An arts programme that aims to get more people to experience and be inspired by the arts in Stoke-on-Trent has been awarded a £500,000 Arts Council England grant to continue its work for three more years.
The Appetite programme, led by Newcastle-under-Lyme’s New Vic Theatre, aims to “transform arts activity and involvement locally and seek to get more people in the city engaged in the arts”.
Since 2013, Appetite has taken family-friendly arts events to the city’s streets, parks and hospitals. More than 450,000 people have attended.
New Vic artistic director Theresa Heskins said, “Stoke is a city on the up. Making it a great place to live and work is fundamental to the New Vic’s mission, and this award is testament to the tremendous success of the Appetite programme in helping to achieve this.
“We’re thrilled that we’ll be able to continue working with our partners and with communities to engage more local people with the arts and enable and support additional, exciting, large-scale activities.”
Appetite director Gemma Thomas added, “we’ve made positive, long-term change for the arts and culture and, crucially, people’s lives in the local area. We look forward to seeing what we can achieve by March 2022.”