Filmmaker helps Longton’s Town of Culture bid with powerful community video
Ellie Meredith, from Blurton, was inspired to tell the story after attending a Town Hall meeting about the bid
A 19-year-old filmmaker is helping drive Longton’s bid for Town of Culture status after creating a film capturing the town’s community spirit, culture and heritage.
Ellie Meredith, from Blurton, was inspired to tell the story after attending a Town Hall meeting about the bid, which is being led by Urban Wilderness CIC.
Her film, This One’s For You, Longton, is available to view on her Facebook page, Ellie Meredith Photography. It will also be shared by Urban Wilderness CIC, Longton Exchange, Love Longton, Longton Community Partnership and other local organisations as the submission deadline approaches on 31 March.
Ellie said: “I felt that my passion for photography and videography could be used to create something to showcase the town and create a visual storytelling of Longton’s past, present and potential future.
“Longton isn’t just another dot on the map; it’s a vibrant tapestry woven with threads of industrial grit, artistic flair and a resilient community spirit.
“Winning the competition would create opportunities for the Longton community, allowing us to be proud of our town and all that we have to offer – and setting us on the right path for greater success and cultural vibrancy.”
At the heart of the bid is a focus on Longton’s historic ceramics identity, paired with a commitment to creating pathways for young people aged 14 to 30, alongside free creative activities for families.
Plans also include bringing underused spaces back to life – from empty shops to green spaces – and boosting key local assets including Gladstone Pottery Museum, the Sutherland Institute and Queen’s Park.
The campaign has already sparked widespread community engagement, with residents coming together for a series of bold ‘Straight Out Of Longton’ images. In one standout moment, crowds gathered in the town centre for a large-scale drone photograph, complete with banners and confetti cannons.
Urban Wilderness CIC co-director Isla Telford said Ellie’s contribution perfectly captures what the bid is all about.
She said: “We know that our local young people are incredibly creative and our main motivation for working on the Town of Culture bid for Longton has been to create a generational step-change.
“This investment would create an unprecedented range of local opportunities for young people aged 14 to 30. Ellie is incredible, and we’re thrilled that even pulling together the bid has inspired her, and hopefully other young people, to look for the possibilities in Longton.”
The bid has also attracted national backing, with actor Toby Jones confirmed as an ambassador, while ceramicist and broadcaster Keith Brymer Jones has voiced his support.
Partners include British Ceramics Biennial, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Duchess China, Launch It, PH Productions, U7 Arts, Claybody Theatre, Co-op Academies Trust, UTC, Fresh Roots, Stoke Creates, Longton Community Partnership and Love Longton, while Stoke-on-Trent City Council is the accountable body for the programme.
Isla added: “We’re proud of Longton’s past, especially its ceramics heritage, but this bid is about the future.
“It’s about creating something that young people feel part of, something that gives them reasons to stay, to create and to believe in this town.”
Shortlisted towns will be announced in spring, with the winner of the £3 million main prize expected to be announced next year.