The New Vic Theatre have announced the appointment of Rachel Adams as the new Director of Appetite, the Arts Council England Creative People and Places programme for Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Led by the New Vic Theatre, Appetite works to increase engagement in the arts by supporting creative experiences shaped with and by local communities. Rachel will officially begin her role on 1 May.

Over the past year, Appetite has continued to grow its impact across Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme through a wide range of community-led arts programmes. Highlights include large-scale events like The Big Feast festival, which brought thousands of people into city centre spaces to experience free, high-quality outdoor performances, and Newcastle Common, a space used by artists to test and develop work, show work and host activities in Newcastle Town Centre. Appetite has also deepened partnerships with local artists and organisations, supported new commissions, and continued to prioritise co-creation—ensuring local voices remain central to its work.

Rachel Adams (she/they) has more than two decades’ experience as a Producer, Development Consultant & Fundraiser, specialising in Access, Participation and Outdoor Arts. Rachel has collaborated with a range of individual artists, organisations, local authorities and cross-sector groups to co-create site specific work with communities.

Rachel has worked with Extraordinary Bodies, Cirque Bijou, Gandini Juggling and One World Orchestra. In 2014, Rachel co-founded Wyldwood Arts, a not-for-profit specialising in socially engaged arts for communities across the Southwest. Prior to this, they held strategic development roles with a range of arts charities at times of pivotal organisational change involving the procurement and delivery of multi-million-pound projects such as The Station in Bristol for Creative Youth Network, Fixers UK for Public Service Broadcasting Trust and Envision’s Community Apprentice campaign.  

Rachel has held Executive Director roles with DragonBird Theatre Company CIC, Saffron Records CIC, Maison Foo and Co-Director of Wye Valley River Festival CIC.  Non-executive roles include Board Member for Hijinx Theatre Company, Travelling Light Theatre Company, Off the Record Bristol, Basement Studios and The Orchard Trust.

Rachel said: “I’m really pleased to be joining the Appetite team. I’m looking forward to getting to know the communities across Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme, and working together to enable artistic projects that reflect their ideas, voices and priorities.”

Theresa Heskins, Artistic Director of the New Vic said: “Appetite works closely with local people to showcase the best of the nation’s art and culture in the streets, parks, shopping centres and other public spaces of the Potteries.   We are looking forward to welcoming Rachel to this brilliant place where there is a huge appetite for art and culture, and where local people enjoy working with professional artists, curators, producers and performers to inspire joy and pride in our area.”

Appetite is part of Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places programme, designed to engage more people in arts and culture in areas where involvement has historically been lower. In Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme, Appetite is led by the New Vic Theatre and works closely with local communities, artists and partners to deliver projects that inspire creativity and connection.

The Appetite programme is funded through National Lottery by Arts Council England and is led by the New Vic Theatre in partnership with Partners in Creative Learning, 6Towns Radio, Staffordshire University, Newcastle Business Improvement District (BID), Go Kidsgrove and Keele University. Appetite also works closely with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Newcastle Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council and Aspire Housing.