One City Performance
Are we a disparate collection of towns, with no connection or relationship?
Do our towns share a common history?
What makes these towns individual?
Are we proud to share the identity of being Stoke-on-Trent?
How does our relationship with our history help shape our future?
These are some of the questions the One City project has asked. By looking back and working out who we are and where have we come from, we can begin to look ahead to our future.
What are the hopes for the future of Stoke, and what will be our roles in the process of change?
In an insightful collaboration of our City’s older and younger generations, a unique artistic presentation of recollections of the past and visions for the future has been created and will be performed at the Victoria Hall during the festival.
If you have stories of the City you remember, you can share them at the One City website, which will be launched over the festival period. Share your memories for others to enjoy and remember for years to come.
We are also very excited to welcome a Manchester based art company, Spearfish to this year’s festival. Spearfish have been given the task of illustrating the memories gathered at our reminiscing workshops as objectively as possible – you will see their canvasses appearing in the city centre in the lead in to the festival, you may fancy having a go yourself!
Do we like others perception of our City?
Would we like to change it – and if so, how do we do it?
First performance 4:00 - 5:00pm
Second performance 7:00 - 8:00pm
The event is free
Letting In The Light are a not for profit, socially engaged arts group. Established in 1997, the group has engaged with a multitude of different communities in many different forms. From creative consultation to hands on workshops, Letting in the Light specialise in creative thinking and are ambitious in their multimedia installations. They have wide experience in project development, community development and learning, business management, artist management, community consultation and working with communities at a grass-roots level all of which strengthen Letting in the Light's ability to work in the heart of communities.
They are firm believers that the arts should and can be accessible to all, regardless of age, ability, cultural or social background, and to facilitate this accessibility they utilise many different art forms that are specific to the groups they work with and their individual needs. Key to Letting in the Light's success is creative collaboration with other artists. Where relevant they employ the skills of other artists, creative writers, dance practitioners and musicians and work in partnership with many local organisations.
FRONTLINEdance is an integrated dance company of disabled and non-disabled professional dancers. They provide opportunities and access to a range of dance activities to all ages and abilities striving to target those who would not normally have the opportunity to take part. The purpose of the group is to increase self-esteem, confidence, teamwork skills and inspiration, to raise awareness of what is possible and promote positive responses to both disability and to dance.
The Company offer workshops and residencies in both Educational and Community settings, in contemporary dance, creative dance, choreography and street dance for children and adults including early years and older people.
Denise O’Sullivan is a ceramic/visual artists based in Stoke-on-Trent, working in a variety of mediums, creating fun and energetic artwork, sculptures and designs. Denise currently makes her creations in her studio, working on small batch, commission and residency work. Whilst juggling a variety of community, health and educational projects.
Jim Kirkpatrick, is a guitarist and songwriter from south Cheshire. He has worked with many well known artists such a Thea Gilmore, Bernie Marsden(Wwhite Snake) and members of Lindisfarne and 10cc. His plying has taken him all around the world with many appearances at many well known venues and festivals. As well as him playing career, Jim has been a guitar/music tutor for several years teaching to all ranges of ages and abilities, privately and in workshops.
Spearfish, specialise in the delivery of high quality and dynamic events and workshops with in the areas of visual art, music, dance, fashion and moving image. We see ourselves as producers, creating platforms for our artists to show off their talent and inspire audiences. 0161 236 2785 www.spearfish.co.uk
Rotten Park Road is an emerging and award winning new writing theatre company based in Staffordshire. The company is a merging of former ‘Random Productions’ (founded in 2005 by Lynne Payne/Patrick McConnell), ‘Vivid Productions’ (Dean Leon Finlan) and director Matt Rozier. ‘Rotten’ is building an impressive reputation across the UK for producing theatre with an innovative and spirited style, engaging audiences across the UK. The company’s repertoire consists primarily of new writing; plays that explore the human condition, appealing directly to our emotions and the imagination.
Wednesday 30 April, Victoria Hall, 4:00pm
Tickets: free!
Wednesday 30 April, Victoria Hall, 7:00pm
Tickets: free!
