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:

• Three rounds of live art competitions
• DJs spinning throughout the night
• Bar & party atmosphere
• You vote for the winners

Book now:

Click the button to take you straight to where you can book your ticket. Early bird tickets are £7.00 and are available NOW.

Minimum age to attend is 18.

Further details:

  • Venue Address – Lad Lane, Newcastle Under Lyme, ST5 1RE
  • Doors open at 7pm with expected end time of 11pm. 
  • Drinks will be available for purchase on site.
  • The site will be wheelchair accessible
  • There will be toilets available on site.

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?

If you love South Asian arts and culture and didn’t come along to Sensasian 2024, you really missed out. But the good news is that it is returning for 2025!

This year across two days at the New Vic TheatreFriday 25 and Saturday 26 July – Appetite and our partners at the New Vic will once more bring some of the best performers and artists together in a showcase of South Asian cultural excellence.

What happens at Sensasian?

Last year we had music and dance, food, comedy, magic and a family day. For 2025 we will again be at the New Vic Theatre for a mixture of evening performances and a family day on the Saturday.

This year’s schedule hasn’t been announced yet, but WATCH THIS SPACE! We will be sharing details of the acts and activities that make up Sensasian 2025 right here very soon.

Take a look at these photos from Sensasian 2024 by Malcolm Hart and Jenny Harper – or go to the Sensasian 2024 event page – to whet your Appetite for this year’s event:

How can I be involved?

Our communities team have been working hard alongside our groups of community decision-makers to come up with a programme of events that the local people of Stoke-on-Trent will be thrilled to see. But there is still time to get involved and have our say on what you’d like to see at the events.

The next community consultation is taking place at New Vic Theatre on 21 March, 6-8.15pm. If you’re interested in coming along, email Raz on rasandeep@appetite.org.uk

You can also help us by spreading the word via social media, putting up a poster, sharing in a newsletter or simply telling your friends. Speak to Raz for more details.

However you choose to be involved with Sensasian, we can’t wait to welcome you to the event.

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The Appetite logo in blue. Shows a circular design with a love heard shape inside. Appetite is written below the shape.

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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. 

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The Big Feast is Back for August 2025!

Days
Hours
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The countdown is ON to the tastiest event of the summer! 

Your favourite summer bank holiday weekend full of amazing arts, curious culture, and outdoor spectacle is back on the menu for 2025 as The Big Feast returns to the streets of Stoke-on-Trent Centre (Hanley) on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 August!

So get your calendars and SAVE THE DATE!

What IS The Big Feast?

The Big Feast IS a two-day, festival-style event where you can see some of the best artists from across the UK – and beyond – on the streets of Hanley. It’s a thrill for the senses that often includes circus, outdoor theatre, singing, dancing and other things that simply defy description. There is always so much to do and always plenty of interactive elements for you to join in with.

The Big Feast IS accessible for everyone, suitable for all, and free. We work with hundreds of community decision-makers from across the area to shape what the programme will be each year. Find out all about The Big Feast and see videos from previous years to whet your Appetite over on the Big Feast project page.

The Big Feast IS brought to you by Appetite, Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID, Smithfield, and Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

The Big Feast is NOT a food festival.

So what’s on this year?

We’ve got so many ideas for this year to bring you even more things that you’ve never seen in Stoke-on-Trent before! As we speak, we are working with our groups of community decision-makers who are voting and shaping the final programme based on what they think that the people in their communities would like to see. As soon as artists are confirmed we’ll announce them here – so make sure to come back and check regularly!

If you can’t wait to see what’s coming up, take a look at what happened at The Big Feast 2024 – our 10th anniversary edition – and hear some great comments live as they happened in this video:

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 X, and YouTube.

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A Canalside Arcana Launch Celebration

Celebrate A Canalside Arcana – Stoke-on-Trent’s newest art trail

Come and join us as we celebrate the launch of a new public art trail along the canal between Etruria and Hanley Park.

Appetite and Canal & River Trust asked artist Anna Francis to create a permanent work of art along the canal based on how the community in Etruria feel about where they live. For months the community has been giving us their thoughts and getting involved and now we’re thrilled to reveal the final piece: A Canalside Arcana.

A Canalside Arcana is a series of eight ceramic plaques lining the canal path from Etruria to Hanley Park that celebrate the nature that grows there. A pack of beautiful hand-drawn cards, filled with fascinating details of the flora and fauna, myth and magic that you might encounter along the trail has also been created as a guide.

Our free celebration event will give you the opportunity to hear from Anna as she describes the project and how feedback from the local community went in to creating the artworks. You can even take a guided walk along the trail with Anna herself!

Event Programme

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A hand is fanning open a pack of cards. The cards are long rectangles with canal barge style artwork on. Each card has a hand-drawn picture of a plant, and text beneath it. The top card is for Bramble.

Self-guided walks

Pick up a map and pack of arcana cards throughout the day from volunteers at either Hanley Park or Etruria. Use the cards to identify what’s shown on the plaques and pick up a keepsake pin badge at the other end.

Guided walks

11am: Introductory talk by Anna at Etruria canalside

11.30am: Etruria to Hanley Park. Starts from the event area around Etruria Industrial Museum.

1.30pm: Hanley Park to Etruria. Meet at 1.15pm in lower Hanley Park by the footbridge over the canal.

Walks are expected to take approximately 45 minutes. Please note that this is not a circular walk. Places are limited and must be booked via Eventbrite or call Appetite office on 01782 381 373.

See and Do

Throughout the day, 11am – 2pm:

  • Etruria industrial Museum will be open throughout the day
  • Clay activities inside the museum with floral ceramic artist Rita Floyd, and in Hanley Park with Alice Thatcher
  • Drop in to a creative workshop aboard the Ikon Gallery Slow Boat with GRAIN, moored at Etruria
  • Will you see The Frog hopping along the trail or making shapes around the band stand?
  • Free warm drinks available in Hanley Park and at Etruria Industrial Museum

Live Music from Bombay Baja Brass Band

  • 11am – 11.15am: Etruria
  • 12.30pm – 1.15pm:  Hanley Par
Bombay Baja: Two rows of men in long red tunics are lining a path in a park and looking towards camera. The ten men vary in age and ethnicity. The four men closest to camera have drums while the six towards the rear have brass instruments and golden turbans.

Bombay Baja Brass Band

Access Information

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Disabled parking can be found at both the north and south car parks in Hanley Park although spaces are limited. There is also disabled parking at Etruria Industrial Museum but please be aware that there is no wheelchair access to the canal path. Access here is via a stepped bridge over the canal.

The canal towpath is mainly flat although parts of the route are cobbled including a set of steps at the lock and at the bridge in Hanley Park.

Please note: Parts of the canal path may be slippery depending on weather conditions so do wear appropriate footwear and take caution along the route.

There is an alternative path for wheelchair users to use that will avoid the steps at the lock and re-joins the canal path at the access road off Castlefield Street (see pictures below).

The pathway leads from the canal path around to the bandstand in Hanley Park to avoid the steps at the bridge (see pictures below).

The Appetite logo in blue. Shows a circular design with a love heard shape inside. Appetite is written below the shape.
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Sensasian Community Consultation Event

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Help Us Shape Sensasian

Do you have Sensasian-al ideas about what South Asian arts and events should look like in Stoke-on-Trent?

Have you got an insight into the cultural flavours that we are missing in our area? Got opinions about music, dance, and more … ?

We’re inviting YOU to join our Creative Consultation and have your say in shaping Sensasian, a vibrant South Asian arts event coming this July. Explore a curated menu of performers, share your thoughts, and vote for your favourites. Your influence is key as the most popular artists will be selected for our Sensasian programme!


When is it?

Wednesday, February 5 2025

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

New Vic Theatre, Etruria Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 0JG

 

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 a musician to get a taste of what you will see more of in July

Free tea, coffee and snacks

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 shape future artistic 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

Make a Donation

Help us continue what we do

Ambassadors

Spread the word, get rewards!

Volunteer

Make friends & gain experience

Arthur Berry On The Streets Exhibition

Image description: Open-air exhibition cubes in the Ironmarket, Newcastle-under-Lyme. Four large, black-framed, freestanding cubes are positioned in the centre of a paved street, interspersed between trees. The sides of the cubes feature artwork and text. On the left-hand side is a row of show and business frontages. To the right a group of three young men walk towards us, chatting.

Arthur Berry On The Streets Exhibition

📣 ANNOUNCING: Arthur Berry On The Streets 📣
 
We’re joining the celebrations 100 years of of Arthur Berry: playwright, poet, painter, cultural icon. 2025 would have been his centenary year, and it’s a time when we look forward to honouring his extraordinary life and contribution to art, literature and culture with a series of events. There will be exhibitions, performances, discussions and unprecedented public access to his archive.
 
As part of this, Appetite are presenting a pop-up, open-air exhibition exploring Arthur’s life and work. The exhibition ‘cubes’ will also feature some of the Three Counties Open Art Exhibition Arthur Berry Prize-winners, shining a light on his lasting legacy.

The exhibition will run from August to October, beginning in Stoke-on-Trent City Centre (Hanley, 4 August – 14 September) before moving to Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre (20 September – end of October).
 
Check out all of the events in the #ArthurBerry100 series – including a staging of Whatever Happened to Phoebe Salt? at New Vic Theatre – at arthurberry100.co.uk
 
This event also forms part of the celebrations for Stoke-on-Trent’s 100th anniversary year. Find out more at sot100.org.uk
 
Image of a previous Three Counties Art Exhibition cubes installation in Newcastle town centre  by Andrew Billington Photography

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Make friends & gain experience