Lumo: a short story by Calum Hall
In a quiet village at the edge of a misty valley, there grew a small bamboo shoot named Lumo. While the other plants stretched wide and leafy, Lumo was thin, simple, and—at least in his eyes—unremarkable. Every morning, he watched the tall trees sway proudly in the breeze. “I wish I could be like them,” […]
Friday 20 March: Stoke Lanterns ’26
The Brilliant Bamboo Brownfield Parklet are pleased to be the end location for the B Arts’ Stoke Lanterns ’26: Stories in the Shadows. Starting outside Stoke Library on South Wolfe Street from 6.30pm you’re invited to help the lamplighter bring the fire back to Stoke town! The parade will start at 6.45pm, ending at Brilliant […]
Thursday 19 March: Booming Brilliant talks with Alice McCabe from Metafleur
Date: Thursday 19 March 2026 // 6.30pm – 7.30pm Location: Keele in Town, Newcastle-under-Lyme Town Centre. On Thursday 19 March 2026, we were joined by Alice McCabe who gave a public talk at Keele in Town. Alice talked about her exploration of bamboo within her work, the talk will cover an introduction to Japanese Bamboo Fence […]
Exploring trading as a force for good at Brilliant Bamboo
By Gemma Thomas in conversation with Hannah Hiles. When we set up Brilliant Bamboo as a community interest company rather than a charity, it was a very deliberate choice. I wanted us to be able to trade, especially in the long term. The funding landscape is tougher than ever. Organisations are often asked to be […]
Saturday 14 March: Mudlarked Make Celebration & Lantern Making
Saturday 14 March 2026 // 12pm – 4pm. Unveiling at 1pm. Location: Brilliant Bamboo Brownfield Parklet, Boothen Road, ST4 4AH. On Saturday 28 February and Saturday 7 March, 20 intrepid mudlarkers joined Brilliant Bamboo and Olivia Azzopardi to create a brand new mosaic artwork for our site. On Saturday 14 March, we held a mosaic […]
Saturday 28 February: Mudlark & Make
Saturday 28 February 2026 11am – 3pm Over 16’s only. Free, spaces must be booked in advance: BOOK TICKETS Location: Brilliant Bamboo’s Brownfield Parklet, Boothen Road, ST4 4AH. Lunch, hot and cold drinks and snacks are provided. You are invited to join our Community Mudlark and Make session with artist Olivia Azzopardi at the Brilliant Bamboo Brownfield […]
Brilliant Bamboo: Review of the year 2025
2025 has been a remarkable year for Brilliant Bamboo, filled with innovation, community engagement and new experiences. We have started to transform a disused urban space in the heart of Stoke, commissioned two beautiful murals and brought people together to learn new skills, take part in hands-on activities and enjoy performances, all themed around the […]
Capula #SocialValue Day
On Wednesday 26 November, Capula, in partnership with VAST, brought along 32 young apprentices from across the company to help at the site to clear bramble, litter pick, progress our pallet build projects, build benches and find out more about the site and bamboo. Thanks to the team we were able to finish our workshop […]
Kings Trust: October 2025
In October 2025, we were chosen by Stoke-on-Trent Kings Trust co-hort for their project as part of the 12 week development programme at the Brilliant Bamboo Brownfield Parklet in Stoke. We wanted to offer a glimpse into our work beyond the jobs we need to do at the site. The team were able to meet […]
Meeting our neighbours, and sharing ideas at BB Brownfield Parklet
Our plans for the Brilliant Bamboo Brownfield Parklet have always included you, our neighbours, residents and communities on our doorstep and who might want to be involved and visit the site. To do this meaningfully, and for the time we’re stewards of the site. Our original set-up and start of the project for us was […]