Iconic sculpture Capo has returned to Festival Park ready to go back on public display.
The brick-built head of master potter Josiah Wedgwood was installed at the site of his former home, the Grade II-listed Etruria Hall, earlier this week.
It will be officially unveiled on Sunday 26 October by the Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Councillor Steve Watkins, and the Chloe Chard, wife of Vincent Woropay, the artist who created the piece.
The sculpture has been reconstructed following its shock demolition in 2023 as part of Etruria Valley regeneration works.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has worked closely with the family of the late Vincent Woropay to ensure that the sculpture’s distinctive character and craftsmanship have been carefully restored.
Restoration work has been carried out by Hanley-based heritage construction specialists Alliance Technical Services. Many of the bricks were saved and any new bricks were gifted to the city council by Ibstock.
Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “When I became leader of the council, I made a promise to rebuild the Capo sculpture.
“I’m incredibly pleased that we’ve made this happen and that the rebuilt statue will be unveiled during our Centenary year – when we’ve been celebrating Stoke-on-Trent’s heritage, creativity and legacy.
“Josiah Wedgwood is one of our city’s most influential figures – a giant of the ceramics industry – and his legacy continues to shape Stoke-on-Trent’s identity today. It’s especially fitting that the sculpture will stand once again in the grounds of the home he built and lived in.
“This unveiling falls during Black History Month, making it an ideal time to consider Wedgwood’s role as prominent campaigner against slavery. His famous ‘Am I Not a Man and a Brother?’ medallion helped raise awareness of the abolitionist movement and stir public conscience against slavery.”
Capo was created for the 1986 National Garden Festival and later installed near Etruria Hall in 2009.
- Read the Daily Focus story about new rules put in place following the demolition of the Capo sculpture here.
