4th Potteries Chartist Festival takes place THIS Sunday!

The fourth Potteries Chartist Festival will take place in Burslem’s historic marketplace this coming Sunday, August 16th.

Founded in 2023 by the People’s History Association for North Staffordshire (PHANS) the festival is a free event celebrating local working-class history and culture.

This year the festival celebrates the centenary of the General Strike, which brought the country to a standstill in the summer of 1926.

The event will take place between 11am and 4pm and will feature music, poetry, drama, speeches and creative activities for the whole family.

Appearing this year are former Stoke-on-Trent poet laureate Nick Degg, Leek Peace Choir and musicians Peter Branson and Dave Johnson.

A returning feature the event will be performances at various locations of The Battle of Burslem, which tells the story of the 1842 Chartist riots in the town.

The festival will also see the debut performance of The Undefeated Mr Cole, a documentary play telling the story of the 1926 General Strike through the experiences of local people.

This year the festival coincides with the first Potteries Film Festival, at which will be shown films celebrating working culture and history, including a video message from legendary director Ken Loach.

A spokesperson for PHANS said the festival delivers a different and more accessible approach to history, showing that it was not just something “locked away in a museum”, it is instead “the story of our towns, our communities, and the generations of ordinary people who organised, struggled, created and stood together to make things better”.

Adding that the organising committee were “incredibly proud of what everyone involved has put together”, and that they hoped people would come along and enjoy what promises to be a great day out for the whole family.

For more information about the festival, visit the PHANS Facebook page: PHANS FACEBOOK PAGE