First Potteries Chartist Festival
By Adam Colclough
Organisers of the first Potteries Chartist Festival in Burslem this coming Sunday have released further details about the event.
These include the times and locations at which the play created by partners New Vic Borderlines will be performed and details of key speakers appearing on the main stage.
Performances of the play will take place in the Red Room at the Old Post Office 11:30-12:00 and at the Bulls Head at 13:45-14:15 and 15:00-15:30.
There will also be a BBQ available at the performances at the Bulls Head.
The Old Post Office will also be hosting a showing of ‘The Battle of Burslem’, a film by Ray Johnson and an exhibition of the ‘Peterloo Tapestry’.
The event will be opened by Lord Mayor Majid Khan at 11:00 am with a speech from the main stage.
Other speakers will include Paul Fitzgerald, the creator of the Peterloo Tapestry, Chrissy Gibson, a family member of Josiah Heapy, and Martin Starkey, a local Fire Brigades Union official.
Performers appearing on the main stage include Potteries Poet Nick Degg, and singer/songwriters Peter Branson and Sam Draisey.
The closing address will be given by Rose Hunter, a founding member for the North Staffs Miners Wives Action Group.
There will be a minutes silence at 13:40 to commemorate the moment at which Josiah Heapy was killed.
A spokesperson for the People’s History Association North Staffs said “we want this festival to commemorate the struggles of the past and highlight those that are still going on. Workers rights are never something that can be taken for granted and must be continually won and defended”.
For further information contact:
Sue Moffatt: smoffatt@newvictheatre.org.uk
Aida Haughton: ahaughton@newvictheatre.org.uk