As a big thank you to many of the people who have helped to make the Philip Astley Project possible and so successful, and to celebrate the launch of the Philip Astley Resource Pack, Staffordshire University held a Philip Astley celebration circus themed party, hosted by Andrew Van Buren, with acts including jugglers, a plate spinner, LED hoopers and a Charlie Chaplin impressionist.
The event, held on 28 November 2018, was attended by more than 120 VIP guests including the Mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme Gill Heesom, Lord Mayor of Stoke on Trent Lillian Dodd, Chairman of Staffordshire County Council Michael Greatorex and Leader of Newcastle Borough Council Simon Tagg plus past Mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme Cllr Simon White.
Commissioned by Andrew Van Buren the Channel 4 ‘Extreme Cake Makers’ television crew were also in attendance filming for an upcoming episode of the popular TV show and provided the most amazing Philip Astley Extreme cake.
The Philip Astley Project set out with a grant from the Heritage Lottery to raise the profile of Philip Astley locally, nationally and internationally and to reaffirm Newcastle-under-Lyme’s role in circus history.
In the past 18-months more than 30,000 people have been directly involved via events and workshops, and over a million people have been connected to the region’s heritage via traditional and social media.
The Resource Pack, available for free download, includes original research on the life of Philip Astley and his family in Newcastle-under-Lyme and the role of Astley’s theatrical performances in shaping recreational life of the period.
