Vortex Creates is an exciting company specializing in designing and making large-scale costumes and installations for celebratory events.

With a specific interest and background in carnival, their costumes and installations strive to be original. After all, it’s not every company whose CV includes wrapping Birmingham’s famous “Floozie in the Jacuzzi” statue in gold and surrounding it with blue furniture for the Utopia International Dance Festival or assisting The World Famous in creating a bonfire featuring a fairy castle for the 2010 Bestival music festival.

Commissioned for the first Stoke-on-Trent Light Night event to create a King and two support costumes on the theme of Light, Transformation and Unity, Vortex Creates invite interested artists to a free masterclass exploring costume design and creation. 

The day will be an opportunity to ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask while working on a real life design brief to design a costume for an international competition.  Working through design concept to the beginnings of realization the day will be a practical journey that will explore materials and suppliers and build on existing skills.  It will also be an occasion to see the costumes created for the parade up close along with other examples of the companies work. 

Places are limited so booking is essential.