Character & Arts Foundation - City Learning Trust

Character & Arts Foundation

Learning from our past;
shaping our future

The Character & Arts Foundation is a completely unique organisation imagined and brought to life by The City Learning Trust.

Funded independently and exclusively via donation, its aim is to deliver a world class programme of activities for children and young people across Stoke-on-Trent and the neighbouring regions.

Follow our Insta journey...

🏆 C&A Enterprise Challenge Winners in Action!Our competition winners had the amazing opportunity to visit Valentine Clays and try their hand at throwing a pot on the wheel 🎨

It was definitely harder than it looked… but they were absolute naturals! 👏✨ From clay to creation, they each made their very own pot!

A big thank you to valentineclays for the hands-on experience!

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🎶 What a performance! 🎶On Monday, children from Haywood, Smallthorne and Mill Hill wowed us with their own amazing version of The Planets, created with professional Hallé musicians as part of the C&A Adopt-a-Player project. 🌟🎺🎻

Huge well done to everyone who took part – you were fantastic! 👏🌍

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🙌 A big THANK YOU to our amazing Student Ambassadors!Last week, they did a fantastic job supporting the C&A Hallé concert – helping behind the scenes, welcoming guests, and making sure everything ran smoothly. 🎶👏

We’re so proud of the way they represented our Trust - you were brilliant! 🌟

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🎶 A Musical Day to Remember! 🎶Yesterday, we were thrilled to welcome 2,000 children and teachers to Victoria Hall for an unforgettable experience with the world-renowned Hallé Orchestra! 🎻✨

As part of the concert, the children had the chance to join in and sing along to songs they had been learning in the lead-up to the event — a wonderful way to bring their preparation to life!

A huge thank you to the_halle and to all the schools who joined us – your voices lit up the hall! 👏🎤❤️

clttogether candaatclt HalléOrchestra

🌟 What an unforgettable day! 🌟50 of our students took part in a history-making event, helping set a Guinness World Record for the Largest Cream Tea Party (multiple locations), joining over 14,000 people across 169 locations! ☕🍰

It was a fantastic opportunity to be part of something bigger than ourselves, showing just how powerful community spirit and teamwork can be.

We’re so proud of everyone who took part — well done! 👏💪

ProudToBeStokie WorldRecordBreaker YMCA clttogether candaatclt

Last weekend, our creative CASCADE group took to the streets of Stoke-on-Trent for the People’s Parade, celebrating the city’s 100th Year of city status 🎉After weeks of workshops, they walked with pride through the city, showcasing their Foxylotl float and amazing costumes! 🎭

A huge well done to all of our young people involved 👏 and the amazing artists from piclstokecep ✨

Thanks to Andie Dale for capturing the wonderful photos 📷

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🎉 Preparing for the People’s Parade‼️This week, our Year 7 CASCADE group took a visit to the artists’ workshops to see how their designs have come to life! 🖌️✨

Through a series of workshops, the children decided that Stoke-on-Trent needed a new creature that eats rubbish, works with scientists, and looks after the environment! 🌿♻️

On Tuesday, they got to see their creation in real life, help with final decoration touches, and of course, try on their amazing costumes ready for the parade on Saturday. 🎭👗

We can’t wait to showcase their hard work and creativity at the People’s Parade! 🌟

citylearningtrust clttogether candaatclt PeoplesParade StokeOnTrent CASCADE Year7Creatives StokeCreates StokeCentenary

🎉 Enterprise Day Highlights 🎉As part of our Character and Arts Enterprise Curriculum, Year 7 have been exploring entrepreneurial storytelling - drawing on the local heritage of Stoke-on-Trent to design their own clay commemorative pieces in honour of the city’s 100th birthday 🏺

Today, they put their skills to the test by pitching their ideas in a Dragon’s Den style challenge - and they absolutely smashed it 💫

Swipe to see some of the amazing creations!

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Download our 2023 Year Book!

Our Strands

Learning from our past; shaping our future

History

Celebrating the successes and the innovations of our collective past

Heritage

Understanding what made Stoke-on-Trent a world leader and promoting pride in our region

Performing & Expressive Arts

Develop, broaden and showcase our young people’s talents and provide opportunities for them to appreciate others’ while learning from the best

Sustainability

Ensuring our children learn how to protect and safeguard our world for future generations

Enterprise

Providing a unique pathway for the business leaders of the future