Representatives from Arts Council England have toured The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery redevelopment and praised the progress being made on the major cultural project in Hanley.

The behind-the-scenes visit brought members of the organisation's Capital team together with museum staff and contractor Seddon to see how the transformation is taking shape.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council said the redevelopment is supported by £5 million of Cultural Development Fund investment through Arts Council England.

Exterior construction work at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley
Redevelopment work taking place outside The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery. Photo: Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

What is changing at The Potteries Museum

Plans for the museum include a striking new corner entrance, a foyer cafe bar and retail area with an open terrace, dedicated space for artists in residence and a series of improvements to visitor facilities.

The tour was organised by James Doble, the city council's director of Legal, Governance, Culture and Heritage. The visiting group was welcomed by members of the Seddon team before Head of Museums Ben Miller guided representatives around the site.

Construction work on the new entrance at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery
The project includes a new corner entrance and improvements to visitor facilities. Photo: Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Photographs supplied with the update show construction taking place across several areas, including gallery spaces, the future entrance and the exterior of the building.

A member of the Arts Council England Capital team said: “It was fantastic to see the upgrade of this special venue taking shape, the positive working relationship between the contractor and museum teams, and to hear some of the stories and detail behind the project.”

Interior redevelopment work underway at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery
Arts Council England representatives were shown progress across the museum site. Photo: Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

The representative described the museum as an important part of arts and cultural provision in Stoke-on-Trent and the wider region, adding that the team looked forward to returning after it reopens.

Positive feedback for the museum project

Arts Council England representatives also praised the project team for discussing the development process, design solutions and challenges encountered during the work. They described the scheme as a significant opportunity for Hanley and Stoke-on-Trent.

Visitors touring a gallery during The Potteries Museum redevelopment
The visiting group viewed work taking place inside the museum's galleries. Photo: Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Councillor Sarah Hill, Stoke-on-Trent City Council's cabinet member for finance, anti-poverty, governance and corporate services, said: “This is one of the most significant cultural investments in the city for many years.”

She added: “It's fantastic to see the progress being made and the positive feedback from Arts Council England as this landmark project continues to take shape.”

The update did not give a reopening date, but the council said work on the transformation is continuing.

The information, quotations and photographs were supplied by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.