The Winter Gathering 2025
December 2025 | Queen’s Park, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
We gathered in the dark when the nights are longest, as people have always done, to share a story, create hope, and look forward the return of the light.
Last year we shared the story of young Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos, and how she changed her destiny, saved her friend the minotaur, and forever changed who we think is evil and who is good.
This was a FREE EVENT, family-friendly, and open to everyone! We enjoyed an afternoon of live entertainment and festive performances, leading up to a breathtaking parade of giant illuminated puppets and a mesmerising fire show that brought the park to life.
Location and Parking Information:
The Winter Gathering took place in Queen’s Park Longton, Trentham Road, Dresden, Stoke-on-Trent, ST3 4AZ. Parking is on-street, so you’ll need to find a space on the roads surrounding the park.
2025 programme
KiLNE
Our favourite drum and brass 20 piece band KiLNE, lead The Winter Gathering parade!
Formed by professional musicians Danny Shaw & Ben Oakes, KiLNE is a contemporary nu-marching band made up of equal parts brass and drums, with a mission to spread positivity and inclusiveness through the joy of electronic music.
Asterion the minotaur & Echo the Eagle
We created beautiful giant lantern puppets last summer, carefully trained and guided by puppet masters Thingamajig Theatre.
The Prometheans
We were joined by The Prometheans on a legendary journey through a flaming tableau inspired by Greek mythology.
Domesday Morris
Back by popular demand, Domesday Morris returned to The Winter Gathering with more dancing and fire!
a winter odyssey
Join our next adventure - A winter Odyssey, taking place on Saturday 12th december in queens park longton. Expect further theatrics, puppetry, storytelling and lanterns - we can’t wait to see you there!
the Winter Gathering 2024
Winter Arts Festival | 14 December 2024
The Winter Gathering was a town centre arts festival in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent on 14th December 2024. It was a day filled with family-fun activities, free street theatre, music performances and Morris dancing, storytelling in local cafes and Longton Central Hall, craft workshops and a finale parade and fire show.
The programme included performances from local and national arts organisations, including KiLNE, Thingamajig Theatre, Pif-Paf Theatre, Restoke and Eye of Newt and was created alongside the community of Longton and Stoke-on-Trent through 8 weeks of workshops with Urban Wilderness CIC.
The Winter Gathering was produced by Urban Wilderness CIC , funded by Stoke Creates with funding from Arts Council England, and UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund administered by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. Many partner organisations and indivduals supported this event, including Longton Central Hall, Longton Victorian Market, Longton Exchange, The Morrocan Cafe, Britannia Cafe and Longton Fire Service.
Film by Picta Productions. Soundtrack by KiLNE.
THreads of kindness
Alongside The Winter Gathering, Urban Wilderness CIC developed the Threads of Kindness Challenge alongside cafes in Longton Town Centre.
Town centre visitors were invited to collect a friendship bracelet kit from cafes in town to create and gift to someone special to share some kindness.
Each cafe had it’s own colour scheme and a total of 215 kits were collected!
At The Winter Gathering on Saturday 14th December, there were storytellers at The Moroccan Cafe and Britannia Cafe to spin a yarn for patrons.
We also installed signs with positive affirmations such as ‘You’re Amazing’ along footpaths in the town centre to spread some joy and kindness to visitors. The positive affirmations were written by our Art Club members, aged 8 - 17.
