Community Open Day 11th June 2016

Posted on May 27, 2016 by pv1

Join us for Free fun activities for all ages!

on Saturday 11th June 2016 from 10am to 3pm

at Staffordshire University and
Stoke Sixth Form College,
Leek Rd, Shelton ST4 2DF

At Stoke Sixth Form College

Hands on Clay workshops with BCB and Stoke on Trent Museum Service

Dance workshops with Sixth Form College students – Lindy Hop, Charleston and Salsa
Art exhibition – students from the Sixth Form College and local schools
Craft stall
Samba workshop
film/ media activity
Face painting

Science Centre Plaza

Bouncy castle
Ice Cream from Lolapalooza

LRV, Staffordshire University

Eddie Izzard- Stand Up For Europe – FREE – please book here

Staffordshire University Science Centre

campus tours – book in at the Science Centre
subject talks – book in at the Science Centre
Show and Tell degree show tours – book in at the Science Centre
information and plans for developments on campus and in the University Quarter

Staffordshire University Sports Centre

sports and class demos
Labyrinth walk

Coalport Community Garden at Staffordshire University

food and drink stands
access to walks on the Nature Reserve and along the River Trent

celebrate a love of words this summer!

Posted on April 19, 2016 by pv1

Are you ready for some tear jerking, heart thumping, edge of your seat, laugh out loud moments?

Then join us as we celebrate the love of reading and writing over the summer months of 2016, with our packed programme of literacy inspired activity:

Too Write Competition with Hot Air Literary Festival open until 20^th May for all ages. Get your pen out and start writing!

The Little Library Van started it’s journey round the city on 5th April, sharing stories with children and families. You can book it for your community event to bring a love of reading to your doorstep. Contact Stoke-on-Trent Libraries.

100 Reads is a list of the 100 favourite children’s books chosen by local children (and some parents and teachers). Every child will get a copy of the list, and libraries and schools will get a copy of each of the 100 books. The Stoke-on-Trent Libraries and Stoke Speak Out 100 Reads project will be celebrating on the 18th May. Look out for lists and books in your local library from then.

The Big Read – Staffordshire University will give a new book to all Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children in the city, in partnership with Beanstalk, Stoke-on-Trent Libraries, and local newspaper the Sentinel – there will be two weeks of press stories about literacy activities.

Voices Festival on the 8th June is a one day literacy festival at Staffordshire University for 110 secondary school students from Horizon Academy. They will be encouraged to develop their writing skills in workshops led by professional writers and to explore their own regional voices through performance poetry, story writing and drama. As part of the celebrations of Shakespeare’s anniversary, The Globe Theatre will also work with a company of student players to present a performance of Macbeth at the end of the festival.

Stoke’s Literary Festival “Hot Air” runs from the 9th to 11th June 2016.
The programme includes the Too Write competition prize giving on the 9 June at Staffordshire University, a talk with Catherine Burgass a lecturer at Staffordshire University, interviewing Lisa Blower and a Hot Air author workshop at Staffordshire University on the 10 June.

Read Poetry Out Loud on Friday 10th June – Join with everyone in every school in Stoke-on-Trent, people at Staffordshire University, Stoke Sixth Form College and other organisations across the city reading the poem ‘“Read To Me” by Jane Yolen out loud at 11am.

Staffs Fringe Community Open Day at Staffordshire University & Stoke Sixth Form College on Saturday 11th June includes “Somewhere Special To Read” spaces for reading and storytelling with Beanstalk Charity.

The Big Book Swap Picnic in Hanley Park on Sunday 12th June invites the whole community to bring a picnic and a book to swap, from 12-2pm. If you haven’t got a spare book you can write a story or poem in exchange for a spare book. (Secondhand books donated by Stoke-on-Trent Libraries and service). For ALL ages. Adult and Community Learning and Family Learning, Creative Learning and Wavemaker will run free workshops and activities. Organised by the University Quarter Community Action Network.

And there is more planned – keep your eyes open for the Wee Free Library Boxes coming your way soon!

Look for updates on the University Quarter facebook and twitter
as well as Staffs Fringe facebook and twitter.

Community Open Day April 2016

Posted on April 13, 2016 by pv1

We are excited to have Jim from the BBC’s Great Pottery Thrown Down with us on Saturday 23rd April.

At 11am and 11:30am Jim will be giving a talk and pottery demonstration.

At 1pm we will have live music from Jim with his band Slim Jim and the Wildcards.

During the day you can take part in lots of FREE activities:

10-3

have a campus tour starting from the Science Centre
hear a University talk on a wide range of subjects – book in at the Science Centre
view plans & find out more about developments on campus in the Science Centre
grab a bite to eat or a drink in the Coalport Community Garden
take part in Charity Sports competition and see activity demos in the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre

10.30 – 12.30 take a Labyrinth Walk with Prof Bernard Moss in the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre Sports

11-3 in the LRV

have your face painted
learn about the Big Read summer literacy programme
find out how you can get involved in local community action with UniQ CAN
share your ideas for My Stoke Community Archaeology in Stoke on Trent

12-3pm do a hands on Creative Clay workshop in the LRV

1-1.30pm relax with Midday Meditation at 1pm for half an hour led by Kitty Reim (over 18) Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre

2-3pm

Hear a lecture on “Literature on Your Doorstep – Stoke-in-Print with Dr Catherine Burgass in room B169 in the Brindley building

: Science Centre

: Sports Centre

: Brindley building

: LRV

: Coalport Garden

: Leek Rd campus entrance

For more information contact transformation@staffs.ac.uk or call 01782 294345.

Appetite presentation and activities

Posted on May 23, 2015 by pv1

in the Henrion Gallery on College Road, Shelton

Appetite is a three year, Art Council Funded programme which aims to get more people experiencing and inspired by the arts. The Creative Communities Unit are responsible for the evaluation of Appetite.

At this event you will be able to see and explore some of the findings from the evaluation of year two of Appetite.

You will find out about the Get Talking approach we take to research and how you can get involved.

You will also be able to see some of the creative ways we have consulted with audiences and developed case studies.

Get ideas of how to present your research or evaluation findings visually and in creative ways.

We will also have some creative case studies, developed by our Artists in Residence, Nic Winstanley and Sarah Nadin.

There will be some lovely food and refreshments and there may, or may not, be Jelly Babies!

If you would like to book a place, please email Caroline Butterwick at c.butterwick@staffs.ac.uk or call on (01782) 294793.

Fringe Community Night Walk: Art City

Posted on May 18, 2015 by pv1

Please BOOK – Eventbrite FREE walkers tickets

We will meet at Stoke Film Theatre in Shelton
to start walking at 6.30pm.

This will be a `Reclaim the Streets’ Style walk, where we will occupy the streets around and within Shelton and Stoke town, embarking on a special night walk together to explore Art City.

During the walk there will be stopping points on the way, with opportunities to hear about some of the fantastic projects and organisations working locally, and some of the activities and groups that you can get involved in. These include YMCA North Staffs talking about the Uprising programme and their new Spar shop.

As part of the London Road Festival, Letting In The Light and Cultural Sisters are collaborating on the Art Stop, a fantastic programme of events at an empty shop in the town centre. We will pop in for a quick look.

B Arts logo

The walk will end at around 7.30 pm at B-Arts, Hartshilll Rd, Stoke with a chance to share a cup of something warm & snacks. We will have a tour of their building including the new co-working spaces for students and artists.We will find out about the Art City programme and hear from the consortium partners Airspace, bitjam, Cultural Sisters, Letting In the Light, picl, and Restoke.

The event will finish at around 9pm.

If you would like to be one of our “human noticeboards” during the walk, you get 2 minutes to tell us about your organisation, project or group – then please get in touch with Penny Vincent by email to confirm your slot on p.e.vincent@staffs.ac.uk

Please wear strong shoes and layers including waterproof clothes.

We suggest you park on the Staffordshire University car park on College Rd in Shelton, Stoke on Trent which is open and free after 6pm.

You will make your own way back home from B Arts in Stoke, so please plan transport accordingly.

This is the 9th community night walk organised by AirSpace Gallery and Staffordshire University. Find out more about our first Night Walk and how they work, here
http://conjunction.org.uk/2012/11/23/conjunction-12-the-streets-are-ours/

For more information contact Penny Vincent at Staffordshire University 01782 294793 p.e.vincent@staffs.ac.uk

Photos from previous 2013 Community Night Walks

Staffs Fringe Festival

Caldon Canal walk

Have you got an Appetite for Creativity?

Posted on May 18, 2015 by pv1

Venue: Staffordshire University, College Rd, Shelton, Stoke on Trent

If you like the arts, are creative or would like to be,
this event is for you.

5pm – meet in the Film Theatre entrance for a brief tour of Show and Tell degree show

5.30pm – view the Creative Ageing Exhibition in the UniQube gallery in the Film Theatre foyer

In the Henrion Gallery on College Rd site of Staffordshire University

6 pm – refreshments and Appetite Get Talking activities

6.45pm – Unlock your creativity – workshop discussion

7.30-9.00pm – Sing with the Voyagers Chorus

7.45pm – Screen Wednesday: Hidden Voices, Making Connections with Ray Johnson at Stoke Film Theatre

You are welcome to join and leave at any point. Just turn up!

‘And the Doctor said…’ Book launch

Posted on May 9, 2014 by pv1

Event location: Henrion exhibition space, College Rd

‘And the Doctor Said…’ is an innovative research project, which uses creative writing as a way of exploring people’s experiences of healthcare in North Staffordshire.

A series of workshops led by creative writers, playwrights and storytellers took place during 2013 in four different community venues in and around Stoke-on-Trent. Through creative writing, the participants shared, reflected on and wrote about their health experiences.

The workshops resulted in diverse, interesting and poignant new creative writings that offer fresh insights and understandings of people’s experiences of health, illness and medicine in the region. These writings are all included in the project book, which is being launched at this event.

The book is published by North Staffordshire Press, and Malcolm Henson (Managing Director) will be at the event to help promote the publication.

A limited number of free copies of the book will be available, and we will be showing the project films, and inviting participants to share their stories. Everyone is welcome.

For further information please contact Kimberley Watson. Kimberley.watson@staffs.ac.uk Tel: 01782 294555

‘And the Doctor Said…’ website

Arnold Bennett: Pits, Pots and Poets.

Posted on May 9, 2014 by pv1

Event location: Bridgewater pottery
Please note this event costs £6 – book online here

in partnership with Hot Air Festival, Staffordshire University senior lecturer, Catherine Burgass, discusses Stoke’s most famous literary son, Arnold Bennett, whose ‘Five Towns’ novels both glorify and demonise the Potteries.

Anna of the Five Towns, for example, describes in lurid detail the conditions of pottery manufacture, as well as painting vivid pictures of Stoke’s industrial landscape. Catherine Burgass’s talk also focuses on other writers from the area who have taken their inspiration from Stoke’s industrial setting. hot air festival logo

In the “Garden” with Darwin – Talk by David Noble

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Shaun KELLEY

Event location: The Pavillion, College Road, Stoke-on-Trent

Free. Book tickets

In the “Garden” with Darwin or Look happy, you’re having your picture taken!

David Noble’s talk considers how Darwin the naturalist, drew upon art and photography to elucidate his ideas, and how particular photographers made it into a new art, Pictorialism.

In 1872 Charles Darwin published The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Other Animals, a book that discussed how our faces reveal the mental actions of the self. Importantly for Darwin, was the relationship of how the human animal shared with the ‘other animals’ a common bond of gesture and reflex for all to see. With the invention of photography such ideas would take on a greater significance, as the ‘trace’ of our faces would, in a modern world of technological communication, perhaps be more of a mask rather than a revelation. This talk considers how Darwin the naturalist, drew upon art and photography to elucidate his ideas, and how particular photographers made it into a new art, Pictorialism.

This is David Noble’s second talk for Fringe, following on from the well received We Begin in the Dark in 2013.

David also has a new exhibition called ‘Mutability’ opening at the Emporium Gallery, Lichfield.