FEEDBACK
We received less feedback from visitors than we would
have liked. This was because of where we had placed
the evaluation activities.
• 15% of visitors gave feedback on the day
or in an online survey afterwards.
• 33 visitors gave us details of their age, gender,
ethnic origin, education and disability.
• But the profiles of people who visited seemed similar
to those who usually go to public festivals organised
by Universities.
• 50% of presenters gave feedback (almost equal numbers
of academics and community presenters). Feedback
from presenters and volunteers is included because they
visited other people’s activities.
• 10 people were interviewed on film. Watch the video
here: vimeo.com/312483634/2e48fbdc5f
FEEDBACK FROM STOKING CURIOSITY
PLANNING GROUP MEMBERS
The festival was genuinely co-produced, the planning group
members who gave feedback rated this 8/10.
‘Very positive and trusting collaborative
preparation, where team members
were clear about their own agreed
responsibilities in preparation for
and throughout the event’.
FEEDBACK FROM VISITORS,
PRESENTERS AND VOLUNTEERS
The festival:
• Encouraged further learning
• Stimulated them to connect and do things together
• Gave them rewards for taking part
• Showed the cultural potential of the Spode site
and the city of Stoke-on-Trent.
The most common words in visitors’ feedback
suggests that Stoking Curiosity was unique and
offered something unexpected that people liked.
Both the Spode site and the activities ‘stoked’
people’s curiosity.
People particularly mentioned:
• the use of plastics
• the chemistry of glass art
• the clay counter currency project
• Arts on Prescription discussion
• the periodic table (Pottery about Chemistry)
• the Stoking Curiosity piano creative art project.
SPARKING IDEAS AND
NEW CONNECTIONS
‘The one thing that is becoming really
clear to me is that there are a lot of
people in the local area with similar
goals and motivation. I feel that by
being better able to connect with them,
we can better serve the community’.
FEEDBACK FROM PRESENTERS
FROM UNIVERSITIES, COMMUNITY
ORGANISATIONS AND BUSINESSES
Conversations at the festival had given them
possible new ideas and partnerships to develop
their existing work or new work.
Presenters from the Universities also said that
the experience had made them think that:
• academic research can be improved by using the
arts and creativity offered by local communities
• they would like to use more creative visual methods,
as well generally using more varied communication
methods for their activities in the future.
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