Stoke's creative scene isn't dead. Ash & Ryan on the Pod.
We chat music, art, ceramics, fashion and if you can really make ideas happen in Stoke. When there's not much money around, can you make art and collaborate? How do you find your community?
The Knot Pod is filmed and recorded at Dissident. Check out their podcast and content production options here.
In E7 we talk to content creators Ash (@magzoncam) and Ryan (@espocrespo). They’re both deeply involved in the music and fashion scene in Stoke, working with local artists to build their brand. And, they’ve a history making music for artists in LA, from a parents garage in Stoke-on-Trent. They talk honestly about their ability to create here - from community, to collaboration, to money - how an environment with scarce resources isn’t always the easiest place to make art in.
Listen up for our snippet on creativity and expression across Stoke and Staffordshire…
Do you ever feel like you’re just one step away from something big, but something’s holding you back? Is it the city you’re in? The connections you don’t have? Or maybe it's just the feeling that you're not quite being seen?
In this episode of The Knot Pod, we dig into the creative struggles of building something meaningful in a city that doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves.
Ash (Magzoncam), and Ryan (Espocrespo) reflect on their personal journeys in Stoke—where local pride meets global ambition, but sometimes the lack of money and opportunities create scarcity mindsets that hinder everyone's growth. They share their thoughts on the survivalist mentality of creatives in smaller cities to the transformative power of collaboration and community, this conversation is an honest exploration of what it really takes to stay true to your vision when the path forward isn’t always clear. They talk about what it means to create locally while thinking globally, and how Stoke's creative scene is evolving in ways you may not have expected.
Ash and Ryan are at the heart of the creative resurgence in Stoke and share hidden gems across Music and Art that you've probably never heard of.
In this episode, we explore:
Stoke’s Creative Scene: Is it really dead, or just evolving?
The Power of Collaboration: Why working together is the key to breaking through.
Local Pride: How supporting local crafts and businesses is a way to give back and get inspired.
The Struggle for Expression: Growing up in a place where creative freedom didn’t always seem possible, and how things are changing.
Breaking Free from the Past: The importance of finding your own voice, even in a city that doesn’t always embrace change.
Survivalist Mentality: How lack of resources and opportunity can stunt creativity, and how to shift that mindset.
The Future of Stoke: Why it's crucial to stay and invest in where you’re from—and how doing so can inspire others.
If you’ve ever wrestled with feeling like an outsider or wondered how to make your mark in a place that doesn’t always feel like it’s got room for you, this episode is for you.
One of the cheapest places in the country to rent a studio.
It’s not difficult to be creative if the desire is there - and there are loads of fantastic people in the city working across a range of forms - what’s difficult is getting local corporate media and local government to support and platform local talent. Too many locals aren’t recognised or appreciated in their own city because they’re not given a big enough platform - fair play to The Knot for its part in trying to do that. Other cities, both in the UK and Europe have clearer paths to exhibition and performance, through access to facilities, promotion and endorsement. I don’t hold out much hope for Stoke on Trent Live to be of use - they weren’t much better in The Sentinel days. Local radio is either syndicated in its programming or has chopped its local content. Local government is skint. This leads to insularity and a lack of risk taking by audiences, so not unsurprisingly, local creatives have to go beyond the city to find their people.