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Light Up Hanley

Let’s Light Up Hanley!

Tuesday 3 & Wednesday 4 February

Drop in any time 5pm – 8pm. FREE!

Location: around Albion Square and The Town Hall.

Light Up Hanley is the second event in our✨ Light Up Winter ✨ series, which includes Light Up Middleport (21 & 22 Jan) and Newcastle Under Light (4 March).

Featuring immersive artworks, projections and interactive installations, the Light Up Winter series will transform familiar spaces into glowing, playful places to explore after dark.

Each of the three events in the series will feature different artists and artworks, and a special vibe that reflects the community where it happens.

At Light Up Hanley, you will see a multi-sensory musical sculpture made up of more than 200 illuminated chime bars and a five-metre-high fortune-telling fruit machine.

It will also feature a large-scale projection onto The Town Hall co-created with young people from Stoke–on–Trent College, YMCA, Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College, Pinc College and artists Illuminos.

With thanks to our Light Up Hanley partners Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID and Stoke Creates.

Got a question?

We’ve got answers! Head over to our Light Up Hanley Access & FAQs page to find everything we think you might need to know to prepare for your visit.

Sneak peeks

Message in a Bottle Kiln

by Illuminos

Message in a Bottle Kiln is an inspiring new projection artwork from Illuminos to celebrate the centenary year of the city of Stoke-on-Trent, bringing Hanley Town Hall to life through animation and sound.

Playing on the idea of a message in a bottle, alongside the area’s iconic bottle kilns, Illuminos have worked with young people from Stoke imagining with them what they would place in a bottle kiln to send forwards into the future, and the wonderful transformations that might take place in the process.

Weaving the young peoples’ ideas into a vision of the next 100 years of Stoke-on-Trent, the building will come alive with the power and heat of the kilns, morphing and transforming as Spitfires turn to space travel, ceramics merge with silicon, melodies soar and treasures delight.

Positive Spin

by Invisible Wind Factory

Created for Liverpool’s River of Light 2024 festival, Positive Spin is a towering, five-metre-high interactive installation by illustrator Liz Harry and the creative collective The Kazimier (Invisible Wind Factory).

Merging the nostalgic charm of beachfront arcades with a futuristic aesthetic, the piece functions as a giant “automated tarot reader.” Three illuminated rotating drums- reminiscent of a vintage fruit machine – generate your fortune!

Adorned with Harry’s signature bold, colorful illustrations and framed by vibrant neon, the artwork uses play and spectacle to promote a mindset of optimism, inviting audiences of all ages to engage with a message of hope.

Illumaphonium

by Illumaphonium

“A dynamic and interactive, multi sensory, music making installation – the first of its kind”.

This semi-acoustic, semi-automatic, multi-player musical sculpture stands over three and a half meters tall.

108 hand-tuned and illuminated chime bars respond to every players touch. As an ever-changing pattern of light and sound ripples across the giant instrument’s surface.

Become a part of the artwork Hanley, come play!

Disco Critters

by Kitsch n Sync

Kitsch n Sync, favourites of many who have seen them at Appetite events, are back and putting the wild into wildlife with their quirky, campy walkabout fun!

Disco Critters Party Panda & Foxy Lady are on their way to Hanley to get everyone in the mood with their funk and disco moves! They’re bringing the party vibes to help us release our inner animals and disco divas with some dancing night fever!

The Gameshow Hosts will also be on hand to show you around and the interactive illuminations. “Everyone’s A Winner Baby! “

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Light Up Middleport

Let’s Light Up Middleport!

Wednesday 21 & Thursday 22 January

Drop in any time 4pm – 8pm. FREE!

Location: around the Bowling Green in Middleport Park.

Light Up Middleport is the first event in our✨ Light Up Winter ✨ series, which includes Light Up Hanley (3 & 4 Feb) and Newcastle Under Light (4 March).

Featuring immersive artworks, projections and interactive installations, the Light Up Winter series will transform familiar spaces into glowing, playful places to explore after dark.

Each of the three events in the series will feature different artists and artworks, and a special vibe that reflects the community where it happens.

At Light Up Middleport, you will see encounter illuminated boxes flashing in time with residents’ heartbeats, flying fish made from recycled plastic bottles, and a large,

It will also feature a large-scaleinteractive structure where you can create melodies and light patterns using simple hand movements.

With thanks to our Light Up Middleport partners Middleport Matters with support from Canal & River Trust, and to our funder for this event, Denise Coates Foundation.

Got a question?

We’ve got answers! Head over to our Light Up Middleport Access & FAQs page to find everything we think you might need to know to prepare for your visit.

Sneak peeks

The Matter of the Heart

by idontloveyouanymore

The Matter of the Heart is a beautiful installation from an award-winning studio, made up of 30 glowing boxes, each connected to a person’s live heartbeat and accompanied by a short description of their connection to Stoke-on-Trent.

During the event, each participant’s light box will pulse in time with their live heartbeat, bringing the installation to life, forming a portrait of the city’s collective beating heart.

Flying Fish

by Wild Rumpus

Wild Rumpus have transformed recycled plastic and milk bottles into a stunning installation of flying fish. Arranged at different heights on a series of supports, they aim to evoke a sense of movement.

Wild Rumpus are an award-winning arts organisation based in a woodland in Cheshire, working to deepen connections to nature through outdoor events.

Circo Tree

by Dan Fox at Sound Intervention

Circo Tree is a large-scale interactive sound and light installation. It creates a gathering space that feels like being in an open air circus tent.

The audience can play Circo Tree using an invisible beam. A simple hand movement up and down allows the user to play melodies and make patterns in the lights move around the structure.

Listen to artist Dan Fox as he talks you through what you can expect from Circo Tree, why it was made, and his bio.

Faceboard

by Dan Fox at Sound Intervention

Faceboard is a fun interactive re-invention of the iconic seaside comic foreground.

Instead of a painted static image, Sound Intervention use digital animations projected and manipulated by an artist to fit the faces looking through.

You can be anything from a mermaid to a dinosaur, snowman to a dragon!

Kiln Lanterns

by B.Arts and the community

B. ARTS will run a drop-in lantern making workshop in advance of the event. The lanterns made, in the shape of bottle kilns, will be displayed during the event.

At the event you are invited to help create a huge sculptural lantern in The Block, on the Bowling Green.

B. ARTS love making lanterns and teaching other people how to make them! They have made lanterns and bespoke night-time events locally, across the UK and further afield (in Italy, Romanis, Bosnia, Hungary, France, Mexico and Denmark!).

Be part of the art

Would you like your heartbeat to be one of 30 featured in The Matter of The Heart?

Those selected to take part will be invited to a 15-minute session on either 17 or 19 January, between 10am and 4pm, at Middleport Matters’ Harper Street base. Participants will be given a heart monitor to wear, download an app to transmit their heartbeat, and share a few words about what Stoke-on-Trent means to them.

For your chance to be chosen, apply via the idontloveyouanymore website.

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21 & 22 January, 4pm-8pm. Beautiful, interactive art installations by the Bowling Green. Click through to find two opportunities for you to be part of the art!

Light Up Winter with Appetite in 2026!

This winter we are bringing light to the darker months with three special, FREE events as part of our ✨ Light Up Winter ✨ series, which includes Light Up Middleport (21 & 22 Jan), Light Up Hanley (3 & 4 Feb) and Newcastle Under Light (4 March).

Featuring immersive artworks, projections and interactive installations, the ✨Light Up Winter✨ series will transform familiar spaces into glowing, playful places to explore after dark.

Each of the three events in the series will feature different artists and artworks, and a special vibe that reflects the community where it happens. We would love to see you at all three!

See your community in a fresh light

Light Up Middleport

Go to Light Up Middleport

Light Up Hanley

3 & 4 February, 5pm-8pm. Featuring a light projection onto the Town Hall created with young people, a giant fortune-telling fruit machine, and illuminated chimes.

Go to Light Up Hanley

Newcastle Under Light

4 March, 6pm-9pm. Experience Newcastle town centre in a cosy glow of calm with inflatable robots, a pagoda of light and sound, and a projection celebrating the town.

Go to Newcastle Under Light

BSL at Light Up Winter

BSL Tours

Tours of the events with a British Sign Language interpreter are available at the each of the Light Up Winter events on the following days:

Light Up Middleport Wednesday 21 January

Light Up Hanley Wednesday 4 February

Newcastle Under Light Wednesday 4 March

To book onto a tour, email us at askus@appetite.org.uk

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Sensasian 2025 Family Day

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.

Find out about food on the day
See venue and access info
Visit the Sensasian 2025 event page for this year’s full programme
Learn about Sensasian and see highlights from 2024 on the Sensasian project page

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

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.

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.

Dharshanodiyaa School of Bharathanatiyam

Auditorium (entry via ground floor or upstairs)

1.40pm to 2.40pm

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

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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Sensasian 2025

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

‘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.

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.

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.

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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Clue: it's a two-day outdoor arts festival made BY and FOR the people of Stoke-on-Trent.

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

What is The Big Feast?

Find out more

Access at The Big Feast 2025

Find all you need to know including BSL, audio introductions and Easy Reads at our proudly accessible event.

Find out more

Big Feast 2025 Brochure

Don't miss a thing! Plan your full itinerary, see the map, and find out more about access.

Brochure

Big Feast Whats App

Join the Whats App to receive updates or changes direct to your phone over the two days.

Serving high quality, personalised poetry to our diners, written, performed and wrapped up to take away.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY

VOLO

Come fly with us on one of four award-winning virtual da Vinci flying machines.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY

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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