A tasty project aimed at feeding the appetite for the arts in Stoke-on-Trent is ready to launch. 

A consortium of organisations have come together to secure £3m of Arts Council England funding for the city to develop the Appetite programme. 

Aimed at opening up new arts experiences to all communities in the city, Appetite will be launched with an event at CoRE (Centre of Refurbishment Excellence), Normacot Road, Longton, on Wednesday, 3 July. 

The launch will bring together community groups, businesses and interested individuals from throughout the city and provide them with a small taste of what to expect from Appetite over the next three years. 

The event will feature music, performances and art work from local and national artists including Airspace Gallery and NoFit State Circus. 

There will also be clay making activities on the night to link in with the  British Ceramics Biennial which takes place in Stoke-on-Trent this autumn. 

“Stoke-on-Trent is a city built on an arts based industry yet many people do not believe, or recognise, they have an affinity to the arts,” said Project Director, Karl Greenwood. 

“As a result, the consortium has been successful in winning £3m from  Arts Council England to inspire more people to get involved in arts activity and to build Stoke-on-Trent’s reputation as an artistic city. 

“Appetite embraces all forms of art. Many people do not think their lives are touched by the arts but they may go out to see local bands or attend carnivals. So most people are engaging in art in some shape or form but they just don’t see it as art. 

“City residents will be encouraged to get involved in many opportunities and events over the next three years as we want to inspire as many people as possible to carry on creating within their communities long after Appetite has passed.” 

The Appetite partnership is led by the New Vic Theatre in partnership with Brighter Futures, B Arts, Partners in Creative Learning (PiCL) and Staffordshire University. 

ENDS 

For media enquiries contact Nigel Howle on 0776 2043436, 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.   

For further information on Appetite contact Karl Greenwood, Project Director. Telephone 01782 381373 (ext 310)  email [email protected]