As our final contribution to the 2023 Knotty100 celebrations the CRP commissioned local community arts organisation B-Arts to put on some interactive public tours of Stoke Station. Over one weekend, participants in small groups were guided around the station to meet actors dressed in period costume. They found out about their stories, all linked to the history of the station and The North Staffordshire Railway (The Knotty). The performance ended with a hot drink and an iced bun in a pop-up Knotty Café. In total, the event was attended by 173 people, including 51 under 16s.
“It was my son’s first theatre show (he is 9) and first time inside the station. We like it very much. Thank you for a very nice time.”
B-Arts worked with young people from Stoke-on-Trent College to produce the props. Laura Harper, Stoke Station Manager, was key to this event. She sought permissions to cross the gate line, to use non-public spaces and wrote the risk assessment. She shared information with the station staff, organised the health and safety briefing for B-Arts staff and volunteers and gave accessed to the staff rest room area.
The CRP is grateful to Avanti West Coast for funding this project with a Community Engagement Fund grant.
