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| Made in Stoke-on-Trent: local people inspired our documentary. Tell us what you think | Made in Stoke-on-Trent: local people inspired our documentary. Tell us what you think |
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| In February 2017 I was one of many journalists who descended on the former industrial powerhouse of Stoke-on-Trent for what what was billed as the “Brexit by-election”. The city had voted heavily for Brexit, and had the lowest turnout in Britain at the last election. A 21-year-old man leant out of a council block window to shout: “They don’t give a shit about us. I’m not voting for anyone.” | In February 2017 I was one of many journalists who descended on the former industrial powerhouse of Stoke-on-Trent for what what was billed as the “Brexit by-election”. The city had voted heavily for Brexit, and had the lowest turnout in Britain at the last election. A 21-year-old man leant out of a council block window to shout: “They don’t give a shit about us. I’m not voting for anyone.” |
| In the comment thread under the resulting film, I noticed that several negative comments had been left by people who lived in the city. I started to read more local reaction to the national coverage of the by-election, and it was soon clear that a particular feeling was widespread: the national media only tells one kind of story about places like Stoke-on-Trentin the post-industrial, broken-Britain, Brexit-voting heartlands. The left behind. | In the comment thread under the resulting film, I noticed that several negative comments had been left by people who lived in the city. I started to read more local reaction to the national coverage of the by-election, and it was soon clear that a particular feeling was widespread: the national media only tells one kind of story about places like Stoke-on-Trentin the post-industrial, broken-Britain, Brexit-voting heartlands. The left behind. |
| One of those locals pretty much ordered me to come back. “Sharpen your bloody pencil,” he told me. He became the first character in the series. I started coming to the city regularly, with the idea to speak to as many Stokies as possible and allow them to tell their story. I set up a call out on the Guardian, expecting a handful of replies. Hundreds of people wrote in, with great detail, about how they felt about their city and its portrayal. And I went back to that 21-year-old man, Kamen. It turns out he wanted to rewrite his narrative too. | One of those locals pretty much ordered me to come back. “Sharpen your bloody pencil,” he told me. He became the first character in the series. I started coming to the city regularly, with the idea to speak to as many Stokies as possible and allow them to tell their story. I set up a call out on the Guardian, expecting a handful of replies. Hundreds of people wrote in, with great detail, about how they felt about their city and its portrayal. And I went back to that 21-year-old man, Kamen. It turns out he wanted to rewrite his narrative too. |
| Much news has come and gone in Britain since then, very little of it from Stoke-on-Trent. But the cast of inspiring characters that make up this series have been working away trying to make their city a better place. Stoke-on-Trent was also making an ambitious bid to be the next UK City of Culture – a comedy footnote in some places at the time, but for many people in the city, a massive deal. | Much news has come and gone in Britain since then, very little of it from Stoke-on-Trent. But the cast of inspiring characters that make up this series have been working away trying to make their city a better place. Stoke-on-Trent was also making an ambitious bid to be the next UK City of Culture – a comedy footnote in some places at the time, but for many people in the city, a massive deal. |
| It’s a fascinating and rare experience for a journalist to get to spend this amount of time in one place, with one set of people, and you come see that place in a different, deeper way. In fact how we look at places has emerged as one of the key themes of the series. | It’s a fascinating and rare experience for a journalist to get to spend this amount of time in one place, with one set of people, and you come see that place in a different, deeper way. In fact how we look at places has emerged as one of the key themes of the series. |
| Stoke-on-Trent is a city that defies expectation and rewards the time you spend looking. It is fighting back against its stereotype of a depressed Brexit heartland. It’s a place that has been high on political apathy and anger, but where people of many backgrounds are building something exciting with enterprise, passion and creativity. | Stoke-on-Trent is a city that defies expectation and rewards the time you spend looking. It is fighting back against its stereotype of a depressed Brexit heartland. It’s a place that has been high on political apathy and anger, but where people of many backgrounds are building something exciting with enterprise, passion and creativity. |
| It’s a contradiction that goes to the heart of modern Britain – with our high streets and industries changing fast, how do our towns and cities move forward in the 21st century? How do we rebuild and support communities? And what is the ‘culture’ of a place, in the deepest most human sense? | It’s a contradiction that goes to the heart of modern Britain – with our high streets and industries changing fast, how do our towns and cities move forward in the 21st century? How do we rebuild and support communities? And what is the ‘culture’ of a place, in the deepest most human sense? |
| Share your views | Share your views |
| Do you live in Stoke-on-Trent or another city like it? What about the documentary series resonated with you and why? What does the media get wrong about your city? And what are your hopes for the future? | |
| Share your views and experiences in the form below, and we will use some of your contributions in our reporting. | |