Public Art Inventory in Stoke on Trent

Residents are being urged to have their say on the development of a city-wide inventory which will help to protect some of the city’s most treasured public works of art.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is creating a register of public art to help inform planning decisions related to any future regeneration schemes following the removal of Vincent Woropay’s ‘Capo’ statue in January.

There is already a 72-strong inventory of public art installations across the city, which includes statues, war memorials, murals, fountains, architectural features and street furniture. Now it is looking to develop the list even further – with the help of the city’s residents.

A public consultation – which will run until Wednesday 31 January 2024 – has now been launched to give residents the chance to suggest any public works of art, which aren’t currently listed, to be included in the inventory.

The development of the Public Art Inventory follows the introduction of a new Public Art Protocol which was adopted by the city council last week (Tuesday 7 November).

The protocol outlines how any regeneration scheme in Stoke-on-Trent involving a site that contains a work of art, heritage asset or a listed structure on public land must be subject to an assessment of its cultural value and carried out in consultation with the planning team and the historic environment record officer before it is approved by a director.

Art UK helped source the artworks on the current inventory – and these are further featured on Visit Stoke’s Sculpture Trail.

To have your say on the Public Art Inventory visit www.stoke.gov.uk/publicart.