Residents gather for the first 'Light up Winter' event in Stoke-on-Trent
By Liana Snape 22nd Jan 2026
A series of events hoping to 'light up' Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme began last night with the first event hosted in a Stoke-on-Trent park.
Light up Middleport, the first of three Light up Winter events presented by Appetite, was hosted in Middleport Park yesterday (Wednesday 21 January) from 4pm to 8pm and will be open to visitors again tonight (Thursday 22 January).
Local residents attended the free event which featured several interactive light displays installed throughout the park.
Heather Dowler, interim director of Appetite, said: "We want to bring a bit of light to different parts of the area, which is why we are doing events in Middleport, Hanley and Newcastle."
Appetite is an organisation which aims to get more people in Stoke-on-Trent, and Newcastle-under-Lyme, to experience and be inspired by the arts.
Heather added: "It's so dark and dreary out there so why not take an hour or so to come and do something different.
"Come and see the place in a fresh light, hang out with your community and lift the mood at this gloomy time of year."
Light up Middleport features the work of artists from around the UK alongside lanterns made by members of the local community.
One of the artworks, called The Matter of the Heart, was created by the award-winning studio idontloveyouranymore, and is made up of glowing boxes, each connected to a person's live heartbeat.
Several members of the Middleport community lent their heartbeats to the installation including the youngest participant, seven-year-old Olivia.
Another artist displaying his work at the event is Dan Fox, the creator of the Circo Tree, an interactive artwork featuring an invisible beam that allows people to trigger music and sounds by moving their hands.
Dan, who attended the event, said: "I wanted to create a place where people could gather and I recently created this interactive element.
"It's basically a musical instrument that anybody can play. You can't play any wrong notes so you can't get it wrong really."
The Cumbria-based artist has previously worked with Appetite and has displayed his work in Stoke-on-Trent before.
Dan added: "It's always nice collaborating with other artists and I like these neighbourhood festivals.
"It's free so there's nothing to lose by coming along.
"I think people are always surprised by having something in their backyard and I think it is great that Appetite are taking things like this into neighbourhoods."
Light up Middleport also received support from Middleport Matters, a community organisation based in Middleport.
Lesley Adams with Middleport Matters said: "This event could have gone anywhere in the city so to get it here in Middleport, on local people's doorsteps is just incredible."
Melanie Smith, also with Middleport Matters, added: "Having something like this in Middleport is amazing because often to have a light installation like this you would have to go to a big city.
"So the fact that this is in Stoke is great but then the fact that it is in Middleport, for this community to benefit from, is amazing.
"I think it is important that things like this continue to happen in smaller areas so that it is accessible to everybody.
"That is one of the things that Middleport Matters wants to make sure we are doing."
The next Light up Winter event, Light Up Hanley, will take place in Albion Square on 3 and 4 February from 5pm to 8pm.
The series will then conclude with Newcastle under Light outside the Guildhall on 4 March from 6pm to 9pm.
Light Up Winter is funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England's Creative People and Places programme.
The events have also received additional support from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Denise Coates Foundation and Middleport Matters.
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