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Newcastle Under Light Access & FAQs

Here is everything we think you might need to know about planning your visit to Light Up Middleport. If you have another question that isn’t answered here, send us a message to askus@appetite.org.uk

Do I need a ticket?

No! Newcastle Under Light and the previous event in the series, Light Up Hanley, are free to attend. The events are suitable for all ages, and everyone is welcome!

There’s no need to book; simply drop by at any point within the opening times and stay for as long as you like.

Location

The installations are all going to be around High Street around The Guild Hall leading into Ironmarket.

Where can I park?

If you live close by, consider walking to the event if you can.

Blue Badge parking

Free, on-street Blue Badge parking is available outside Art of Siam on Red Lion Square (2 spaces), on Corporation Street pay and display (9 spaces) and opposite Queen’s Gardens. The smaller council car parks also tend to be free for Blue Badge holders. See the full list of council car parks for details.

Car Parks

The closest car parks to the event are:

Lymelight Boulevard Multi-storey, 27 Paradise Street, ST5 1PT. This is a multi-story, pay-and-display car park with blue badge parking.

Castle Car Park, Liverpool Road, ST5 2AU. Another multi-story, pay-and-display car park with blue badge parking.

You can find lots more options and information on parking around the town centre on Parkopedia.

What facilities will there be?

– First Aid will be available

– Stewards and staff to guide you and give assistance

– There will be portable toilets at the event, including an accessible loo

– Vendor vans where you can purchase hot food and drinks

How accessible is Newcastle Under Light?

Here are some points to consider, and provisions that we have put in place.

– As a light-based evening event, the best effect will be during full dark. Sunset is predicted for approximately 5.55pm that day, so if you prefer not to be out when it’s fully dark, join us at the opening time of 6pm when visibility may be slightly better.

The area is well lit with streetlights, and stewards will have torches to guide you if needed.

– There will be a tour with a British Sign Language interpreter. If you would like to come along, let us know in advance by emailing askus@appetite.org.uk. There are no spoken performances at the event, but soundscapes are used in certain areas. View our BSL introduction video here.

– Ear defenders will be available to loan at The Block. Speak to any of our stewards in an Appetite branded coat who can point you in the right direction.

– All elements of the event are relaxed.

– It’s likely to be cold so please do dress for the weather and wrap up warm!

Is it a dog-friendly event dog?

Newcastle town centre is a public space with no restrictions on dogs. We would ask that if you do bring your dog along to keep them on a short leash while visiting as even the most well-behaved pet pooch can be a potential trip hazard in low light. Please make sure that dogs are kept away from the installations to prevent any unintended damage.

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Newcastle Under Light Drop-in Workshops

Wanted: YOUR stories for town centre light projection

We are partnering up with Newcastle-under-Lyme BID and Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council to bring you Newcastle Under Light, part of Appetite’s ✨ Light Up Winter ✨ series. Featuring immersive artworks, projections and interactive installations, the Light Up Winter series will transform familiar spaces into glowing, playful places to explore after dark.

And we want YOU to be part of the art in Newcastle!

We’re calling on residents in Newcastle-under-Lyme and the surrounding areas to come along to a workshop to help artists leo&hyde develop a truly unique light projection. The projection, which will be a celebration of the town made by and for the people who live there or have a connection to the area, will be projected onto the front of The Guildhall during our Newcastle Under Light event on Wednesday 4 March.

How can I be involved?

Do you have photographs and memories from Newcastle over the years?

Do you have a story from the past or an idea of the future of Newcastle?

If so, leo&hyde would like you to be the inspiration for the projection. You can share anything that you want to say, light-hearted or serious, reflective or spontaneous. Or choose one of these prompts to kick-start your thoughts:

Something interesting that happened in Newcastle-under-Lyme recently, and where it happened
A surprising conversation with a stranger in town
A family story or long-standing connection to Newcastle-under-Lyme
A favourite place in the town and a memory linked to it
Finish the sentence: “My favourite thing about Newcastle-under-Lyme is…”
Finish the sentence: “My biggest hope for Newcastle-under-Lyme is…”

Would you like to try your hand at a range of digital and collage art making techniques?

Get creative at the drop-in sessions and see your art beamed onto The Guildhall on the 4th!

How to take part

In person leo&hyde will be in town to scoop up your thoughts.

Saturday 7 February
9.30-11.30am at Belong Village
12.30-3.30pm at Newcastle Library
No need to book, just drop by and say hello!

By voice note

Ideally 30-60 seconds, but messages up to 2 minutes are welcome
Be informal, as if you’re sending a quick message to a friend
You’re encouraged to mention a place in the town
Submit via WhatsApp to 07766 720625 or via email to hello@nulbid.co.uk
Please give your consent for your message to be used by including the words: “Yes, you can use this in the Newcastle-under-Lyme projection.”

We’ve got some brilliant memories of Newcastle town centre as you can see in these photos of past events from Andrew Billington and Jenny Harper. What about you?

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Light Up Middleport Gallery

“We absolutely love this! Truly just like magic .”

Families flocked to the first event in our ✨Light Up Winter✨ series, which was held in Middleport Park on 21 and 22 January.

The event featured immersive light installations and sound experiences The Matter of the Heart by idontloveyouanymore, Circo Tree and Faceboard by Dan Fox and Sound Intervention, and Flying Fish by Wild Rumpus, as well as lanterns made by B Arts and community members.

Were you there? If so we’d really appreciate your feedback via this survey, which you can fill out for all three of the Light Up Winter events.

Sad it’s over?

Not to worry – you can still soak up the atmosphere thanks to these stunning photos from Andrew Billington as well as some fantastic content captured by visitors from We Love Stoke and BBC Stoke & Staffordshire.

Relive all three events in the series by heading to the Light Up Hanley Gallery and Newcastle Under Light Gallery pages.

Thank you to our event partners Middleport Matters Community Trust, event funder Denise Coates Foundation, and to the production team at PH Production Services Ltd for supporting every step of the way and helping make the event feel truly magical.

What an incredibly joyous way to spend a winter’s evening. Rooted in the community and simply beautiful art. Thank you.

Brilliant! Really enjoyed this one.

Wonderful experience exploring interactive art and celebrating our cultural heritage in light and colour, embracing our community.

Wonderful, welcoming & friendly volunteers elevate a brilliant event even further. Thank you!

I really enjoyed it, very calming and atmospheric. Thankyou

👏👏👏

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A post shared by We Love Stoke (@welovestoke)

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Light Up Hanley Access & FAQs

Do I need a ticket?

No! Light Up Hanley and the next event in the series, Newcastle Under Light, are free to attend. The events are suitable for all ages, and everyone is welcome!

There’s no need to book; simply drop by at any point within the opening times and stay for as long as you like.

Location

The installations are all going to be around The Town Hall and Albion Square, so there isn’t far to walk between them.

Where can I park?

If you live close by, consider walking to the event if you can.

Blue Badge parking

Free, on-street Blue Badge parking is available close by on Cheapside, Albion Street, Bagnall Street, Charles Street, Gitana Street, and Trinity Street.

Car Parks

The closest car parks to the event are:

Cultural Quarter (John Street) Multi Storey, ST1 3BP. There are 13 Blue Badge spaces, which are chargeable.

Charles Street Car Park, ST1 3AN. There are no Blue Badge bays in this car park, but badge holders can park in the on-street spaces beside it for free.

You can find lots more options and information on parking around Hanley on Parkopedia and the City Council website car park pages.

What facilities will there be?

– First Aid will be available

– Stewards and staff to guide you and give assistance

– There will be portable toilets at the event, including an accessible loo

– Vendor vans where you can purchase hot food and drinks

How accessible is Light Up Hanley?

Here are some points to consider, and provisions that we have put in place.

– As a light-based evening event, the best effect will be during full dark. Sunset is predicted for approximately 5pm that day, so if you prefer not to be out when it’s fully dark, join us at the opening time of 5pm when visibility may be slightly better.

The area is well lit with streetlights, and stewards will have torches to guide you if needed.

– There will be a tour with a British Sign Language interpreter on Wednesday 4th. If you would like to come along, let us know in advance by emailing askus@appetite.org.uk. There are no spoken performances at the event, but soundscapes are used in certain areas. View our BSL introduction video here.

– Ear defenders will be available to loan. Speak to any of our stewards in an Appetite branded coat who can point you in the right direction.

– All elements of the event are relaxed.

– It’s likely to be cold so please do dress for the weather and wrap up warm!

Is it a dog-friendly event dog?

Hanley is a public space with no restrictions on dogs. We would ask that if you do bring your dog along to keep them on a short leash while visiting as even the most well-behaved pet pooch can be a potential trip hazard in low light. Please make sure that dogs are kept away from the installations to prevent any unintended damage.

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Help us continue what we do

Ambassadors

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Light Up Middleport Access & FAQs

Do I need a ticket?

No! Light Up Middleport, Light Up Hanley, and Newcastle Under Light, are all free to attend. The events are suitable for all ages, and everyone is welcome! Simply drop by at any point within the opening times and stay for as long as you like. There’s no need to book, and we would absolutely love it if you came to all three events. (See the linked event pages for times and dates.)

Location

The installations are all going to be around the bowling green area of Middleport Park, so there isn’t far to walk between them.

Where can I park?

If you live close by, consider walking to the event if you can. If you are coming by car, please be respectful to local residents and park responsibly as follows:

Blue badge parking is available on Navigation Street.

General on-street parking is available at Newport Lane.

Please DO NOT PARK on Milvale Street, as it will have a controlled closure for the event.

What facilities will there be?

– First Aid will be available

– Stewards and staff to guide you and give assistance

– There will be portable toilets at the event, including an accessible loo

– Vendor vans where you can purchase hot food and drinks

How accessible is Light Up Middleport?

Here are some points to consider, and provisions that we have put in place.

– It will be dark for the majority of the event. As a light-based evening event, the best effect will be during full dark. Sunset is predicted for approximately 4.30pm that day, so If you prefer not to be out when it’s fully dark, join us at the opening time of 4pm when visibility will be better.

– For extra visibility, there will also be some low lighting at path level, and stewards will have torches to guide you if needed.

– Some of the installations will be situated on grassed areas. There will be matting laid on top of the grass to make it accessible for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs.

– The paved paths may be uneven. Whether your mobility is usually great or not so much, it’s a good idea to wear flat, sturdy shoes.

– There will be a tour with a British Sign Language interpreter on Wednesday 21st. If you would like to come along, let us know in advance by emailing askus@appetite.org.uk. There are no spoken performances at the event, but soundscapes are used in certain areas. View our BSL introduction video here.

– Ear defenders will be available to loan at The Block. Speak to any of our stewards in an Appetite branded coat who can point you in the right direction.

– All elements of the event are relaxed.

– It’s likely to be cold so please do dress for the weather and wrap up warm!

Is it a dog-friendly event dog?

Middleport Park is a public space with no restrictions on dogs and we expect that some folk might pop in for a visit on their evening walkies. We would ask that if you do bring your dog along to keep them on a short leash while visiting as even the most well-behaved pet pooch can be a potential trip hazard in low light. Please make sure that dogs are kept away from the installations to prevent any unintended damage.

Make a Donation

Help us continue what we do

Ambassadors

Spread the word, get rewards!

Volunteer

Make friends & gain experience