Upcoming Events
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.
Audiences are invited to enjoy a performance, create their own piece of art and celebrate where they live in their own authentic style - inspired by Arthur Berry’s own ethos.
Visit the New Vic Borderlines’ caravan when it visits your area and enjoy the exhibition of community poems and pictures in this celebration year.
There may even be a pie available!
Admission: Free
Locations: Various across the City
SKETCHY
Presented by New Vic Education
An Arthur Berry inspired journey through art and literacy
What if…
Drawing was valued in as much as writing or reading in a child’s education.
What if…
Everyone had a chance to develop their drawing skills from a young age?
What if….
The views and images of our homes and communities were recognised as important subjects for art?
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.
Inviting people to celebrate their own creativity, participants will explore the art of illustration alongside storytelling; discovering through Berry’s legacy how to powerfully demonstrate the relationship between visual imagery and words. Learn techniques and embrace your individual style in this inspirational event!
New Vic Education will also work with partners, teachers and communities to develop accessible online resources to allow everyone to get involved in this creative experience.
ARTHUR BERRY – THEATREMAKER
Presented by: New Vic Theatre Archive
A prolific creative artist and writer, Arthur Berry was inspired to write his first play after seeing a production of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood at the Vic Theatre in 1972. Then, a chance meeting with theatre director Peter Cheeseman at the Swan Hotel in Burslem led to 10 years of fruitful collaboration with The Vic. Five of Berry’s plays were staged at the old Vic on Hartshill Road, before St George of Scotia Road opened at the New Vic Theatre in 1986.
In this exhibition, see a collection of the artist’s original drawings - vibrant characters and settings created for his plays - from the Victoria Theatre Archive at Staffordshire University, alongside production photographs from the performances themselves.
Admission: Free. Venue opens at 10am
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO PHOEBE SALT
Presented by New Vic Theatre
A World Premier Production
Born and raised in the industrial heartland of Stoke-on-Trent, Phoebe Salt spends her days working in the meat market, trapped in a daily grind of blood and bone.
After work, yearning for glamour and adventure, she rehearses her role as a showman’s assistant with the local town entertainer and soon, opportunity knocks.
Will a TV appearance help her finally escape the trials and tribulations of working life or does her fate have other plans?
Arthur Berry, a master of capturing the soul of working-class life, brings to life the grit and resilience of the people of Stoke-on-Trent in this striking drama. Recognising the work of this unsung local hero, Whatever Happened to Phoebe Salt is filled with vivid storytelling and rich characters.
Following his own experience as an audience member, Arthur Berry’s relationship with the New Vic as a playwright can be traced back to a chance meeting with the theatre’s founding director Peter Cheeseman, in Burslem in 1972. For 10 years, Arthur Berry’s plays were enjoyed on Vic’s stage before he became the first playwright to see his work on the stage of the new theatre-in-the-round based in Basford.
Admission: Tickets from £15.00 - £33.00
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.
Exact dates and times to be announced.
Alongside the exhibition there will be a range of walks and opportunities to find out more about, contribute towards remembering, and to celebrate Arthur:
Arthur Berry Plaque unveiling on the Burslem School of Art
Smallthorne to Burslem Trail Walk - Discover the new trail as a free guided walk
Burslem to Middleport Trail Walk - Discover the new trail as a free guided walk
Arthur Berry Archive - A chance to share your Arthur Berry memories to be saved in the Berry archive
Volunteers Needed:
We are looking for volunteers to assist with A Sense of Place, for more details please contact Amanda Bromley amanda@barewall.co.uk
THREE COUNTIES OPEN ART
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.
With a wonderful display of artwork from local schools, several awards made to exhibiting artists including the prestigious Arthur Berry Prize and an exciting exhibition celebrating the work of Arthur Berry, this year’s Three Counties Open Art Exhibition will feel extra special.
Admission: Free. Exact dates to be announced.
Image by Jenny Harper.
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.
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.
Admission: Free
Booking Necessary. Further details coming soon, check back here for more information.
A PORTRAIT OF ARTHUR
Presented by Claybody Theatre
Time TBC
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.
Admission: Free
Booking Necessary. Further details coming soon, check back here for more information.
ODE TO ARTHUR
Presented by Claybody Theatre
2 Performances, times TBC
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
Booking Necessary. Further details coming soon, check back here for more information.
APPETITE CUBES
Presented by Appetite
Across the summer, visit Stoke-on-Trent City Centre (Hanley) and Newcastle-under-Lyme Town Centre to explore this free, pop-up outdoor exhibition. Exploring the life, artworks and poetry of Arthur Berry, alongside archive photos, the exhibition will illuminate his work and celebrate his life.
The exhibition will also feature some of the Three Counties Open Art Exhibition Arthur Berry Prize-winners, shining a light on the incredible legacy of the local artist.
Admission: Free. Exact locations coming soon.
Image by Andrew Billington
Poetry Busk
Poetry Busk
Presented by Newcastle Library supported by the Keele Key Fund
Celebrating World Poetry Day, and its theme of Poetry for peace and unity, the Poetry Busk will bring together a whole host of poets, be them published, hobbyist, students, readers, and appreciators. The aim is to perform 4 hours of rolling poetry for free to an audience who can stay as long as they like.
Join Rory Blessington from New Vic Borderlines to hear some of Arthur Berry’s work, and have a go at creating your own.
ARTHUR BERRY - NEW PERSPECTIVES
Presented by Staffordshire Film Archive
In this special archive film screening, audiences are offered the change to find out more about Potteries’ cultural icon Arthur Berry in his own words - and from the people that knew him best.
Featuring many examples of his work, alongside filmed sequences of the artist, poet, playwright and author talking about his home city, his artistic techniques and subjects, plus readings of some of his poems and musings about the plays he wrote for the Victoria Theatre, this is a great opportunity to delve into the history of a local hero. Artists Tony Wild, Jim Rushton and Enos Lovatt and actors Steven Granville, David Bowen, Sally Hedges and James Masters all feature in this special film, alongside insights from former student Jiri Borski, Arthur’s wife Cynthia and the the New Vic’s founding director Peter Cheeseman.
Join host Ray Johnson for an extra special event to celebrate one of Stoke-on-Trent’s most famous sons.
Admission: Free.
Photos by Ray Johnson. Film Shows produced by Ray Johnson. Archive footage from Staffordshire Film Archive, Media Archive for Central England (MACE), Victoria Theatre Archive & Jane Wood Archive.
Berry RAW
Presented by Barewall Gallery, with kind permission from the Berry Estate, private collectors and partners.
A Centenary Exhibition of paintings, drawings and artifacts from the estate of Arthur Berry
RAW is an important exhibition of Berry paintings showing BERRY at his most authentic, honest self, rooted in expressing the human condition in its raw state. The exhibition includes never-before-seen artwork, shown alongside original sketches and items from the Berry archive.
Expect the unexpected – Berry: uncompromising, strong, making art for himself and for art’s sake. Although this work can be immersed in the silt of his Potteries upbringing, his work is universally important dealing in a brutally honest expressionism of life.
Exhibition catalogue and limited merchandise available from New Vic Theatre, Barewall Gallery and at www.barewall.co.uk
Admission: Free. Venue opens at 10am.