UPCOMING EVENTS
Starting April 2025
Various locations across the city
Key Dates:
Saturday 9 August @ Three Counties, Fenton Town Hall, ST4 3AF
Sunday 17 August @ Potteries Chartist Festival, Market Place, Burslem ST6 4AT
A Pie, A Poem and A Portrait
Presented by New Vic Borderlines
Arthur Berry’s imagination was fed by the rich heritage of the Potteries and the lives of local people.
A Pie, A Poem and A Portrait will see Arthur Berry’s artwork and poetry brought to life in school yards, parks, community centres, pubs and unusual locations all across Stoke-on-Trent.
Use the button below to see the work of those who were inspired by Berry’s work when New Vic Borderlines took A Pie, A Poem and A Portrait to Stoke-on-Trent Pride this Summer.
22 April - 27 June 2025
Various Locations
Sketchy
Presented by New Vic Education
Inspired by Arthur Berry’s vision as both an artist and writer, New Vic Education will work with artists, schools and community groups including Middleport Matters, Smallthorne Primary School and Springhead Primary School, to engage with the skill of drawing.
30 June - 6 July
Bethesda Chapel, Albion Street ST1 1QF
Arthur Berry: Observer of Life
Presented by Pinc College
Pinc College students have been working on a project inspired by Arthur Berry's life and work as part of the celebrations for his 100th birthday. Working in collaboration with the New Vic Theatre and Barewall Art Gallery, the project has enabled students to become 'Observers of Life,' taking inspiration from Stoke-on-Trent and its people to create their own artwork. The students have also selected a piece of Arthur's art to be displayed alongside their own.
16 July 2025
10:30 - 12:30 and 13:30 - 15:30
New Vic Theatre, Etruria Road,
Newcastle-under-Lyme ST5 0JG
Volcanic Sand Workshop
Presented by New Vic Borderlines
Join New Vic Borderlines and local artist, Ben Riley, and step into the world of grit, soul, and storytelling through volcanic sand art.
Join acclaimed artist Ben Riley—known for his powerful portraits and unique material techniques—for a free hands-on creative experience celebrating the raw beauty of Arthur Berry’s legacy.
Free Event, places limited, please email ahaughton@newvictheatre.org.uk to book.
19 July 2025
The Dipping House
Spode Works ST4 1BU
Meeting Arthur
Presented by Claybody Theatre
Claybody Theatre respond to the work of Arthur Berry as an artist, playwright and poet.
Get involved and be inspired by an installation at The Dipping House. Participate in any of four Creative Workshops: Visual Art; Script Writing; Poetry or Music.
FULLY BOOKED
19 July 2025
The Dipping House
Spode Works ST4 1BU
A Portrait of Arthur
Presented by Claybody Theatre
Claybody Theatre respond to the work of Arthur Berry as an artist, playwright and poet.
Learn more about the man and the artist at an evening talk about Berry’s life and work.
Further details, including exact time, coming soon.
27 July 2025
The Dipping House
Spode Works ST4 1BU
Ode to Arthur
Presented by Claybody Theatre
Claybody Theatre respond to the work of Arthur Berry as an artist, playwright and poet.
Join Claybody Theatre for an evening’s entertainment created in response to the works of Arthur Berry, including original monologues written and performed by the Company, and a new musical piece by Ashley Thompson, performed by COR BACH with ACCELER8 BRASS BAND.
Admission: £15.00.
9 August - 30 August
Fenton Town Hall, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 3AF
Tuesday until Saturday, each week between 11am and 3pm.
Three Counties Open Art Exhibition
The Three Counties Open Art Exhibition is an open-call visual arts exhibition for artists connected to Staffordshire, Cheshire or Shropshire.
The exhibition spans a wide range of mediums in five rooms inside the purpose-built art school building where Arthur Berry studied and taught. From painting to printmaking, drawing, photography, sculpture, textiles, moving image and installation-based works, the breadth of exhibited work shows only a small selection of the creativity of the area.
Admission: Free. venue open Tues - Sat from 11am - 3pm.
The Three Counties Open Art is organised in partnership with: ArtsKeele at Keele University; Appetite; Barewall Gallery; Burslem School of Art Trust; Character & Arts Foundation; City Learning Trust; ACAVA Spode Works. With special thanks to our awards sponsors – ACAVA, Appetite, Barewall Art Gallery, Burslem School of Art Trust, City Learning Trust, Keele University, North Staffordshire Friends of the Earth, New Vic Theatre Archive Fund and Urban Wilderness.
9 August - 30 August
Barewall Art Gallery, 2 - 4 Market Place, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 4AT
A Sense of Place
This unique and highly personal exhibition explores the places and locations included in Berry’s writings, poems and plays, and in unseen photographs from the archive - all amidst the dulcet tones of Arthur Berry’s voice. A selection of items will be available for sale to accompany the show including artwork from the Arthur Berry Estate.
Alongside the exhibition there will be a range of walks and opportunities to find out more about, contribute towards remembering, and to celebrate Arthur, use the Find Out More button for more details.
August - October 2024
Stoke-on-Trent City Centre and Newcastle-under-Lyme Town Centre
Arthur Berry On The Streets
Presented by Appetite
Appetite is joining the celebrations for 100 years of Arthur Berry: playwright, poet, painter, cultural icon. 2025 would have been his centenary year, and it’s a time when we look forward to honouring his extraordinary life and contribution to art, literature and culture with a series of events. There will be exhibitions, performances, discussions and unprecedented public access to his archive.
As part of this, Appetite are presenting a pop-up, open-air exhibition exploring Arthur’s life and work. The exhibition ‘cubes’ will also feature some of the Three Counties Open Art Exhibition Arthur Berry Prize-winners, shining a light on his lasting legacy.
The exhibition will run from August to October, beginning in Stoke-on-Trent City Centre (Hanley, 4 August – 14 September) before moving to Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre (20 September – 1 October).