast – City Centre, Hanley (unless stated).
Friday, 28 August
10am: Poetry Takeaway, Upper Market Square, Hanley.
12 noon: Monster Colours, Stafford Street.
1pm: Pic ‘n Mix, Piccadilly.
1pm: Funny Peculiar, start at the Blue Clock, Market Square.
1pm: Karvan, Outside Hanley Market.
2.30pm: Full Stop, Bus Station.
3pm Sufi:Zen, Albion Square.
3.30pm: Poetry Takeaway, Upper Market Square.
3.30pm: The Lift, mobile show at various locations.
3.30pm: Funny Peculiar, start at the Blue Clock, Market Street.
4pm: Full Stop, Bus Station.
4pm: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, various locations.
5pm: Headphones, various locations.
5.30pm: The Lift, various locations.
5.30pm: Full Stop, Bus Station.
6pm: Sufi:Zen, Albion Square.
7pm: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, various locations.
7.30pm: Headphones, various locations.
8pm: Carousel, Central Forest Park.
8.30pm: Deblozay, Hanley Park.

Saturday, 29 August.
12 noon: Bollywood dance workshop, Albion Square.
12 noon: Monster Colours, Stafford Street.
12.30pm: Weighting, Central Forest Park.
1pm: Funny Peculiar, start at the Blue Clock.
1pm: Karvan, outside Hanley Market.
1pm: Headphones, various locations.
1pm: Covet Me. Care For Me, Bethesda Chapel.
1pm: Oasis Social Club, Bus Station.
1.30pm: Rien N’est Moins Sur, Albion Square.
1.30pm: Poetry Takeaway, Upper Market Square.
2pm: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, various locations.
2pm: Oasis Social Club, Bus Station.
2.30pm Sufi:Zen, Albion Square.
3pm: Headphones, various locations.
3.30pm: Funny Peculiar, start at the Blue Clock.
4pm: Sufi:Zen, Albion Square.
4.30pm: Monster Colours, Stafford Street.
4.45pm: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, various locations.
5pm: Weighting, Central Forest Park.
5.30pm: Headphones, various locations.
6pm: Oasis Social Club, Bus Station.
6.30pm: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, various locations.
7pm: Soul of Fado, Albion Square.
7pm: Oasis Social Club, Bus Station.
8pm: Carousel, Central forest Park.
8.30pm: Deblozay, Hanley Park

Sunday, 30 August
12 noon: Karvan, outside Hanley Market.
12 noon: Monster Colours, Stafford Street.
12 noon: Poetry Takeaway, Upper Market Square.
12.30pm: Oasis Social Club, Bus Station.
12.30pm: The Lift, various locations.
1pm: Funny Peculiar, start from Blue Clock.
1pm: Oasis Social Club, Bus Station.
1pm: Covet Me, Care For Me, Bethesda Chapel.
1.30pm: Alure, Albion Square.
2pm: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, various locations.
2.30pm: The Lift, various locations.
2.45pm: Alure, Albion Square.
3pm: Rien N’est Moins Sur, Albion Square.
3.30pm: Funny Peculiar, start from the Blue Clock.
3.30pm: Oasis Social Club, Bus Station.
4pm: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, various locations.
4.30pm: The Lift, various locations.
4.30pm: Alure, Albion Square.
4.30pm: Monster Colours, Stafford Street.
5pm: Weighting, Central Forest Park.
6pm: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, various locations.
6.30pm: Soul of Fado, Albion Square.
6.30pm: Oasis Social Club, Bus Station.

ENDS
For media enquiries contact Nigel Howle by phone on 0776 2043436 or email [email protected]

Notes to Editors:
Appetite is the Creative People and Places programme taking place in Stoke-on-Trent from 2013 to 2016. Appetite aims to get more people in Stoke-on-Trent to experience and be inspired by the arts. This investment in the arts and cultural sector of the area aims to mobilise and strengthen the skills, knowledge and infrastructure that already exists within the area and provide unprecedented opportunities for more people to see, make and influence more art in the city.
The Appetite programme is funded by Arts Council England and is led by the New Vic Theatre in partnership with B Arts, Brighter Futures, Partners in Creative Learning and Staffordshire University. It is supported by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
Visit the Appetite website at www.appetitestoke.co.uk