The Portland Inn Development Project.

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 The British Ceramics Biennial 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 council have recently offered a disused pub to the community, to be used as a community centre. Drawing on examples of successful, creative, community led development projects from across the UK, our approach is to involve the area’s existing and new community to design and deliver the future of this community asset, through an engaging month long public art programme.

The project proposes the Portland Inn as an art work, and future creative community space and involves developing a useable, temporary space within the currently boarded up pub in order to deliver a 4 week arts and cultural programme, lead by artists Anna Francis and Rebecca Davies piloting a range of activity which brings people into the building and into the conversation about the future of the site.

The project is funded by Arts Council England, The Appetite and City Council Community Events Fund and The Portland Street Community Group.