The Portland Inn Project Exhibition at AirSpace Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent.

The Portland Inn Project is a creative arts project in partnership with The Portland Street Community Group, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Appetite, AirSpace Gallery and My Community Matters for a community in Stoke-on-Trent, where derelict properties were sold for £1 with the view of changing the fortunes of the area.
The Project has recently secured the asset transfer of a disused pub to the community, to be developed into a creative community building. Drawing on examples of successful, creative, artist and community led development projects from across the UK, the approach is to involve the area’s existing and new community to design and deliver the future of this community asset, through an engaging public art programme.
This exhibition documents the development of the Portland Inn Project to date and showcases how this ground breaking project has:
• engaged local people in creative decision making about their area, and about the future of the pub, via creative participatory methods, with a focus around architecture and community development
• delivered a strong programme of artistic and cultural activity which activates the area, and can be accessed by local families and others
• engaged local stakeholders, and key potential investors/supporters of the project in shaping the future of the pub.
• Prototyped new products, to be developed alongside the building, for the social enterprise aspect of the project
• Secured the asset transfer of the Pub Building for the community.