Appetite and New Vic Theatre are inviting local people to tell them their stories as part of a project called Punjab to the Potteries.

Building on work with local South Asian communities, two scriptwriters with strong links to the community, Shahid Iqbal Khan and Sarah Bedi, have been commissioned to each research and write an exciting new short play based on the journeys of those who have migrated from the Punjab region to the Potteries and surrounding areas.

The idea behind Punjab to the Potteries came to life when Appetite met Val Bansal in 2017, who shared his families journey to Stoke-on-Trent with the team. This was followed by the creation of the Settling photography project by Sam Ivin as part of the Big Feast and subsequent showings at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, and Keele University, documenting the stories of those who have migrated from around the world to establish lives in the Stoke-on-Trent area.

Gemma Thomas, Appetite Director, said: “Punjab to the Potteries is the title Val had in mind from when we first met, and now is the right time to develop it further. Val’s dad, Baldev, worked in the Potbanks and that's a story we’re familiar with. However, some of the stories of people from the area haven’t been captured or are sometimes missed. We want to hear from, celebrate and capture people’s lived experiences of migrating to the Potteries, or being born here and raised in a South Asian family, to inspire our writers. Get in touch to book in a chat with one of our writers or join our Community Conversation event. We’ve planned it as part of Global Intergenerational Week; the perfect opportunity to share stories of the Punjab, Potteries, family and community.”

The commissioned writers will begin work on the project with a period of research and story gathering throughout April and May, and are inviting members of the public to share their stories of migration from the Punjabi region, oral family histories or experiences of being raised in the Potteries with South Asian heritage, at an open Community Conversation event on Friday 28 April, between 10am-12pm at Porthill Cricket Club.

Alternatively, people can share their stories in conversation with the writers individually. Contact Appetite by email on askus@appetite.org.uk or call 01782 717962to arrange a time.

The project will culminate with the final scripts developed from conversations being presented at a public play reading at New Vic Theatre on Saturday 12 August.

For more information about how to get involved and share your story, visit appetite.org.uk