Named ‘Red Amber Green: Transporting the City’, the takeover will run from Friday 29 March 2024 and feature newly commissioned work from 10 artists with links to the city alongside selected work from three Staffordshire University graduates.

Running from Thursday-Sunday, 11-4pm, throughout April, a series of interactive workshops and talks will also feature as part of the programme, with the exhibited work to include painted, drawn, ceramic and mixed media pieces.

Based in Stoke-on-Trent, DUST Rising has an established reputation for presenting contemporary art in unusual settings, with exhibitions exploring and celebrating the location as well as tackling contemporary issues.

‘Red Amber Green: Transporting the City’ will explore the history of the site, the transformation underway and its unique location at the point where the canal, rail and road converge.

Joyce Iwaszko, from DUST Rising, said: “We live in a world of constant change and there’s significant transformation underway right on our doorsteps. We wanted to explore and celebrate that with new pieces that recognise both the city’s history and its exciting future.

“We can’t wait to showcase brand new work from artists with an affinity to Stoke-on-Trent and welcome people through the Signal Box doors as part of our month-long takeover. It’ll be an accessible and interactive way for people to experience local art, with a whole mix of disciplines set to feature.”

Social impact developers Capital&Centric are forging ahead with the neighbourhood, having recently put a callout for businesses wanting to locate to the work and leisure spaces at the site to get in touch.

Tom Wilmot, joint managing director at Capital&Centric, said: “We love partnering with local art collectives like DUST Rising. The Goods Yard site was once at the industrial heart of Stoke-on-Trent and the new exhibition will use that as inspiration for brand new pieces. Goods Yard may still be a busy construction site, but it’ll be brilliant to give locals a peek behind the hoardings and welcome them back to the Signal Box.”

Capital&Centric are partnering with the council to bring forward the site. Once complete, Goods Yard will be packed with 174 new design-led homes for rent; edgy work spaces; indie bars, cafes and shops; and exciting green outdoor space open to the public.

Councillor Chris Robinson, Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “We welcome the Dust Rising artists to Goods Yard and it’ll be exciting to see the take-over of the Signal Box with artwork relating to the site, our city’s industrial heritage and this changing space.

“This type of collaboration is exactly what we want for the development and the city so that people are involved in its transformation. We want local people and visitors to enjoy the exhibition as well as get a taste of what’s to come when Goods yard is completed next year when they can enjoy more of this new neighbourhood.”

Details of the artists involved in the exhibition will be revealed in the run-up to the event. This event is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.