Take a nature walk along the canal at Kidsgrove

Kidsgrove Canal Nature Recovery walk with the Staffs & Stoke Local Nature Recovery Partnership

If you have previously been on a nature-themed walk with us (Kidsgrove Canal Nature Recovery, What On Earth?!, A Canalside Arcana) then we are happy to tell you that the final planned Kidsgrove Canal Nature Recovery Walk is happening on Saturday 28 June, 11am – 1pm.

This walk will once again be led by artist Anna Francis who will be joined by Nicola Lynes, Chair of the Community Advisory Board for the Staffordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Nicola will share more information about why setting priorities and actions is important for nature recovery in Staffordshire, and the role we can all play in protecting our nearby nature.

Here is everything you need to know if you’d like to come along on what is sure to be a fascinating and fitting finale to the series.

Where & When

When: Saturday 28 June, 11am – 1pm

Meet: 10.50am by the Canal & River Trust Lodge, which is on the towpath at the North Entrance to the Harecastle Tunnel, ST7 1DP. The walk is a circular route, beginning and ending at the same spot.

Getting there: To get there from The Avenue, take the footpath that runs along the side of the Memorial Garden. You’ll find the lodge where the footpath meets the towpath. Alternatively, you can make your way onto the towpath directly from the train station. Head towards Kidsgrove and you will see the lodge just before the tunnel entrance.

Booking your place

You can reserve a space for yourself and up to three others via this Google form.

Spaces on the walk are limited to 25 places due to the narrow canal path, and will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Please only reserve places when you’re reasonably sure you can come along.

Once you submit the form, will email you from this address to either confirm your space on the walk, or advise that you’ve been added to the waiting list.

Access & Safety

The towpath is flat but can be uneven, narrow and slippery, especially in wet or frosty weather. There are no benches along the route. The walk is taken at a relaxed pace but do consider whether the path is suitable for you, particularly if you have low vision or limited mobility.

There’s a space on the booking form where you can let us know if of any access requirements you may have, such as BSL interpretation or sighted guidance. While can’t promise to make every event fully accessible, we will always do our best to make sure that you have the best possible experience.

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Sensasian 2025 Family Day

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Get ready for another FREE Sensasian-al day for everyone!

The Sensasian 2025 Family Day at New Vic Theatre runs from 12pm – 5pm and is free to attend with no need to book.

Sensasian 2025 Family Day Line-Up

Circus Raj

Auditorium (entry via ground floor or upstairs)

12.50pm to 1.20pm and 3.30pm to 3.40pm

Capital letters AD with sound waves inside a black circle

Circus Raj present a vibrant, fast-moving extravaganza of drama, daring feats, music, and surprise.

As their show for Sensasian is happening inside the theatre, we won’t see slack-rope walking or live flames. But you won’t miss out; along with Govinda the Fakir the cast of acrobats, musicians and dancers will deliver eye-watering displays that will make you laugh and cheer!

Both performances will be Audio Described through a headset. Please ask a member of staff on the day if you would like to listen.

Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band

Outside the theatre

11.50am to 12.10pm then 1.15pm to 1.35pm and 1.50pm to 2.10pm

The Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band is a living embodiment of ‘the land of royalty’, sharing Rajasthan’s rich tradition, heritage, and colourful lifestyle through a spectacular celebration of heady music and hypnotic dance.

Experience a diverse repertoire spanning Rajasthani folk songs, Bollywood hits, spiritual qawwali, Bhangra beats, sci-fi and intergalactic funk – and even some well loved pop songs – as loved by crowds at Belfast Mela, Bestival, and Glastonbury!

Block printing workshop

Youth Room (upstairs via bar area)

12pm-12.20pm, 12.40pm-1pm, 2pm-2.20pm and 2.40pm-3pm

Join this family-friendly hands-on block printing workshop on fabric using carved wooden blocks of various pattern designs. This hand-block printing technique – Sanganeri – originates from Sanganer, a village in the south of Jaipur. 

The workshop takes about 20mins to complete with a couple of people being able to take part at a time. You may need to wait a short while to take part. We will try and make sure that everyone that would like to take part can do so.

A pair of hands and lower arms covered in paint stripes are pressing down onto a piece of paper with a colourful pattern on.

Baluji Shrivastav OBE

Bar area (upstairs)

2.30pm to 3pm

Baluji Shrivastav OBE is one of the world’s leading composers and sitar players. Described as ‘sitarist to the stars’ (Evening Standard), he has performed and recorded with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Coldplay, Massive Attack, Madness, Shakira, Malu, Boy George and Doves.

Baluji is signed to Naxos World ARC with over fifteen releases of classical and world music fusion. His compositions include works for orchestra, theatre, dance, film, television and radio. Selected credits include Disney’s Million Dollar Arm, 20th Century Fox’s New Girl, NBC’s Outsourced and the world’s only Urdu opera Sohini and Mahival, which he composed with Golden Globe and Oscar Winner Dario Marianelli.

Henna by Cherrie Matharu

Lounge (ground floor)

12pm to 4pm

Experience traditional henna by artist Cherrie Matharu.

Organic henna is a natural dye derived from the leaves of the henna plant. When mixed into a paste it is applied to the skin in intricate patterns and left to dry, leaving behind a beautiful temporary tattoo.

We expect henna to be a popular activity. Cherrie will get through as many people as possible during the time, and we may run a list on the day to avoid disappointment. Please ask a member of staff when you arrive.

Henna by Cherrie Matharu

Dharshanodiyaa School of Bharathanatiyam

Auditorium (entry via ground floor or upstairs)

1.40pm to 2.40pm

Capital letters AD with sound waves inside a black circle

Experience the vibrant spirit of Indian culture through a captivating blend of Indian classical dance and Bollywood, presented by Dharshanodiyaa School of Bharathanatiyam.

The performance will merge the elegance of classical tradition with the energy and colour of Bollywood, offering a dynamic celebration of rhythm, expression, and storytelling.

Under the artistic direction of Srimathi Darshikka Rajasegaram, dancers showcase both discipline and creativity, staying rooted in tradition while embracing contemporary styles.

A short workshop will follow the performance.

The performances will be Audio Described through a headset. Please ask a member of staff on the day if you would like to listen.

Tofail Ahmed & Gurpit Matharu

Bar area (upstairs)

12.10pm to 12.40pm

Tofail Ahmed is a professional Indian musician and teacher spent years in Bangladesh and India honing his craft in vocal classical and light classical music. During his time in Delhi he trained as an ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) under Pt Birju Maharaj.

Tofail performs Ghazals, Classical, Bollywood songs and more, moving between styles – and languages including Bengalli, Sanskrit, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Braj Bhasha and Gujrati – with ease.

For Sensasian 2025 Tofail will be accompanied by Gurprit Matharu, one of the finest Tabla players in the UK.

The Poetry Takeaway

Outside the Theatre

12pm to 4pm

The Poetry Takeaway serves high quality, personalised poetry – written, performed and wrapped up to take away. This diverse group of poet chefs put the people they meet and the stories they share at the heart of each poem they serve up. Expect tears, laughter and everything in between.

The Poetry Takeaway
An old burger van
Stuffed with fresh poetry buns
Serving up warm words

Pub Quiz & Bingo With Your Host, Afreena

Bar area (upstairs)

3.50pm to 5pm

graphic BSL logo

Get involved and join this entertaining family quiz show with quizmaster extraordinaire (and former contestant of The Chase!) Afreena Islam-Wright who will put you through your paces. Afreena is creating a special show just for Sensasian, but you can see her in action with her show Lucky Tonight below.

The perfect way to either end your family day, or start your evening before watching Ladies of Laughter.

BSL is available for this activity. No booking is required. Please indicate to a member of the team when you arrive to ensure you are seated with the best line of sight.

Food and Drink at Sensasian

Food and drink will be available to buy at the theatre. The café and bar will be open for usual hot and cold drinks and cake. Plus there will be a special plated menu for Sensasian available at £7 per plate as follows:

Afternoon menu served 12pm to 2pm: Chickpea curry with peas, rice, and fried bread

Evening menu served from 5.30pm: Samosa, spring roll, and an alki & onion bhaji with dip

NB the regular New Vic café menu will not be available on this day.

Venue and Access

All activities will happen in the building and grounds of New Vic Theatre, Etruria Rd, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newcastle ST5 0JG.

The New Vic and its grounds are fully accessible, including accessible toilets, a lift to the upper floor, and a number of spaces for blue badge holders on the car park. Sunflower lanyards are available from box office. For more information on access at the New Vic, including assistance dogs and wheelchair spaces in the auditorium.

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Grow me a Waterlily and Shekah by Nilupa Yasmin, part of Sensasian 2025

Nilupa Yasmin - a young woman of South Asian heritage - is seen head and shoulders standing in front of a colour artwork that fills the background. The art is of many thin strips of pattern and colour in primarily red and blue colours interwoven. She wears black clothing with a turtle neck sweater, a colourful head wrap and a deep red lipstick. A large silver necklace stand out over her dark clothing.

'Grow me a Waterlily' and 'Shekah' by Nilupa Yasmin

Nilupa Yasmin is an artist and educator who explores the principles of art and craft and the expanded materiality within photography. She is interested in culture, self-identity, and anthropology, and investigates the ideals and traditions that are close to home; drawing upon her own identity through gender, religion and her British Bangladeshi culture and heritage. An element of her practice focuses on socially engaged photography, as she works collaboratively with various communities to produce, and curate works of art.

On show are Grow me a Waterlily and Shekah, in which Yasmin explores the fragments of identity through an exploration of craft and the politicised notion of fabric. Weaving as a form of self-expression is brought together with these works, that study her identity and her matrilineage.

Grow me a Waterlily dwells in the space between expectations and traditions; by offering an exploration into the self, the home and the idea of belonging. Intricately woven archival images are combined into self-portraits, incorporating statements made from Yasmin’s headscarf to her mother’s wedding saree. In this, each image tells a story of her journey into self-discovery.

Shekah highlights the process of learning, in which Yasmin explores her lost family history of weaving. Archive images of her mother in her youth, are created into woven prints on digitally printed fabric. She explores the tactile nature of weaving and its relationship to the very texture of the fabric, while restoring the age-old craft in a contemporary setting, challenging the expectations of what we perceive a weaver to be.

This exhibition features photographs and digitally printed fabric.

See Nilupa Yasmin’s exhibition, part of the Sensasian Festival 2025, in the public area at New Vic Theatre from Monday 30 June to Saturday 26 July. It’s free and there’s no need to book, simply in Monday – Saturday, 10am – 3pm.

Visit the Sensasian 2025 event page to see what else is on on Friday 26 & Saturday 26 July.

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Artslam Event

Artslam Newcastle-under-Lyme

ArtSlam Newcastle-under-Lyme

The image shows lots of people gathering round a table, looking at the art work on it and taking photographs. Most people have got coats and hats on and some have drinks in their hands. People are also standing in the background. The scene is inside a large room that is quite dark but with some purple and blue lighting.

Get ready for an evening of dynamic, live art created against the clock as beats drop. Watch masterpieces made in minutes and crown your champion!

Get ready for an evening of dynamic, live art slams in NUL.

We’re joining forces with Newcastle-under-Lyme BID, ArtsKeele and Capital&Centric to bring you NUL’s first ArtSlam!

Watch as artists go head to head against the clock across Visual 2D Art, Ceramics and Spoken Word categories with just 40 minutes to create a masterpiece in front of your eyes with a backdrop of beats.

Astley Place, a vibrant new creative hub being developed by Capital&Centric, will set the perfect stage for this high energy evening.

What to Expect:

  • Live ArtSlams across Visual 2D Art, Ceramics and Spoken Word categories.
  • Poetry performance from Poet Laureate Nick Degg 
  • Drag Bingo hosted by the fabulous Roada Hawse 
  • Compere and music from DJ Ben McManus 
  • A bar & party atmosphere 
  • You vote for the winners!

The Line-up:

Visual 2D artists – 

Diana Amma-Gyankoma Abankwah

Christian Bartram

Chloe Breeze

Amalia Gherman

Jay Neville

Paige Sutton

Ceramic artists – 

Olivia (Livvy) Azzopardi

Docile

Kim Hargreaves

This round is kindly sponsored by Valentine Clays

Spoken word artists – 

Lisa Blower

Emily Galvin-Wilson

Alex Stoker

This round is kindly sponsored by ArtsKeele

Event Info:

  • Time: Arrive from 7pm – 11pm 
  • Location: Astley Place, Merrial Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme. ST5 1RE
  • What3Words Location: agenda.prime.dine
  • Drinks will be available to purchase on site.
  • The site will be wheelchair accessible.
  • There will be toilets available on site.

Book now:

Click the button to take you straight to where you can book your ticket. Available NOW. Tickets are £10 each with 50% of proceeds being donated to North Staffs Mind.

Minimum age to attend is 18.

ArtSlam NUL is brought to you by Appetite, ArtsKeele and Newcastle-under-Lyme Business Improvement District (BID) in collaboration with Capital & Centric and supported by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.

ArtSlam NUL follows on from ArtSlam at Goods Yard in 2021, delivered by Appetite in collaboration with Capital & Centric and supported by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Sensasian Community Consultation Event

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Help Us Shout About Sensasian

We’re inviting YOU to join our Creative Consultation where you can share your expertise and insight to help us broaden our audience for Sensasian – a vibrant South Asian arts event coming this July from Appetite and New Vic Theatre.

Do you love Sensasian and want to help others find the programme?

Do you know where members of the local South Asian communities find out about events?

Have you got ideas on how we could better market, promote and increase awareness of Sensasian to more people?

If so, join us on Thursday 20 March 2025, 6pm – 8.30pm at New Vic Theatre and share your thoughts.

In return you can enjoy some live entertainment and refreshments, plus the company of others who are passionate about Sensasian.

What to expect

  • An open forum for thoughts, ideas, and conversations about the arts and culture you want to see
  • A chance to meet like-minded people who are as passionate about South Asian culture in Stoke-on-Trent as you are
  • A special live performance from local dance school Dharshanodiyaa School of Dance as a taster of the main event
  • Free tea, coffee and snacks
A South Asian couple are sitting, smiling, and clapping towards something off the right-hand side of the picture. The gent wears black glasses, a dark-green kurta with embroidery around the neckline, and a golden scarf. The lady has short black hair and wears a royal blue saree with gold embellishments and dark red pallu. She has gold jewellery and a mehndi design on the back of her hand.
A South Asaian with short, black hair and wearing and loose-fitting, grey top with a sparkly butterfly on is leaning over a table. On the table are a china tea set and set of three brown suitcases stacked. The lady is holding a market pen and writing on some paper on the table. Blurred images in the background suggest that she is in a busy area.

Who should come?

The event is open to all, with a focus on the local South Asian community. But we are keen to meet with everybody who has an interest in South Asian arts, culture, and creative experiences for our area.

So please come along and lend us your insights to help us build events that reflect our Stoke-on-Trent’s vibrant heritage. Don’t miss this chance to make your voice heard and be part of something amazing!

Questions?

Email Raz on Rasandeep@appetite.org.uk and he can answer any queries you might have before welcoming you to the event.

If you’re interested in what happened at Sensasian 2024, take a look at past events on the Appetite website, or check out our social media on Facebook @appetite.stoke and Instagram @appetite_stoke

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VR Swings with Studio Go Go

“Remember swinging in the playground as a child? Enjoying sensations of speed & weightlessness as you swooped high & low, laughing with friends, hoping they didn’t spot that you were a little scared?

We’re harnessing those magical motion-memories to take audiences on incredible, action-packed adventures.”

Brendan Walker, Studio Go Go Founder & Director

Volo: Dreams of Flight by Studio Go Go

Fancy taking flight in one of four award-winning virtual da Vinci flying machines?

Flap and soar over cliffs as an Ornithopter bird-person. Join a psychedelic aviator’s ballet in Aerial Screw. Shoot into satellite orbit from a renaissance cannon. Bank and weave in a glider across extraterrestrial landscapes …

Studio Go Go have designed four amazing, other-worldly landscapes for you to fly through. All you need is a Virtual Reality (VR) headset and a swing and you can flap, soar and glide your way through those fantasy worlds like you’ve never imagined.

So come fly with Appetite, and Newcastle-under-Lyme BID. There’s no need to book, just drop by, take your place on a swing – including a platform swing suitable for wheelchair users – and start your virtual adventure!

When:

Friday 21 March: 10.30am-4.30pm

Saturday 22 March, 10am-4pm

Where: Outside Guildhall in Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre

Cost: The event is totally free and there is no need to book

Access: There will be four swings, one of which is a platform swing suitable for wheelchair users. The combined weight limit for the visitor and chair is 200kg. However, there is a porter’s chair that you may transfer into if you are comfortable and able to do so.

A man is seen from the waist up swinging on a swing with metal chains. He’s surrounded by a structure that we can partly see that consists of metal poles and pastel-coloured Perspex panels with writing on them. The man has a moustache and is wearing a black t-shirt with sunglasses tucked into the neck. He’s also wearing a large pair of grey goggles that have a blue panel over the eye area with words on it reading ‘VOLO dreams of flight’. The man has his mouth wide open in a way that looks like he’s enjoying what he can see in the goggles.
An older man with white hair and beard is in the open air on a patch of grass. He’s sitting in a wheelchair that is on a metal platform attached to swing chains and surrounded by a structure of metal scaffolding that we can’t see in full. The man is wearing a large pair of grey goggles that have a blue panel over the eye area with words on it reading ‘VOLO dreams of flight’.

Parking:

The nearest car park to Newcastle Common is Lymelight Boulevard, 27 Paradise Street, ST5 1RS. This is a multi-story pay-and-display car park with blue badge parking.

There are some options for street-level blue-badge parking within a short walk from the Guildhall:

  • Closest are two spaces outside Chatwin’s at the end of the High Street, a one-minute walk away
  • Very slightly further away, Corporation Street has some paid parking spaces, which are free to blue badge holders
  • There are also a few spaces opposite Queen’s Gardens at the bottom of Ironmarket
  • Another four free-to-use blue badge spaces are situated behind Patty’s on Barracks Road

Facilities:

The public toilets are s very short walk away on Hassell Street, and MacDonalds rest rooms are generally open to the public.

There is a Changing Places toilet in Castle House, a two-minute walk from the Guildhall in Queen’s Gardens.

Appetite works in Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre in partnership with Newcastle-under-Lyme Business Improvement District and Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.

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We Are Here

We Are Here – A Residency by Ian Mood

Over two months Ian Mood observed and sketched in independent pubs and cafes across Newcastle-under-Lyme. Those sketches have now been turned into We Are Here – paintings capturing, not only the people who worked and socialised there, but also the spirit, the feel, and the hustle and bustle. Or what Ian calls: “the vibrant new spaces and faces of our town.”

Ian’s previous residency for Appetite at Newcastle Common called Open Up was in 2021 at a time when the world look very different.

The paintings that emerged from that residency were paintings of scared figures – with an unsure future – as seen on Newcastle High Street. Ian says:

“Now to me the town feels very different; I’m hopeful for our future and I see people around me who feel the same. So I’m spending time painting in a few of my favourite venues including Mellards, Anasma (Greek Bakery), and Piccoloco.”

You can see the paintings on display at each location throughout March. Go in, say hi, enjoy the artwork, and support local independent businesses. It’s a win all round.

See We Are Here until 31 March. Admission is free. Venues are:

Anasma Greek Bakery 7 Queens Parade

Mellards Bar Mellards Warehouse, Market Lane

Piccoloco 2a Hassell Street

Appetite works in Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre in partnership with Newcastle-under-Lyme Business Improvement District and Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.

*What is an artist’s residency?

A residency is when an artist spends time in a different place for an amount of time. The place, people and organisations they come into contact with usually feed into the work that they create.  This allows them to develop new ideas and talk to different kinds of people to get inspiration for new work. Sometimes they use a residency to try something really different that they haven’t done before. 

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Sensasian 2025

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Are you ready for the return of Sensasian?

Appetite and our partners New Vic Theatre are once more bringing together some of the best performers and artists in a showcase of South Asian cultural excellence. 

Events run from Monday 30 June to Saturday 26 July and all take place at the New Vic Theatre, Etruria Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme ST5 0JG. 

If you missed out on Sensasian 2024 and want to get a feel for the event, visit our Sensasian project page, where you can learn more about how Sensasian came to life, and get highlights from last year’s event.

Sesnasian 2025 Line-Up

Nilupa Yasmin - a young woman of South Asian heritage - is seen head and shoulders standing in front of a colour artwork that fills the background. The art is of many thin strips of pattern and colour in primarily red and blue colours interwoven. She wears black clothing with a turtle neck sweater, a colourful head wrap and a deep red lipstick. A large silver necklace stand out over her dark clothing.

‘Grow Me a Waterlily’ and ‘Shekah’ by Nilupa Yasmin 

Monday 30 June – Saturday 26 July

10am to 3pm – Bar area – FREE

Nilupa Yasmin is an artist and educator who explores the principles of art and craft and the materiality of photography. She is interested in culture, self-identity, and anthropology. Through her work she investigates the ideals and traditions that are close to home, drawing upon her own identity through gender, religion and her British Bangladeshi culture and heritage.

Presented by Appetite and GRAIN Projects, this exhibition of Yasmin’s work will include photographs and digitally printed fabric.  Read more about the exhibition.

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Yeh Dosti : Celebrating 50 Years Of Sholay

Friday 25 July

Performance at 7.30pm  –  Age Guidance 16+

Join us for an unforgettable evening as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Bollywood film, Sholay. Featuring mesmerising dance performances choreographed to the film’s legendary soundtrack, this spectacular music and dance show will transport you back to the heart of Bollywood’s golden era.

Food will be available at this event from 6pm and costs £7 per plate.

Read more about Yeh Dosti and book tickets

Sensasian Family Day

Saturday 26  July

12pm to 5pm  –  Suitable for all  –  FREE

Head to the Family Day event page to see details and videos of the brilliant line-up and activities that you can look forward to on the day including: 

  • music
  • dance
  • circus
  • henna
  • block printing
  • poetry
  • quiz show

A day for everyone, bring your friends and family.

 

Ladies of Laughter

Saturday 26 July 

Performance at 7.30pm  –  Age Guidance 18+

The Ladies Of Laughter are coming to Sensasian, flexing their female funny muscles especially for you! This hit tour is a night made for everybody, so round up your friends and family, and join us for a guaranteed night of hilarity!

Featuring:

  • Shazia Mirza (BBC, ITV, CH4)
  • Tej Dhutia (BBC AN)
  • Noreen Khan (BBC AN, BBC 1, BBC Radio 5 Live)
  • Annette Fagon (BBC Local Radio & BBC Radio 1Xtra)

Food will be available at this event from 5.30pm and costs £7 per plate.

Read more about Ladies of Laughter and book tickets

Can you help spread the word?

We’ve been working alongside our groups of community decision-makers to come up with a programme of events that our communities in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme will be thrilled to see.

You can help us by spreading the word via social media, putting up a poster, sharing in a newsletter or simply telling your friends.

For more information or to request some print or marketing to share, email Raz on rasandeep@appetite.org.uk

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Make a Donation

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Ambassadors

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Restricted and Repetitive

A computer monitor shows some audio software with horizontal lines in bright colours. Behind the monitor is a tall bookcase, and through the door you can make out some stair bannisters. The monitor is at an angle from the left-hand side, and on the right-hand side it meets a large back square that has coloured writing on in the same colours as are on the monitor. The writing says "Restricted and repetitive"

Restricted and Repetitive – A Residency by Cat McGill

In her first artist’s residency* for Appetite, Autistic musician Cat McGill confronts the concept of ‘restricted and repetitive’ behaviours – one of the criteria for gaining a diagnosis of autism – and asks what it would mean to reframe these behaviours as ’regulating and relaxing’.

Cat invites you to view the world through her eyes – and ears – as she explores how her brain experiences the sounds of the world around us, and shares how her ‘restricted and repetitive’ behaviours are a source of great comfort and joy. 

To showcase the project, Cat is creating an interactive and immersive sound installation that will allow other people to experience the sensory-seeking, pattern loving, musical, autistic world inside her head.

The installation will make use of different objects and textures, as well as a combination of music technologies to trigger sounds and replicate the multi-sensory aspect of hearing and feeling music. Each person interacting with the installation will experience it in a different way, meaning that – as a piece of music – it’s different every time it is played.

In this video you can see Cat’s process as she explains making the ”ominous thud’ and how she reacts to it. You can read posts and see more videos following Cat’s creative journey, including what she describes as ‘the boring bits’ (which are still incredibly fascinating) over on her blog page.

See Restricted and Repetitive at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Friday 28 February – Sunday 2 March. Admission is free.

Why this residency?

Cat’s residency forms part of FRONLTINEdance‘s FRONTLINE Arts Festival 2025. Showcasing the talent of UK d/DEAF, disabled and neurodivergent artists, #FAF2025 event will include a range of performances, arts and sound installations, including spoken word, dance, music, poetry, film, sculptures, photographs, drawings and paintings. It will premiere two FRONTLINEdance commissions alongside Cat McGill’s.

The will be an arts symposium day at on Friday 28 February at Potteries Museum & Art Gallery to celebrate and advocate for d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists. It’s set to be an exciting day of performances, panel discussions, and connecting. You can book your tickets on Eventbrite.

*What is an artist’s residency?

A residency is when an artist spends time in a different place for an amount of time. The place, people and organisations they come into contact with usually feed into the work that they create.  This allows them to develop new ideas and talk to different kinds of people to get inspiration for new work. Sometimes they use a residency to try something really different that they haven’t done before. 

Make a Donation

Help us continue what we do

Ambassadors

Spread the word, get rewards!

Volunteer

Make friends & gain experience

The Big Feast is Back for August 2025!

The countdown is ON to The Big Feast 2025!

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

Your favourite summer bank holiday weekend full of amazing arts, curious culture, and outdoor spectacle returns to the streets of Stoke-on-Trent Centre (Hanley) on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 August.

Big Feast Essentials

Programme A-Z

If you have any queries relating to The Big Feast, please contact us at askus@appetite.org.uk

The Big Feast 2025 is delivered by Appetite in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Centre Business Improvement District (BID), Smithfield, and Stoke-on-Trent City Council. The event is funded annually by our partnerships with City Centre BID and the National Lottery through Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places programme. 

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Want to know what else is going on?

Visit the What’s On page for events and go to Get Involved for more opportunities. For regular updates, why not subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on FacebookInstagram, and YouTube.