Community Group of the Year nomination – Stoke Creates

Community Group of the Year nomination – Stoke Creates

A cultural compact for Stoke-on-Trent has raised more than £2million in funding to help local artists and creatives since forming in January 2021.

Stoke Creates was instrumental in the city being awarded World Craft City status in 2024 – an award that has recognised the city’s rich ceramics heritage and set a benchmark for other cities worldwide.

Earlier this year the team, based in the cultural quarter at Smithfield in Hanley, partnered with Stoke-on-Trent City Council to organise a community parade in the city centre.

More than 1,000 participants took part in the People’s Parade, which brought together local communities for a celebration of the city’s centenary year and was led by giant puppet – the Spirit of Stoke – created by arts organisation B-Arts.

The nine-strong team at Stoke Creates is a collaboration of professionals and academics supported by local artists and a diverse group of organisations including community interest companies, educational organisations and members of the ceramics industry.

Stoke Creates is chaired by University of Staffordshire’s Professor Carola Boehm who said: “We are so proud of our city and Stoke-on-Trent’s vibrant cultural ecosystem. Following the World Craft City status our creative web that includes cultural industries, museums, galleries and educational institutions, is being talked about regionally, in Parliament and worldwide, we are making sure that Stoke is on the map.”

This year the organisation received charitable status and now aims to build on providing more support for the local arts scene and creating more positive action for Stoke-on-Trent.

Carola added: “Stoke Creates has become a charity. Our aim is that with this new status we are seen as a safe pair of hands in the eyes of local donors and philanthropists. With their investment we will support more local creatives and we cannot wait to build the partnerships and teams that deliver on our exciting plans.”

Susan Clarke, Executive Director of Stoke Creates, said: “Stoke Creates is delighted already to have raised a phenomenal amount of funds in two years to support our local artists and creatives to bring arts to over 80,000 people across our city. We will be keeping this momentum up, advocating for investment in our arts and culture and creative industries wherever we find a platform.

“We’re delighted that World Craft City status is also included in local government plans, including Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Future 100 prospectus.

“In June we staged the largest parade in Stoke-on-Trent where not only over a thousand local people took part, but thousands more local people came out in force to watch and support the celebrations.

“Arts and culture are key to everyone living a full and rewarding life in any city and why shouldn’t Stoke, a city built on craft and graft, have all the opportunities and realise all its creative ambitions as we move forward?”

Stoke Creates has been nominated in the Community Group of the Year category of the Your Heroes Awards.