Alistair Hardaker | Image: A rendering of the future Potteries Museum and Art Gallery (Stoke-on-Trent City Council)
Design and build programme begins, creating new entrance, café, and open storage at Stoke-on-Trent venue.
Major construction work is now underway at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery after Stoke-on-Trent City Council signed a £5 million contract with Seddon to transform the venue.
The design and build programme will create a new entrance, a new foyer café, improved public spaces and increased open storage, meaning artefacts can be seen by the public when not on display. An artist in residence room will also be created, allowing artists to work alongside and create artworks inspired by the museum’s collections. Essential preparatory works have been completed and the main construction phase begins this month.
The museum will reopen in stages from 28 March 2026. From that date, visitors will be able to access the Spitfire, the Forum Theatre and Violet’s café, which will feature a new display, with managed entry while work continues elsewhere in the building.
Councillor Sarah Hill, cabinet member for finance, anti-poverty and corporate services at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “These improvements will create a stronger entrance, better public spaces and a more welcoming environment, while keeping our nationally significant collections accessible as work progresses.”
The redevelopment is being made possible through a successful bid by Stoke-on-Trent City Council for £5 million from Arts Council England and the Department for Culture Media and Sport Cultural Development Fund. More information on the new exhibition and an expanded programme of film and documentary screenings in the museum theatre will be announced in the coming weeks.
