Chair of Trustees, Chris Luffingham, chairs our Annual AGM 2023

Chris Luffingham - Chair of Trustees

CEO, League Against Cruel Sports, and track record of success in national political campaigns, communications solutions, and project delivery; also well networked in the public and private sectors

Dr Fidel Meraz

Fidel is an architect passionate about architectural philosophy and education who has been teaching for several years in both Mexico and the UK. Currently Senior Lecturer at UWE Bristol Architecture, he has also taught in University of Suffolk designing, validating and leading the programme of Interior Architecture and Design.

Alex Bradley

Alex has been working as an independent artist for many years, practising across a range of disciplines, creating solo and collaborative works that push and blur the boundaries of live and digital art, sound and light.

Khan Johnson

Khan is currently studying BEng (Hons) Robotics at UWE - to extend and redefine the boundaries of engineering through hands-on experience and testing inventions whilst using state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.

Samia Saidi

Samia Saidi: has over 17 years of experience working in and leading various children and young people services across the South West. She is also a multi-disciplinary artist who uses Art as a transformational tool and a catalyst for change, working with individuals, at festivals, and with communities in the UK and abroad.

Paula Orrell

Paula Orrell is the Director of Contemporary Visual Arts Network England and leads the South West region development. CVAN is a national organisation where the visual arts meet policy change and partners with nine regional networks to support, campaign and advocate for the visual arts sector. Paula is dyslexic, a leading advocate in the sector, and Co-Chair of the Coventry Biennial.

Dr Glyn Everett

Social researcher for UWE, Glyn has conducted social research around education, disability and environmental matters and is involved with the charity, 'Attitude is Everything', who work to support venue accessibility improvements.

Contact Trinity's Board

Board Advisers

External advisers who work with the board of trustees

Derek Griffin

Derek is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and works with Trinity's board on a pro-bono basis, to support with understanding and control of financial and governance matters.

Trinity's Community Garden is a thriving, tranquil, nature-rich green oasis right in the heart of the city of Bristol. Together, we are building a resilient, connected and sustainable community.

'The growing in the garden is lovely and the sessions are very therapeutic and informative. It also appears to be a much-valued ‘sanctuary’ to the community in this inner city area of Bristol, and I would recommend them. It’s a wonderful use of what was once a very sad, decaying place.'' Eric

What we do:

- provide a space for health and well being for all the community to reflect, interact, grow

- deliver a range of educational workshops for children, families and local adults groups

- host a range of creative, diverse events responsive to our local community

- provide a safe, accessible space for everyone to enjoy

- showcase organic food growing techniques and grow medicinal plants, reactive to climate change

- offer volunteer opportunities for gardening and environmental education

The Garden hosts over 200 sessions and activities each year attended by over 600 partipants, with many attending regular weekly drop ins or workshops. The space also sees us hosting an annual Garden Party each May attracting an audience of 3,000 people.

See the Whats On area of our site for more info about events and activities in the Garden.

Nature & Play activities at Trinity

2019-2021

With funding from BBC Children in Need, Trinity delivered a three year programme of activities based in our Community Garden engaging, educating and connecting our local children aged 18 and under to a green space and to each other.

In the first year of the project, the garden team have worked in partnership with local schools and charities to welcome over 140 children to weekly Forest Schools and Gardening Days, as well as inviting families and friends from our local community to Summer Holiday Family Days.

Sessions are tailored to help support social and emotional development as many children and families who take part in the programme experience economic and social hardship.

During a Forest School/Gardening Day children take part in fire making, identifying plants, sowing seeds, and team building games as well as natural craft activities and free play in the garden.

Family Days, delivered in partnership with St Pauls Nursery & Children's Centre and Julian House charity, include storytelling activities, music workshops, natural craft workshops, insect hunts, and games

• 143 Children (aged 18 under) took part in 41 garden sessions and activities delivered in partnership with local schools (BS2) and charities
• 88% of children started to, or showed significant improvement in developing positive relationships
• 91% of children started to, or showed significant improvement in their self belief
• 87% of children started to, or showed significant improvement in their emotional well being

Dance activities at Trinity

Moving Bristol

Moving Bristol is a two-year project 2019-21 by Bristol Dance Futures aiming to connect and increase dance activities across the city.

The project focuses on two key areas - developing dance practice and new and existing audiences and developing an ecology of dance across Bristol.

Three Dance Hubs will focus on the development of Dance within Health, Young People and Audiences and placing artists in residence across the city to inspire dance practice.

About Bristol Dance Futures

Bristol Dance Futures is a consortium of organisations and independent dance practitioners committed to making Bristol a place where everybody can move and be moved by dance, set up by in 2016 by Theatre Bristol, Pavilion Dance South West, Bristol City Council and independents, including dancer Laïla Diallo.

Between 2016-2018 the consortia undertook research and consultation with the sector, mapping Bristol’s professional dance network and carrying out research into the thousands of people who take part in and watch dance in the city.

Aims

• Nurture the talent of artists of all dance types

• Grow audiences and participation in dance

• Promote Bristol’s diverse dance identity

Consortia members 2020-21

Organisations: Arnolfini, Circomedia, In Between Time, Theatre Bristol, Trinity Community Arts.

Artists & practitioners: Gabrielle Cook, Deepraj Singh and Lauren Scholey

We welcome new artist representatives who reflect the breadth of Bristol’s practice and communities.

Please get in touch for more information.

Illustrated portraits of participant of Lullabies are displayed in the Graffiti Room as part of Roxana Vilk's Lullabies takeover. Photo Khali Ackford

Trinity have been awarded a prestigious Bristol Life Award, coming first in the 2021 Arts category.

“A truly one-of-a-kind art space that this year engaged 60,000+ people across over 1,000 events and cultural experiences.” Judges, Bristol Life Awards

We were nominated alongside Bristol Old Vic, St George’s Bristol, Bristol Beacon, and Brave Bold Drama, who received a highly commended award for their achievements over the last year.

When the building closed due to COVID-19, our programme went online, featuring live streams and workshops. We teamed up with leading circus company Cirque Bijou to host a 'Day of Dance’ to celebrate what would have been Bristol Harbour Festival. We commissioned live experiences including: Social Muscle Club (in partnership with Shambala), Learning To Swim On An Ironing Board, and What Words Are Ours?, in partnership with The Gulbenkian Theatre (both BSL interpreted).

Partnering with St Paul’s Carnival, we live-streamed carnival in a UK first - and, with the support of Carnival Elders, commissioned a poem by Bristol poet Malaika Kegode. As well as this, we worked with community organisation Eastside Community Trust to distribute over 900 family activity packs to local school children and families.

We commissioned Split Ink Theatre Company to devise a new piece of work for young audiences. Artist Tink Flaherty was awarded a D/deaf/Disabled commission to create a new piece of digital work. Roxana Vilk’s Lullabies project, initially developed as part of our IGNiTE arts development programme, connected 100s of families across Bristol and beyond through online workshops.

We are so proud of the team who worked hard to adapt delivery over the pandemic and want to say a huge thank you to all our funders and supporters and, of course, everyone who took part in the programme and helped make the magic happen.

Want to take part in activity at Trinity? Click here to see what is coming up.

Locality, an organisation that supports community businesses to be strong and successful, came down to Trinity for a day to film a short video focusing on Trinity's role as a community arts hub.

"In a physical space when you’re enjoying something, whether you’re having fun just getting down, having a dance or making something and being really proud of that thing that you made – art is just quite magical". Emma Harvey, Trinity CEO

Featuring Trinity regulars Hype Dance as well as CEO Emma Harvey, the film shines a light on the range of community activities at the centre, from neighbourhood celebrations to accessible and affordable dance and music events, as well as nurturing emerging artists.

Trinity is one of the few remaining truly independent community arts venues in the city so it felt fitting to launch the film on Venues Day, 5th October 2021. To mark the film's launch, Trinity took over Locality's social media to celebrate the charity's role as a hub for community arts.

The film was part of a wider set of films showcasing the many great activities that take place across the community and voluntary sector. You can find out more about the work Locality do by visiting their website.

Young people from Making Tracks project who came along to chat with Dev from IDLES. Photo Lee Ramsay

Adam Devonshire (AKA Dev), bass player with Bristol based UK album chart topping post punk band IDLES, headed to Trinity to share his professional experience with emerging musicians on Trinity's music making project Making Tracks.

"It gave me some great insight into the industry and made me realise what I need to do next." Jasper, Trinity Making Tracks Participant

Dev spoke in great detail about the Idles ethos, song writing, musical inspiration, touring, branding and approach to digital streaming. His main advice to the young people who to 'hone your craft, write loads of songs - then scrap those songs and write better ones, play tons of gigs and build a strong local fan base'. He advised that once this has been achieved this then you can start thinking about moving outwards and attracting more industry attention.

Dev gave insight to Idles early days - playing tiny local bars to virtually no one to supporting the Foo Fighters, touring the world and playing the Park stage at Glastonbury Festival - something which had been a dream for the band right from the very start.

"I’ve had to sacrifice a lot to get to this point. The band has always come first. Even when no one seemed interested in us. We just kept on working hard, learning our craft and believing we could achieve and do what we love." Dev, IDLES

To finish off Dev took a quick fire round in which we learnt his favourite ice cream is mint choc chip, the first single he bought was, ‘Boom! Shake the Room’, by DJ Jazzy Jeff and that one of his favourite films is Shane Meadows bleak cult classic, ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’.

This exciting opportunity was co-created in direct response to feedback from a cohort of students involved in the Making Tracks Steering group. This group empowers young people within the project to have their voice amplified and opinions heard, providing them with autonomy and agency helping them to shape and design the Making Tracks’ programme.

About Making Tracks

Making Tracks is supported by Youth Music and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, as well as support from match funders Youth Sector Support Fund.

Hype Dance Group at Trinity. Photo credit: Alex Brenner

"I've never had much luck when it comes to competitions, aside from a school fete circa 1998 when I won a pack of colouring pencils in a raffle (does that even count?) but the failure has never deterred me. Given my lack of success, I didn't have high hopes last year when I filled out Trinity Centre's questionnaire in hope of winning a custom-designed Minirig (while sharing my views on the venue, of course), so the day I found out I had in fact won was a thoroughly joyous one. I've always wanted a Minirig and the speaker has been very well used over the past year, having been taken to various green spaces across Bristol, the few festivals that have taken place for campsite tunes and the back garden on sunny days, not to mention for post-lockdown shindigs. I don't think my neighbours are quite so fond of it, though... After my rare taste of success, I highly recommend you fill out this year's survey. You've got to be in it to win it, after all, and even if you don't get as lucky as I did, you'll be helping shape the future of this fantastic venue."

Robin Murray, Mini Rig Winner 2020

Your voice matters - each year we ask you to share your thoughts about Trinity. Feedback from audiences helps us shape and adapt our programme and helps us raise funds so we can ensure that everyone in Bristol has the opportunity to access and shape arts and culture.

Last year over 500 of you to the time to share what areas we could improve at Trinity and how we could welcome audiences back following the easing of Lockdown restrictions:

You said: You would love to see "a larger outdoor venue" and "as many live music and DJ events in the garden following social distancing practices".

What we did: In Oct 2020 we did just that with the Garden Sessions. Over two months we welcomed live music and DJ sets back audiences to enjoy the likes of Waldo’s Gift and Hodge and Danielle. We brought back the pop-up venue in April and May 2021 – this time programming a wider variety of events including a Desert Island style panel talk with Reggae and Soundsystem legends Lioness and Vibronics.

You said: You would like "more activities for children & families"

What we did: As part of Trinity Presents, we welcomed family-focused events, including Baby Raves, workshops with Associate Artist Roxana Vilk and performances for young children.

You said: "Be open to what the community needs (community-led) and potentially provide free space where people can start to engage in positive activities in a safe way".

What we did: We employed a new Activities Coordinator whose role is to work with local communities to support new events and activities at Trinity.

We have recruited more community members to be part of our Trinity Presents programming forum - members have helped selected artists commissions as well as a programme of Theatre and Dance.

You said: " I think your loos in the main hall need improvement".

What we did: Installed new cubicles in the toilets in the main halls and are currently developing plans to install new toilets in the grounds.

We would love you to share your voice again this year by filling out our short survey, it takes about 15 mins - and we really do listen.

Last year, Robin Murray filled in our questionnaire and was selected through random selection to receive a custom designed Mini Rig - share you voice this year you can be in for a chance to win a Trinity Mini-Rig, custom-designed by Adam Menzies.

Click here to fill out our audience survey

Survey closes 06 Oct 2021 5pm

From STANLAEY + Robbie & Mona, boundary pushing experimental dance music electronic artist Sunun, underground Techno from Bristol's own Giant Swan and emerging female and non-binary collective Booty Bass, some of the best sounds in the South West have performed as part of Garden Sessions in our magical outdoor venue this year.

“Throughout all craziness of the last few years, Trinity have always been there providing a space for us and many other artists to do what we do best” Pete Cunningham, Ishmael Ensemble

Across 13 shows we welcomed over 1600 people, supporting 51 artists and creating 88 opportunities for paid work for the freelance creative workforce.

We connected with local communities to offer affordable tickets for all our shows, including nationally touring British/Somali singer FaceSoul, whose intimate performance created lasting memories for all who attended.

Due to the success of Garden Sessions we are planning to launch the outdoor venue as a seasonable space in 2022. Click here to find out more.

Teachings in Dub regular sound system night @Trinity, ©Khali Ackford

Trinity Community Arts Statement re Trinity Road Police Station Redevelopment, Sept 2021

Trinity welcomes the prospect of increased affordable homes in the locality offered through the proposed scheme, but it’s important for everyone to understand what that will actually mean in practice.

People need housing and existing residents also want to see improvements to their area. However, as one local resident has fed back to us regarding the proposed development; “When they say affordable housing there is no mention of social housing - that simply means people on benefits will have no chance to get a house, which is the issue we have in Bristol - there's not enough social housing. Not affordable housing. Social housing.”

As with other developments in the city and country, we have to be mindful about the 1st of 10 principles from the Govt’s National Design Guide, which is ‘context’ and this rapid re-imagining of our city has to include everyone.

Unfortunately, in spite of Agent of Change, the responsibility to protect what exists already falls to individual businesses and citizens like us.

As with recent developments near venues such as Motion, we are keen to see as part of this development that a Deed of Easement is placed onto the application as a condition at planning stage, to protect Trinity as an existing venue with a rich music and cultural heritage and a lively and diverse present-day offering.

We have discussed with developer acoustic considerations and are keen to understand more about how they've been incorporated into the design. So far, there has been a lot of good will expressed.

Now we just need to ensure this translates into conditions and mitigation measures as part of the development to legally safeguard Trinity’s future as a cultural institution for East Bristol.

We recommend anyone with concerns to direct these through the Bristol City Council planning portal (application ref no. 21/04338/F).

Like Mercury residency, Bellatrix and Emma Houston Dance Collective. Photo credit Khali Ackford

We are pleased to announce that we are looking for exciting new work to present as part of our programme of shows in Spring 2022.

We are keen to hear from artists and companies whose work responds to our current theme of Art of Resistance in exciting and innovative ways, work that is timely and relevant for our diverse local audiences and work that will inspire and engage.

What we’re looking for:

• Performance ready Theatre, Dance, Spoken Word and Cross-art form, work that responds to the themes of arts and resistance and social activism.
• Work that can be presented across two seasons: 1) between January and 31st March 2022, 2) between 1 April and 31st June 2022.
• Small-medium scale work to be programmed as single shows (on occasion we may programme more than 1 day of a performance).
• Work that can be presented outside of a traditional raked seating format. Work that is relatable and exciting to our community whether that be our local residents in inner-city Bristol, service users who regularly meet at the centre or a community that we might not have met yet but who will benefit from experiencing live performance at Trinity.
• Work that has not been previously presented in Bristol in its current state.
• Work that involves wrap-around activity that can engage our community (Q&A, workshops etc)
• At least 2 of the performances we select will be created by Bristol based artists who are based within 15 miles of Trinity Centre.

We will provide:

Between £750 and £1500 in fees to include performance fees, travel, accommodation and expenses. (Please note that you must have a bank account in your organisation’s name or be registered as self-employed) Technical support for get-in, show and get-out. Advice and guidance from relevant members of staff at Trinity and relevant partners on developing your audiences.

Pay What You Can tickets for audience members and free tickets for community participants

How to submit:

We’ll ask you to submit a tour pack of no longer than 4 pages that includes show information, engagement/wraparound activity plans, a tech specification and marketing strategy.

We’ll ask you to answer a question about how you’ll work with us to engage with our community and to tell us which season (1 or 2) your work is available for.

We’ll ask you to complete an equal opportunities form, so we can make sure these opportunities are reaching the right people, but this won’t be used in the decision to programme your show.

How we decide who to programme:

At Trinity we believe that the most important decision makers are our community. Therefore we programme our Trinity Presents Arts Programme using a Programming Forum made up of local artist and community members and people who use our building on a regular basis.

Deadline: The deadline for submissions is 9am 04 Oct

Click here to submit your tour pack and information

We are pleased to be part of Fun Palaces, a three year project that aims to give power to communities so they can re-think, re-claim or re-purpose civic and community spaces.

Fun Palaces are creating opportunities for everyone to have a say about what counts as culture, where it happens and who experiences it.

At Trinity, a Fun Palace Ambassador will be in place for the duration of the project to support volunteers, grassroots communities and organisations to programme events or create projects that celebrates community and everyday creativity. Alongside this they will support people with free advice and guidance on developing ideas into realities, support with funding applications and event management.

©Khali Ackford

Trinity is a member of Bristol's DIY Arts Network; an independent gathering of arts organisations and arts practitioners, large and small, who deliver cultural programmes within the city of Bristol.

We meet regularly to advocate for the sector and to discuss and inform policy, as well as forming working groups in response to specific issues and to develop shared activity. This thinking feeds directly into the wider cultural conversations happening at a high level in the city through the One City Culture Board.

We also have social activities and network meetings - online and in person - so that people working in the arts can share ideas and support one another and to navigate the challenges of the arts sector, together.

The group’s members work across different scales and different artforms; some specialise in participatory opportunities, others seek out an audience; some charge, some don’t; and some provide complex programmes that sit across a number of strands.

Together, we are committed to the successful future of our city, and the creativity of both Bristol and Bristolians. We have developed a set of saraed DIY Arts Culture Standards which aims to make Bristol’s arts sector fair, open and inclusive. Read more about how we're delivering on that commitment, here.

Network members include Bristol Old Vic, Watershed, Bristol Beacon, Knowle West Media Centre, Artspace Lifespace, St Paul's Carnival, MAYK, Bristol Paraorchestra, Zion and many others including independent artists and freelance creative practitioners.

If you are an independent artist, practitioner or smaller organisation unable to attend a meeting, you can share ideas, views and concerns with Trinity. Contact us if you have an idea/issue you would like to raise.

We're what you make us so get involved! #MaketheSpace.

There may also be some small bursaries available for individual artists and practitioners to attend committee meetings. Please contact Theatre Bristol who help to administer the group for more information.

Photo credit: Colin Moody

Art of Resistance is a two-year project exploring the role that creativity plays in resistance movements. Through the lens of key protest movements in Bristol: Women’s Equality & The Suffragettes, Workers' Risings & Bristol Riots, and Anti-Racism & Anti-Fascism, the project is documenting and exploring Bristol as a city where people feel empowered to make change.

Throughout this Summer (July – Aug 2021) there are opportunities to find out more about creative acts of resistance through a programme of talks, workshops, and events. Featuring the likes of Lowkey, Kiki, Queer Vision and Julie Boston – all key players driving to change the world around them for the better.

Banners have, literally, been at the forefront of Trade Union protest and a way in which women in particular have contributed to Trade Union activism. Imagine from Reclaim the Night to Black Lives Matter.  Join textile artists Ruth Ramsay and others to collaborate in the creation of a ‘Banner For Bristol’ that will capture the spirit of Bristol (05 Aug).

Short films are often a stepping stone for film-makers, lending themselves to a variety of innovative approaches to storytelling and platforming. For one night only, Kiki Bristol join forces with Queer Vision for an evening screening new QTIPOC film shorts (15 Jul).

Environmental campaigning has been at the forefront of the protest movements in Bristol. From Grassroots campaigning to Save The M32 Maples in St Paul’s to XR’s takeover of the City Centre. Julie Boston has been at the forefront of campaigning on environmental issues in Bristol for decades – join her at Trinity for an evening's discussion (22 Jul).

British rapper and activist, Lowkey is one of the most evocative, articulate, and urgent voices of our time. Since launching his rap career in the early 00s, Lowkey has been a consistent and powerful voice against Islamophobia, neo-imperialism, and the plight of Palestine. In an evening of conversation, Lowkey shares his inspirations, how he uses his art as a form of activism and his continued commitment to social justice (28 Sep).

Fast fashion has a detrimental impact on the environment. In a one-off workshop join Sophie & Frances to find out more about every-day-resistance through the simple act of up-cycling your clothes (12 Aug).

From their use in the military to the synonymous connection to the punk movement in the 70s/80s, patches can be a form of group identification, a creative symbol of counterculture, or a means of showing support for a cause. Find out more about the history of patches through creating your own in a one-off workshop (18 Aug).

Sign up by clicking on the links above, or find out more about the project here. Don’t want to miss out? Keep up to date with events and news at Trinity by signing up to our mailing list.

S.U.S.A.A.N the socially distanced robot toured the local area and collected responses from residents

Deadline for Proposals: 9am Friday 25th June

Earlier this year we asked the people of Bristol to respond to the sentence ‘What I Want to Be, What I Want to See’.

Over two weeks we programmed free-online workshops with Vanessa Kisuule, Rider Shafique, Gerry's Attic - plus more - to inspire people to creatively share what they wanted to see for themselves and others in the world around them, post-pandemic.

S.U.S.A.A.N, a socially distanced robot, toured the local area collecting responses from members of the local community. In Trinity's community garden Artist Amy May-Ellis welcomed people to take part in a socially distanced workshop to share their hopes and dreams.

On our social media platforms we shared videos from groups who use Trinity regularly, including Misfits Theatre Company and Dance for Parkinsons.

Responses came in from across Bristol - from wanting to be a marine biologist to hoping to spend more time with family, wanting to see more bikes and less cars and much more. People responded in many forms including poems and drawings.

We are now looking for an artist or collective of artists to creatively interpret the responses, capturing this moment and continuing the conversation with the many communities who connect with Trinity.  This is a paid commission with a fixed fee of £9000.

The call is open to a Bristol based (within a 20 mile radius of Trinity Centre) artist or collective that is reflective of Trinity’s diverse communities.  We’re open to people working in any art-form but you must have experience of co-creating with communities.

Please note:

All work carried out as part of the commission must adhere to current Covid-19 regulations and guidelines.

Timeline:

• Deadline for Proposals: 9am Friday 25th June
• Artists Selection Panel Meeting with Programming Forum: w/c 28th June.
• Successful applicant receive notification by: Wednesday 30th June.
• Residency Period: 1st July – 31st December 2021

How to apply

• Download the full artist commission brief here
• Download the application guidelines here
• When you have read the guidelines you can submit your application online here

You’ll need to attach or link to examples of your work and a budget detailing how you will spend the available commission (each question can be submitted as a video or audio recording if preferred)

We held an informal Q&A session about the commission and you can view the recording of that session here.

If you have access needs in order to join the Q&A session. Please let us know in advance by emailing info@trinitybristol.org.uk or telephoning 0117 935 1200

What I Want To Be, What I Want To See is supported through funding from the Cultural Recovery Fund

Batu checks out the new equipment in the studio. Photo credit Batu

Trinity are pleased to be welcome First Light Studio as new residents. Founded by Bristol based DJ and Producer Batu, who is best known for Timedance, his bass-driven and hypnotic dance nights that have been a key player in the scene over the last seven years.

First Light Studio will take residency in Trinity's recording studio and will offer workshops and free studio hire to Bristol's music-making communities.

“So many people have helped me along the way and I've received a huge amount of support from the community around me. Privately renting a studio is an expense that is prohibitive for a lot of up and coming artists, and there should be more access for free.” Batu

With the support of Dr. Martens the studio at Trinity has undergone a make-over - providing an open and inclusive space for artists to develop their skills - removing financial barriers many face in accessing professional studios.

The studio is a stepping stone into the music industry allowing producers to create, refine and experiment with the pro-level kit they need to enhance their ideas into fully fledged professional productions.

The investment by First Light Studio and Dr. Martens will mean that young people who access our music-making programme, Making Tracks, will also have access to the new equipment.

First Light Studio is open Mondays and Fridays - click here for more info and to book the studio.

Kickstart summary:

4 placements - Development Assistant, Marketing Assistant, Operations Assistant, Programme Assistant

25 hours per week, 6 month contract, paid at Real Living Wage (£9.50ph)

To be eligible for the scheme you must be aged 16-24 years old, claiming Universal Credit

CONTACT YOUR
WORK COACH TO APPLY

About Kickstart

Trinity are delighted to offer four opportunities through UK Government Kickstart scheme - providing paid work placements for 16-24 year olds on universal credit.

Kickstart placements at Trinity will be paid at the Real Living Wage rate and young people will receive training and support throughout the placement with clear development objectives and scope to continue into longer-term employment.

Placements will develop knowledge and experience across a broad range of skills whilst bringing a young fresh perspective to the support the company.

If you are passionate about the arts and community engagement, looking to begin or build on your career in one for the below areas, we want to hear from you!

The positions are offered through the Government’s Kickstart scheme. Applicants should check with their local Job Centre their eligibility before applying.

Please note we are unable to respond to applications directly.

Development Assistant

The Development Assistant will work in the Business Development Team to support the charity to develop its fundraising activity. You will support the charity, working with colleagues to prepare funding applications for a range of programmes, including Trinity’s youth music provision, garden programme and social impact projects. You will oversee fundraising administration, ensuring we keep accurate records and maintain strong relationships with funders.

Marketing Assistant

We are looking for a dynamic, social-media/tech-savvy person who is confident in adapting their skills across a range of platforms and learning about different types of tech. You will care about marketing as a way to engage and represent different communities within the arts. You will want to make use of online platforms in a creative, fun and interactive way that increases access and generates interest in arts and culture.

Operations Assistant

Working in a busy live music and community arts centre, the Operations Assistant will support the Operational, Finance and Human Resource functions within the company - supporting critical areas to ensure the business and working environment functions efficiently and effectively. The ideal candidate will be interested in business operations and passionate about the arts and the positive change it can bring about – in people and communities. You will be a team player, adaptive and willing to support colleagues to improve the running of the company.

Programme Assistant

You will be passionate about making arts and culture more accessible and want to enable more people to have their voice heard. You will be great at inspiring and working with others to create positive outcomes for the community. You will support groups and individuals to become Members and assist the wider team to develop a diverse programme of activities that will reach and represent communities within the locality – ensuring that everyone from local residents and community groups to gig-goers can get involved, have a voice, and help to shape the future of the Centre.

Recruitment Policy

All roles will be based at the Trinity Centre, Bristol and we offer flexible working in line with our policy. Trinity actively encourages applications from all backgrounds and communities.

We will make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment and interview process if you have a disability or long-term health condition. To discuss your requirements, please get in touch on info@trintybristol.org.uk/ 0117 935 1200 or pop into the Trinity Office between 9:30am-4pm Monday-Friday.

Please see our Recruitment Policy for further information.

CONTACT YOUR WORK COACH AT JOB CENTRE PLUS TO APPLY

Gh0$t took part in a vocal looping workshop with performer and musician Keisha Thompson. Photo KoLAB Studios / Khali Ackford

Making Tracks is a life-changing music making project, delivered by Trinity and partners ACE and Basement Studios. The project supports young people to take their next steps in education or work through accessing music provision.

Gh0$t, aka Jack, joined Making Tracks when he was 23 - finding out about the programme through a suggestion by Access Creative College. The college have worked with Trinity for a number of years, often referring students who may benefit from an alternative education setting.

“Jack’s journey has had its challenges, but his passion for music and the support Trinity provided throughout this time has helped to keep him focussed and motivated. Jack has showed a consistent level of dedication and has seen the confidence in his own abilities and talent develop exponentially.” Dave Thomas, Youth Activities Manager

All young people who take part in Making Tracks have individual learning plan. This is created through conversations with students, highlighting what they may want to achieve and input from tutors, identifying key areas of development.

Jack showed an interest in developing his skills in writing original lyrics, rap and learning more about recording his own songs. He developed his music skills in regular 1-2-1 sessions and attended workshops and opportunities offered throughout the programme. This included workshops with touring artists Keisha Thompson, Making Tracks Summer Music Sessions, Q&A sessions with industry professionals and music events. Gh0$t also was active in promoting his own music made during his sessions on social media.

The final part of Jacks development was the opportunity to work as a youth mentor on an Anti-Knife Crime project. Organised by Avon and Somerset Police and delivered in partnership with local schools, Jack supported students to create a soundtrack for an animation. Jack was completely dedicated to the process taking part not only as lyric writer and performing artist but also as a consultant, offering musical advice to the students in the project.

“My main motivation … stems from my past. It actually drove me to write and work on this project because I felt I could relate to what these young people go through on a daily basis, but I also wanted to portray the message that you can still make a difference and become something that no one believed you could be.” Gh0$t

Since completing the programme, Jack is working on building his youth work CV and accessing further courses and youth work qualifications - proving his commitment to continue his professional journey.

Making Tracks is supported by Youth Music and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, as well as support from match funders Youth Sector Support Fund.

MX Centre, St Paul's has provided a vital base for localised COVID19 services

"I think its very important for a city to have range of arts and community spaces, suitable for a wide range of music and events and accessible to all. There shouldn’t be a hierarchy but rather an understanding that different conditions are needed to present a full symphony orchestra and chorus, an experimental jazz session or a poetry slam. These events all have their own particular economics, what is important is that they are all the best they can be - exciting, empowering and inspiring. Bristol needs and deserves all of this." Louise Mitchell, Chief Executive, Bristol Beacon

Trinity believes in the power of shared space. That’s why we’ve launched ‘100 beacons’, to shine a light some of Bristol’s most loved community buildings and spaces and build a collective case for capital investment in the city’s youth, community and cultural assets.

Bristol Beacon is not the only asset owned by us. Bristol City Council’s property portfolio consists of over 1,500 properties; approximately 250 community spaces such as libraries, parks and leisure centres and 117 concessionary lettings including scout huts, youth clubs, community farms and centres such as St Werburghs, Filwood and Harcliffe.

Whether it’s the park you walk in, the library you read in, the community centre you meet in, or the youth club you learn in, the chances are this space is owned by the local authority.

The condition of these buildings and spaces vary greatly. One of these spaces is Malcolm X Community Centre, based in the heart of St Pauls. Born out of the St. Paul's Uprising of April 2, 1980, MX Centre has survived the storms to remain a much-needed space serving the local community throughout the pandemic - most recently as a COVID19 pop-up clinic, vaccinating 200 people in one weekend.

However, as this statement from the Centre's Board of Trustees outlines, this space is in desperate need for financial investment:

"MX Centre is crying out for some TLC - essential repairs would cost a fraction of £107M. There is an ancient heating system that threatens strike action daily. Infrastructure that is in desperate need of modernisation and accessibility work, including lifts that are in place technically though haven't functioned for years.

Having a building where individuals with mobility needs cannot access certain spaces is just not acceptable in 2021, yet we struggle to realise a solution without Council support as the asset owner. This is just a snippet of the building's current issues and needs.

None of the other community spaces owned by Bristol City Council object to the refurbishment of the Bristol Beacon. But what about the other council owned community spaces across the city that exist in need of care and repair? Do they not deserve some funding to serve their respective users?

These are spaces that cater largely to the city's marginalised communities and would be grateful for a fraction of that colossal figure. We are simply asking for equity in funding distribution from the Council, for being caretakers of their spaces.

The Malcolm X Community Centre is one such space of hundreds across the city. It is imperative that Bristol City Council address this issue of disparity, which is years old, necessary and now urgent."

Malcolm X Community Centre, Board of Trustees

With the launch of new schemes such as the Community Ownership Fund alongside the Government’s Build Back Better principles, we want to help build a collective case for capital investment in Bristol’s publicly owned assets, so that they can:

• facilitate good health, well-being and positive relations between communities as they grow and diversify 
• compete in a social enterprise environment where ‘sweating the asset’ becomes key to sustaining local services

• fulfil their role as local economic multipliers, creating vital paid jobs, contributing to our economic prosperity and collective recovery.

As Kathryn Chiswell Jones Managing Director of Artspace Lifespace who look after Council-owned assets including The Vestibules and Ashton Court Mansion says; "Not all community assets are designated mansions or grand halls, but they are beacons for communities. Our local community spaces are integral to social and economic inclusion and to building Bristol Back Better."

Way’s you can help

If you manage a Council owned building, please take fifteen minutes to fill in our concessionary lettings survey to help us build the collective case for investment.

Write to your local Councillor or MP about the importance of capital grant support for a local building that’s close to your heart, using Trinity’s template.

Make sure you make a commitment to investment in community assets a key question for all Mayoral candidates at upcoming hustings meetings.

Check out Locality’s Save Our Spaces for an introduction and toolkit if there’s a space in your local area that you’d like to save.

Read and share We Need a 'Bristol Beacon' in Every Community , an opinion piece in the Bristol Cable by Trinity CEO, Emma Harvey.

Share on socials using #100beacons

Emma Harvey, CEO, Trinity Community Arts

Jon Newey, Managing Director, Full Circle

Kathryn Chiswell-Jones, Company Manager, Artspace Lifespace

LaToyah McAllister-Jones, Executive Director, St Paul’s Carnival

Makala Cheung, Creative Director, Filwood Community Centre

Primrose Granville, Director, Malcolm X Community Centre

Stacy Yelland, CEO, Eastside Community Trust

Peaches, Trinity, 2016 Credit: Jessica Bartolini

Resonators, Trinity, 2018, Khali Ackford

Alesandra Seutin I Vocab Dance Company, Trinity, 2018, Jessica Bartolini

Kiesha Thompson, Trinity, 2018, Jessica Bartolini

This gallery is part of Art of Resistance, a two year project documenting creative responses to resistance movements in Bristol. The women featured in this exhibition are known for their creative power and for their commitment to changing society.

Using music as their platform, Peaches takes a bold and unexpected approach to the topics of sex, feminism, queerness, gender, and new millennium politics. Fronted by Faye Houston and Kassia Zermon, Brighton reggae band, Resonators, draw influences from original Jamaican sounds and riddims.

Keisha Thompson and Alesandra Seutin both use performance to explore race, identity, and gender issues, often creating highly personal and thought provoking work.

Protest history and the art it has created is both formal and informally documented. It is held within memories, private collections, people’s art, posters, music, and poetry. We hope these pictures inspire you to remember your own creative acts of protest, large or small, to share them with us and be part of building a people’s archive.

Art of Resistance is funded by Heritage Lottery Fund