2025 ARCHIVE
A Canalside Arcana Launch Celebration
WHEN Saturday 10 May 2025
WHERE Along the Trent & Mersey Canal from Etruria to Hanley Park
PARTNERS Appetite and Canal & River Trust supported by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. This event was part of the Stoke 100 centenary celebrations.
A Canalside Arcana is a public art trail consisting of eight nature-themed ceramic plaques along the Trent and Mersey canal between Etruria and Hanley Park. The trail was created by artist Anna Francis. based on feedback from the local community about how they feel about where they live.
The plaque was officially launched at a celebration event that took place at both ends of the trail with Anna leading guided walks along the trail between the two.
There was also an open day at Etruria Industrial Museum, clay activities with artists Rita Floyd and Alice Thatcher, creative workshop aboard the Ikon Gallery Slow Boat with GRAIN, The Frog and Bombay Baja Brass Band.
ArtSlam
WHEN Friday 27 June
WHERE Astley Place, Newcastle-under-Lyme
PARTNERSAppetite, ArtsKeele and Newcastle-under-Lyme Business Improvement District (BID) in collaboration with Capital & Centric and supported by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.
ArtSlam was an evening of dynamic, live art created against the clock as the audience watched. Over three rounds - Visual 2D Art, Ceramics and Spoken Word – 12 artists created and performed work with the audience voting on their round and over all winner.
The event took place in Astley Place, a vibrant new creative hub being developed by Capital&Centric during 2025-2026.
ArtSlam NUL followed on from ArtSlam at Goods Yard in 2021, delivered by Appetite in collaboration with Capital&Centric and supported by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
FEATURED ARTISTS
VISUAL 2D Diana Amma-Gyankoma Abankwah, Christian Bartram, Chloe Breeze, Amalia Gherman, Jay Neville, Paige Sutton
CERAMICS Olivia Azzopardi, Docile, Kim Hargreaves. This round was kindly sponsored by Valentine Clays.
SPOKEN WORD Lisa Blower, Emily Galvin-Wilson, Alex Stoker. This round was kindly sponsored by ArtsKeele.
With wrap around entertainment by: Poet Laureate Nick Degg, Drag Bingo by Roada Hawse, compere and music from DJ Ben McManus.
Coming soon
We’ve did some FANTASTIC things in 2025 including the return of Sensasian and The Big Feast, as well as the Arthur Berry on the Streets pop-up exhibition cubes.
Our new website is a work in progress so please keep your eye on this page for full details and lots of lovely photos coming soon. We’ll also be building archives all the way back to 2013 so that you can relive your favourite moments from Appetite whenever you like.