Landmark sculpture Capo – the brick built head of master potter Josiah Wedgwood – is set to return to Festival Park less than two years after its shock demolition.
The brick-built artwork by sculptor Vincent Woropay, originally created for the 1986 National Garden Festival, was dismantled in 2023 as part of Etruria Valley regeneration works.
Its destruction, approved by Tory councillor Dan Jellyman with the infamous words ”nothing lasts forever… best get rid” in an email to contractors, drew widespread criticism from residents and heritage campaigners.
Councillor Jellyman, the former cabinet member for regeneration, now opposition leader, resigned after admitting he had “made a mistake” in approving its removal.
The sculpture had stood close to Wedgwood’s former home, the Grade II-listed Etruria Hall, since 2009.
Now, Stoke-on-Trent City Council has submitted plans to reconstruct Capo just metres from its previous location.
The project has been delivered in partnership with Woropay’s family and Hanley-based heritage construction specialist Alliance Technical Services. Many of the original bricks were saved, with new units donated by Ibstock, minimising cost and environmental impact.
Council leader Jane Ashworth, who pledged to reinstate the sculpture when she took office, said: “Wedgwood built and lived in Etruria Hall, so it is only right that we mark his legacy and return Capo to Festival Park – and it’s extra special that this will happen in our centenary year.”
Subject to planning approval and landowner agreement, the rebuilt sculpture will be unveiled later this year.
Councillor Ashworth added: “For the construction and regeneration sector, the reinstatement is a showcase of heritage craft skills, sustainable material reuse, and collaborative project delivery. By bringing Capo back, the city aims not only to restore a landmark but to reaffirm Wedgwood’s place in Stoke-on-Trent’s industrial and cultural identity.”
