- Venue
- Location: Hanley Park, Stoke-on-Trent Meeting Point: The Band Stand
- Date
- Saturday, March 1, 2025
12:00 AM - Address
- Cleveland Rd, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 4DX
- Location
- West Midlands
- Organiser
- Yuliia Hoilovatiuk-Ungureanu, University of Staffordshire, sot100.org.uk
Dialogue with the Land: Heritage & Visions – Art Trail 2025
As part of the Stoke-on-Trent Centenary Celebration, the University of Staffordshire Fine Art students proudly present the Art Trail 2025—a dynamic exploration of heritage, creativity, and nature in Hanley Park.
This one-day event showcases site-specific installations, interactive workshops, and engaging community activities, bringing together art and the environment in a unique and immersive way.
The Art Trail explores themes of ecology, cultural heritage, and transformation, inviting visitors to experience Hanley Park through the eyes of emerging artists. As part of this initiative, students have created multidisciplinary artworks that respond to the park’s history and its role as a vital green space.
Visitors are encouraged to explore the installations at their own pace or join a Guided Walk at 1:00 PM, where participating artists will discuss their works and creative processes. Additionally, interactive sessions, including leaf/relief printing, sculpture workshops, and meditation sessions, will be available throughout the day.
Date: Saturday, 1 March 2025
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Hanley Park, Stoke-on-Trent
Meeting Point: The Band Stand
Free Entry
Featured Artists and Works:
Yuliia Holovatiuk-Ungureanu – “Traces of Caldon Canal” and “Building Future”
Yuliia explores history, memory, and resilience through material imprints. “Traces of Caldon Canal” captures the canal’s layered history using natural pigments pressed directly onto surfaces, preserving its textures. Accompanied by Ceramic “Building Future” Blocks, her work connects the past with the future, highlighting transformation and human impact.
Ruby Warder-Rowlands – “Bird Watching”
A ceramic tile series depicting bird species found in Hanley Park, encouraging visitors to discover wildlife they may hear but rarely see. The work connects to Stoke-on-Trent’s ceramics heritage, inviting engagement through exploration and storytelling.
Lyndsey Bagguley – “Organic or Artificial?”
Lyndsey crafts botanical sculptures in resin and clay, exploring the coexistence of nature and human influence. Her work encourages viewers to question what is natural and what is artificial, inviting reflection on our connection to the environment.
Amy Barlow – “Untitled”
A series of artworks that aims to transform the path into a journey through mental recovery. Each piece invites reflection, encouraging visitors to slow down, connect with their natural surroundings, and find inspiration in the gradual yet powerful process of recovery.
Kat Hammersley – “From the Beginning to Now”
This oil painting reimagines Hanley Park’s bandstand and pavilion, inspired by historical photographs. Kat visualizes the park’s transformation over time, preserving its community significance while capturing a moment in time that continues to resonate.
Jamie Harris & Freya Nellis – “Community Roots”
A mixed-media project reviving two lost folktales—Etruria’s White Rabbit and The Devil and the Stove Pipe. Their work fosters community interaction, inviting visitors to engage with forgotten stories and create their own interpretations.
Louise Pover – “May You Turn into a Willow”
A mixed-media painting inspired by Lithuanian folklore, depicting Drebulė, a girl turned into a willow tree as punishment. Created with inks, oil paint, and charcoal, the piece explores themes of transformation and mythology.
Izzy Davis – “Somewhere in the Woods”
A multimedia work addressing climate change and environmental responsibility. Made entirely from found and repurposed materials, the piece encourages reflection on human impact and the consequences of everyday actions.
Amie Marson – “Whispers of the Woodland”
A fusion of traditional canal barge painting and endangered species advocacy, highlighting the fragility of UK woodlands and wetlands. Amie’s vibrant work sparks conversations on conservation and heritage craft traditions.
Jasmine Edwards – “A Call for Respect”
Using needle-felt sculptures, Jasmine addresses pollution and its impact on wildlife. Her installations highlight environmental neglect, featuring animals entangled in waste, urging viewers to reflect on their role in conservation, and encouraging people to take care of community spaces.
Izzie Grant – “Untitled”
This installation of intricately crocheted spring-blooming flowers creates a vibrant, tactile connection between the natural world and the handmade. The fusion of bright hues and textures transforms the space to evoke a sense of hope, renewal, and joy.
Elise Gaunt – “The Passage of Equine”
A series of acrylic paintings dedicated to the horses and their roles to the canals. Each work depicts the canal horses with a contemporary twist, aiming to connect with audience members who can use this as an opportunity to learn more about the history of these working animals.
Quinn O’Brien – “Tracks of the Past”
A sculptural piece that acts as an exploration into the Caldon Canal’s history of the complex relationship the canal had with the nearby railways in the 1900’s. The work is composed of sticks found in Hanley Park, solidifying the bond between Hanley Park, the Caldon canal, and the railways that it battled with.
Interactive Workshops & Activities
- 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM Drop-in Art Workshops: Featuring Leaf and Relief Printing, Sculpturing, Community Art Sessions, Participating Artists and Meditation Sessions and Nature Watching
- 1:00 PM – Guided Art Trail Walk: Meet at the Band Stand for an artist-led introduction to the works on display.
Join the Conversation
Stay connected and share your experience using
📸 Instagram: @staffsfineart
📘 Facebook: Staffordshire University Fine Art Course
📧 Contacts: Professor Anna Francis – [email protected], Ruby Warder-Rowlands – [email protected],Yuliia Holovatiuk-Ungureanu – [email protected]
We invite you to explore Hanley Park through art, storytelling, and community engagement at Art Trail 2025!
Join us in celebrating Stoke-on-Trent’s rich heritage and creative legacy, marking 100 years of history, culture, and artistic expression.
