A canalside mural echoing the colourful designs of three distinguished women potters is brightening up a section of the Trent and Mersey Canal.
It’s a cornerstone of imagery which has been created by artists and local residents at the entrance to the towpath in Middleport, in Stoke-on-Trent.
The mural transforms the wingwalls of Mill Bridge while painted tiles decorate the adjacent canal bank, in a ceramics-themed space.
The “Middleport Links” project – officially showcased at a special celebration event last weekend – gives local residents a sense of pride in their heritage-rich area.
Newport Pottery where Clarice Cliff worked was situated not far from the site, on the canal.
To create the Middleport Links vision, Sarah Fraser of British Ceramics Biennial worked on a brief from Middleport Matters Community Trust and Appetite, a Creative People and Places programme that gets more people in Stoke-on-Trent and the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme to experience and be inspired by the arts.
Residents attended workshops where they created hand-made terracotta tiles, painted bricks, and thought up designs to reflect the rich history of Middleport.
The community joined with Clay Comrades and Canal & River Trust to prepare the space for planting and installing the fired tiles.
In a final flourish, a mural inspired by female ceramic artists Charlotte Rhead, Susie Cooper and Clarice Cliff – all of them Potteries-based – was developed and painted onto the wingwalls by artist Rob Fenton.
The Middleport Links project was co-funded by Middleport Matters and the Canal & River Trust. It is the latest project to flow from the partnership between Middleport Matters and Appetite.
Appetite Director Gemma Thomas said: “Our relationship with Middleport Matters has been active for a while now and we’re really pleased to have been able to work with people from Middleport, a range of partners and artists to create some really positive projects in the area. We’re proud of the work we’ve done to date and that’s what we’re taking a moment to celebrate and say thank you for; before looking to what we’d like to do next together.”
