Theatre's appeal to collect market hall memories

People are being invited to share memories of Stoke-on-Trent's landmark market hall as work continues to bring a historic building back to life.

A new community heritage project will collect photographs, stories and recollections linked to the Grade II listed Burslem Market Hall, which has been closed to the public for 23 years.

The initiative, called Stall Stories: Collecting Memories of Burslem Market Hall, is being led by Claybody Theatre in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Deborah McAndrew, co-artistic director of Claybody Theatre, said: "We're looking forward to meeting local people and hearing their memories which will, no doubt, inspire a play."

She added: "We love Burslem and it's so exciting to see the market coming back to life."

The project aims to capture the experiences of generations of shoppers, traders and visitors who remember the market before it closed.

As part of the project a unit at 32 Queen Street will be transformed into a community engagement space overlooking the £4m restoration of the market hall.

The theatre said this would allow people to watch the redevelopment progress while contributing their own memories to a growing exhibition.

Built in 1879, the market hall closed in 2003 after masonry fell from the ceiling and the building was deemed unsafe, but restoration work began earlier this year and is expected to be completed in 2027.

Subject to securing funding, the theatre company said it hoped to turn the collected stories into a production staged inside the market hall after it reopened.

Members of the Claybody team will be based at 32 Queen Street every Saturday morning from 20 June to 25 July, collecting contributions from the public.

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.