This poem is from What Words Are Ours? by artist Talia Randall. It was originally live streamed via Zoom and Facebook, Nov 2020 as part of Trinity Presents Online, funded by The Culture Recovery Fund.

Funds have been made available by the Government to support organisations like Trinity to weather the impact of coronavirus and come back even stronger, whilst also providing a much needed arts offer.

What Words Are Ours? was an exciting D/deaf inclusive poetry cabaret performance, featuring BSL interpreter Becky Barry.

Keep an eye out on our website and social media channels for other upcoming performances as part of #CultureRecoveryFund.

#TrinityPresents

#HereForCulture

The Beach is by Stephen Lightbrown, was presented as part of our inclusive cabaret What Words Are Ours? originally live streamed via Zoom and Facebook, Nov 2020 as part of Trinity Presents Online, funded by The Culture Recovery Fund.

Funds have been made available by the Government to support organisations like Trinity to weather the impact of coronavirus and come back even stronger, whilst also providing a much needed arts offer.

What Words Are Ours? was an exciting D/deaf inclusive poetry cabaret performance, featuring BSL interpreter Becky Barry.

Keep an eye out on our website and social media channels for other upcoming performances as part of #CultureRecoveryFund.

#TrinityPresents

#HereForCulture

Trinity have been continuing with our phased capital programme during 2020.

Thanks to the flexibility of funders and emergency grant support, we have been able to continue to dedicate resources towards delivery of planned renovation and conservation works.

We have made some much needed access improvements to our well-used Community Garden, installing a ramp and pathway around the garden, so that everyone is able to visit and enjoy the space.

Emma Harvey, CEO said: "The Trinity Garden is an invaluable green space within the locality, particularly right now when getting outside is one of the only things people are able to do. Making it accessible was a key priority for us to make sure physical access is not a barrier to enjoying nature."

Prior to the November 2020 lockdown, Trinity were hosting socially distanced family garden sessions for local people, to encourage people to get outside and learn about gardening and permaculture. The access works will mean that future workshops and sessions will be able to better cater for all needs and will also include the installation of raised beds for people with mobility issues.

“We live on the 7th floor in our flat. I was scared to come as I don t like bees but I love it here now, I can't wait to come back!’”Abdir, age 7 garden workshop participant Summer 2020

Glyn Everett, Trinity Chair of Trustees said; "Making every part of Trinity as accessible as possible to all our community groups and other users has always been a top priority, and I was so pleased and proud of the Trinity team to have achieved this work during Lockdown."

The live capital works phase includes internal renovation works to the Graffiti Room, which was started just prior to the escalation of the global crisis.

The room has been transformed - removing a blocking wall and installing a glass balustrade to reveal the stained glass window and restoring original features. We have installed more suitable flooring and acoustic panels and - most importantly - fixed the heaters in the space so that we will be able to warmly welcome the community back into the space once restrictions begin to ease.

As well as access and restoration, we have also given our downstairs WCs a much needed facelift to make them Covid-Secure for when activities are able to resume.

Our Digs Project to install container units on site has been paused pending the outcome of a revised feasibility study, to inform the capital works programme in response to COVID19. We are liaising with match funder Power to Change as well as the architect team regarding revised timescales.

This latest phase in our capital works programme is being supported with funds secured prior to the pandemic from Power to Change, Nisbet Trust, Derbyshire Environmental Trust, Bristol City Council, private donors and other match funders and emergency funds.

Uchenna Dance deliver a dance workshop at Trinity in 2018. Photo @Khali Ackford

Trinity is pleased to announce that, as part of the Bristol Dance Futures ‘Dance Connect’ programme, five Bristol-based dance practitioners will be funded to undertake year-long residencies in organisations across the city.

The residencies are an opportunity for practitioners, organisations and communities to collaboratively develop a programme of dance activity. Artists will explore and develop ways that dance can be enjoyed and experienced by new and existing audiences and participants across the city.

'It was great to see such high-quality applications and be part of the selection process with a different perspective from the health sector'

Karen Lloyd, Active Ageing Bristol

To ensure a wide range of voices and perspectives helped select the Dance Connect Residencies, the project's Producer Deborah Baddoo invited Karen Lloyd from Active Ageing Bristol and Zannah Chisolm, Artistic Director and CEO Pavilion Dance South West to sit on the selection panels, alongside members of the Dance Futures steering group including independent artist Deepraj Singh.

With the COVID-19 pandemic likely to exacerbate impacts of pre-existing health conditions, two projects will look at the importance of using dance to improve and support good emotional wellbeing and health:

Lerato Dunn will work will work with Southmead Development Trust and Sirona Care to explore how dance can contribute to the physical and emotional health, with the aim to develop a ‘Dance on Prescription’ model that can support vulnerable people.

Rachel James, who leads Dance For Parkinson's at Trinity, will be working with Fresh Arts to create a high-quality dance programme supporting the recovery of elderly and frail patients, designed to help them to get home quicker.

Trinity will be working with both Lerato and Rachel to programme activity in our role as the Arts & Health Dance Hub for the project.

The following collaborations will see artists connecting with new communities strengthening dance participation beyond the city centre:

Penny Caffrey and Helen Wilson will be collaborating with Filwood Community Centre to create a number of different ‘dance happenings’ to promote a positive sense of place within communities.

Katy Noakes will be working with Knowle West Media Centre explore ways to bridge the gap between street and contemporary dance in Bristol.

Dance Connect is an initiative by Bristol Dance Futures - a consortia of Bristol arts organisations and independent artists, that aims to create a vibrant dance ecology across the city, so people of all ages can engage with high-quality dance.

Dance Connect is supported by funding from Arts Council England

Youth Music's support of Making Tracks, a two year partnership between Trinity, Ace and Basement, means that we are able to reach young people (11-25) across the city to, means that we are able to reach 100's of young people each year and offer music-making opportunities, including 1-2-1 sessions, industry insights with leading artists,  showcase events, leadership skills and much more.

"Working with Trinity has created a platform and safe space for me to share my music, with no judgement... Trinity have made me feel very welcome and introduced me to like-minded people. It's given me a real confidence boost to continue this musical journey. " Esme

Many young people who take part in the project are experiencing challenging circumstances and we have continued to deliver activity throughout he pandemic- find out more here.

We were delighted to be approached by Youth Music for an opportunity to showcase just some of the young people who take part in the project as part of their Winter Music Campaign.

Jasper, Esme and Thomas, all who take engage with the project, recorded  songs to be part of the campaign - and we could not be prouder.

Their videos will be shared by Youth Music across Twitter and Facebook in December, or you can visit our Youtube channel to listen.

This news item was published in December 2020. Please click here for the latest information.

Trinity is operating as a Covid-19 Secure, multi-use venue.This means we are operating in a safe way to ensure that the spread of Covid is minimised with any activity happening on our premises. We will work with hirers to ensure that activities or events are thoroughly risk assessed and running in line with Government Guidelines. Please see below what each of the Tiers implemented by the government will mean for events happening at Trinity.

Tier 3: VERY HIGH ALERT

What can happen:

• Wedding ceremonies & wakes – up to 15ppl
• Group activities for under 18s (including indoor physical activity)
• Rehearsals
• Performances for the purpose of live streaming
• Filming
• Formally organised support groups - up to 15ppl
• Parent and toddler groups
• Capacities will be assessed on a case-by-case basis

What cannot happen:

• Conferences or meetings
• Adult group exercise classes / activities
• Wedding Receptions
• Film screenings or talks
• Live music / club nights
• Any performances with audiences (inc. sharings)
• Private Parties
  
  

Tier 2: HIGH ALERT

What can happen:

• Socially distanced shows or performances where audiences are seated and follow the rule of 6
  - Live music 
  - DJs
  - Theatre
  - Cinema
• Meetings and conferences that are essential, following reduced room capacities and social distancing
• Wedding ceremonies, receptions & wakes - up to 15ppl
• Group activities for under 18s (including indoor physical activity)
• Indoor activity for over 18s (including indoor physical activity) can go ahead subject to social distancing rules - however we recommend against the return of high-risk groups
• Filming
• Rehearsals
• Live Streaming
• Organised outdoor gardening groups (for voluntary, training or education purposes)
• Capacities will be assessed on a case-by-case basis

What cannot happen:

• Conferences or meetings which are not essential, or could be postponed
• Adult group exercise classes / activities for high-risk people
• Wedding ceremonies or receptions over 15ppl
• Club Nights
• Private Parties
  
  

Tier 1: MEDIUM ALERT

What can happen:

• Socially distanced shows or performances where audiences are seated and follow the rule of 6
  - Live Music
  - DJ's
  - Theatre
  - Cinema
• Meetings and conferences, following reduced room capacities and social distancing
• Wedding ceremonies, receptions & wakes - up to 15ppl
• Group activities for under 18s (including indoor physical activity)
• Indoor activity for over 18s (including indoor physical activity) can go ahead subject to social distancing rules
• Filming
• Rehearsals
• Live Streaming
• Organised outdoor gardening groups (for voluntary, training or education purposes)
• All activity / event capacities will be assessed on a case-by-case basis

What cannot happen

• Club Nights
• Private Parties
  
  

For all queries please get in touch by phone 0117 935 1200 or email info@trinitybristol.org.uk before 18th Dec 2020 or on / after 11th January 2021.

Applications are now open for a brand-new £6,000 Research and Development commission

Thanks to the Cultural Recovery Fund we are inviting Bristol based organisations or artists to apply for a new commission  to support a Young Audiences Research and Development project. The successful company/artist will work toward creating a live performance or experience made for Young Audiences aged 3-10 years. We welcome artists of any practice and working in any art-form to apply.

Trinity is a cultural-hub for the city, where people of all ages and backgrounds come together. As well as hosting 600 capacity live music performances we also programme theatre and dance in our flexible studio space.

Our building sits at the meeting point of three distinctive and diverse Bristol wards - Easton, Ashley (St Pauls) and Lawrence Hill - whose residents make up Trinity’s local community. In these difficult times, we believe that the arts can bring together communities and we want to commission a piece of work that will do just that.

We’re looking for a Bristol based (within a 20 mile radius of Trinity Centre) artist or organisation, who will Research and Develop/ Create an experience for young audiences that is welcoming and accessible to people from all walks of life including young audiences who may not speak English as a first language and young audiences with disabilities.

The Research and Development period must take place before 12th March 2021.

This commission is for R&D but we expect that the results of the R&D will be shared or showcased in some form.

We will provide:

-£6,000 commission fee (Please note that you must have a bank account in your organisation’s name or be registered as self-employed)

-Opportunity to use our Trinity building space as in-kind support to develop the project

-Advice and guidance from relevant members of staff at Trinity and relevant partners

-Opportunity to share progress of the project with community members, industry professionals and other artists. We particularly welcome applications from artists whose experiences are less visible in 'mainstream' arts programming.

Please note.

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

We will be hosting a Zoom call on 8th December at 4pm for an informal Q&A session around the commission.

This opportunity is now closed

Created and hosted by the sublime and distinctive Talia Randall, this BSL interpreted and captioned poetry cabaret features a kaleidoscope of performances, from comedians to sign language artists and rising stars of the spoken word scene.

This is brought to you by Trinity Presents. Click here to see more arts, community, well-being and education content or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Trinity are working with external artists, partners and organisations as part of Trinity Presents Online to provide exciting content, relevant to Trinity's diverse audiences and in line with our Equal Opportunities and Free Speech Policies. Click here for more information about our Policies. While we endeavour to ensure content we share is relevant and appropriate, Trinity is not responsible for individual content created by third parties.

Exploring madness, masculinity and how to recover from both. The Unmaster is in a genre of its own: an honest gig; a dance; an unflinching poem; a story of a mental breakdown assembled from Dizraeli's own diary entries and frightened scribbles. Featuring the new Dizraeli band, playing music from Dizraeli's album of the same name. Visuals from Chris Allen of The Light Surgeons (The Orb; Splice Festival) and direction from Stef O'Driscoll (Nabokov Theatre) and Nina Santes (Hymene Hymne; La Fronde).

This is brought to you by Trinity Presents. Click here to see more arts, community, well-being and education content or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Trinity are working with external artists, partners and organisations as part of Trinity Presents Online to provide exciting content, relevant to Trinity's diverse audiences and in line with our Equal Opportunities and Free Speech Policies. Click here for more information about our Policies. While we endeavour to ensure content we share is relevant and appropriate, Trinity is not responsible for individual content created by third parties.

The Free Speech Wars, edited by Charlotte Lydia Riley and published by Manchester University Press (2020), is a collection of essays that examines the complexities and debates surrounding free speech in contemporary society.

The book features a co-written essay by Trinity team members Emma Harvey and Dr Edson Burton titled In a diverse society, is freedom of speech realisable?

The pair discuss the challenges of balancing free speech with building safe and inclusive intersectional community spaces. They reflect on experiences where competing equality agendas have led to conflicts, highlighting the complexities faced by those managing public spaces in fostering open dialogue while ensuring inclusivity means just that.

The book brings together a diverse group of commentators, activists, and academics to explore who gets to exercise free speech, the consequences when powerful voices are challenged, and how free speech has been weaponised in various debates.

It delves into the spaces and structures of speech, such as mass media, universities, public events, political rallies, and the internet, and investigates how acts like censorship, boycotts, and protests have evolved historically and inform present discussions.

Other essays include:

Gabriel Moshenska: Anatomy of a 'trigger warning' scandal Moshenska recounts a personal experience where his inclusion of content warnings in a course on the forensics of genocide and modern warfare became the centre of controversy and the broader context of academia and free speech

Shaun McDaid & Catherine McGlynn: Free speech and preventing radicalisation in higher education Examines the impact of the UK's Prevent duty on free speech within universities, advocating for its abolition, highlighting how the policy inadvertently suppresses legitimate discourse in higher education.

Paul Whickman: Teaching 'freedom of speech' freely Whickman reflects on his experiences teaching literary censorship and free speech and discusses the importance of fostering a respectful and diverse environment to encourage open dialogue.

These essays, among others in the collection, provide nuanced perspectives on the multifaceted debates surrounding free speech, its limitations, and its implications in various societal contexts.

The free speech wars: How did we get here and why does it matter? edited by Charlotte Lydia Riley is available to buy from Manchester Univeristy Press, £14.99

Making Tracks is a life-changing music making project for young people, aged 16-25, delivered by Trinity in partnership with ACE and Basement.

The first Steering Group meeting was held on Thursday 15th October. The Steering Group gives Making Tracks participants a chance to share their opinions to help shape the programme and opportunities to connect with others on the programme.

The meeting was led by Steering Group Producer, Amber Watsonn, who is on a work placement through BE IT - a radical leadership programme run by Rising Arts Agency.

Amber is dedicated to improving representation in thearts sector and is bringing her passion for empowering and championing young people's voices into the steering group.

With the help of project intern, Thomas Meadley, Amber invited four young people to take part in this meeting that aimed to be an accessible space and allow for all voices to be heard.

The first part of the session focused on understanding the purpose and aims of the steering group. The session was briefly joined by Dave Thomas, Trinity’s Youth Activities Manager. His contagious enthusiasm for Making Tracks and Youth Music helped spark young people to share their love for the programme.

Young people shared their thoughts on how the Making Tracks project is accessible to them; how it caters to everyone no matter their skill, home life or musical interests. The group shared how much taking part in the project helps support mental health and confidence building. They also commented on the supportive staff that show how much they want to be there and help in any way they can.

Amber then supported the group to share how they may want to shape the project in the future. This included:

- an online forum for young people to network, share their music, and see news and project updates

- more studio access to record music

- more online resources

- how they can help support the project

The meeting ended, as all good meetings should do, with pizza and an opportunity to discuss the next meeting's agenda.

Want to get Involved?

The steering group is always open to new members. Please email amber@trinitybristol.org.uk if you would like more information or have any questions.

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

Trinity's Dave Thomas and Noods Radio's Leon Patrick and Jack Machin take a socially distanced delivery of the new equipment

Noods Radio, the independent radio station broadcasting from Bristol's Stokes Croft, have raised money for new equipment for Trinity’s life-changing music making programme, Making Tracks.

The release of the 11 track Hypha compilation CD, earlier this year, saw all profits being donated to the youth music project; with South West cider Thatchers providing match funding for the purchase of mic stands, mics and other technical equipment.

The new equipment means the young people who take part in the project have access to professional equipment to gain skills and confidence through music making.

We are really grateful to Leon Patrick and Jack Machin, owners of Noods Radio, who contacted us to offer their support to the project.

Making Tracks is supported by Youth Music, using funds from the National Lottery

The Prime Minister has announced a second national lockdown for England beginning 5 November, in an effort to limit the transmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Click here to read more about what this means.

The Trinity Centre will be closed for public events and gatherings from 5 November, until such times as restrictions ease. Trinity has been and will continue to closely monitor Public Health England guidelines in relation to the COVID-19 situation, in order to respond as necessary.

We will be working to adapt and deliver some activities online as part of grant funded projects - including the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund - and will liaise with community partners to make sure we support any coordinated responses to support those most vulnerable during these difficult times.

Ticket holders

We will communicate via our website and mailing lists regarding all cancellations or postponed events. All tickets will be valid for rescheduled dates, however if you would like to request a refund, please do so by contacting our bookings team on info@trinitybristol.org.uk and include the event name, date and the email you used to make the booking.

Hirers

Please contact your Booking Coordinator about your planned event to discuss either postponing and rescheduling or cancelling your event.

Advice for the Community

We would urge individuals to follow Public Health England and stay at home unless they have a specific reason to leave, such as education and work which cannot be done from home.

If you or anyone else in your household are displaying any symptoms of COVID-19 - a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste - get a test as soon as possible and stay at home until you get the result.

If you are unsure or need to check symptoms, visit the NHS COVID-19 Self Assessment.

Lullabies is a project by Associate Artist Roxana Vilk, connecting people around the world through lullabies.

Inspired by singing traditional Iranian lullabies to her children at night, Roxana wondered how many other families where singing lullabies in the many languages spoken across Bristol. In 2018, Roxana began to collect lullabies with local families, during her IGNiTE residency at Trinity.

In 2020, the project was selected to be part of the Nationwide Here & Now project, celebrating 25 years of The National Lottery. Roxana continues to collect, record, and share lullabies from around the world, using them to find common ground between different communities and cultures.

You can take part in the project and be part of an online exhibition sharing Lullabies from across the world.  Submit yours online here.

We are pleased and relieved to announce that Trinity has been awarded £329,363 through public funds from the Government's Culture Recovery Fund.

Trinity’s mission is to empower communities through the arts.The grant enables us to invest in the organisation and continue to support over 70 arts and VCS organisations each year, as well as the many communities who use the centre at this critical time.

Over 80% of Trinity's core costs are covered by income generated by our trading-arm. Following the ceasing of trading in March 2020, due to lockdown measures, we faced a substantial financial loss. The grant provides a critical investment for Trinity, providing stability for the next six months helping us remain financially viable beyond March 2021.

As well as covering core costs, such as staff and infrastructure, we will create a programme of Covid secure cultural activities and invest in the freelance cultural taskforce who have been acutely affected by the restrictions.

Working with local musicians and promoters we will create a programme of subsidised socially distanced events. The grant will enable Trinity to offer artists/companies paid opportunities in performance, residencies and micro-commissions. We will continue our online programme, launched during Lockdown, with live stream events.

We will announce our programme of activities online, through our newsletter and on our social media.

Local families took part in nature based activities

Families took part in 'bubbles'

Over the summer we welcomed local families back to our community garden.

Working in partnership with St Pauls Children Centre and Up Our Street, we invited local family 'bubbles' to take part in nature sessions aimed at learning, play and exploration.

In total, 45 people, aged 0–80, took part in activities that included sensory scavenger hunts, bug hunts and potting up fresh flowers. Trinity’s Associate Artist, Roxana Vilk, led lullaby workshops around a campfire whilst the children learnt how to whittle and toast marshmallows.

“We live on the 7th floor in our flat. I was scared to come as I don’t like bees but I love it here now, I can’t wait to come back!” Abdir, age 7

During lockdown, the garden team, with help from a small team of wonderful volunteers, created and distributed activity packs to local schools. With additional funding from Children In Need we were able to pack and send out an extra 121 ‘Nature To Your Door’ activity packs to our surrounding schools and community organisations; including working in partnership with organisations such as St Pauls Adventure, May Park Primary and Rosemary Nursery.

Our Summer Family Garden Days were made possible through funding from Children in Need.

Ten years ago, 116 separate pieces of legislation were brought together in one single Act.

The Equality Act 2010 shapes anti-discrimination law in the UK today. It's the culmination of 800 years of human rights struggles in Britain and a key part of our identity as a democratic society.

By defining protected characteristics within the Act, we set out what matters to us as a nation. Parity, equity, representation and participation are not just things that are nice to have, but elements critical to our individual, social and economic success.

‘Protected’ does not mean we omit these characteristics from our decision making. It’s about giving consideration to and accommodating difference to meet the interests of everyone fully, removing the barriers that enable some to succeed whilst holding others back.

Time and time again, the advancement of these rights doesn't stem from an epic battle of good vs evil. It's born of the actions of ordinary people who find the courage to say no to something accepted as normal at the time - whether that's standing in front of a bus to confront racism or striking to protect workers' rights.

Flash forward to today and it feels like we've hit a bit of a dead end as far as our rights go. Technology has us simultaneously connected and divided. Movements have galvanised the public whilst splintering society into angry irreconcilable fractions. Political discourse has descended into vitriolic one-upmanship, while we’re all stuck playing off protected characteristics against one another like a game of Equalities Top Trumps.

To navigate beyond this we need to hold onto the very purpose of the Act; equality is not a burden placed on us but an opportunity. How many scholars, inventors, engineers, artists and scientists have we lost out on over generations past? To be conscious of difference and to see its benefits helps us to realise the potential of every human mind for the betterment of us all. Each time we fail to include is a possibility for innovation that is missed.

The Act may not be perfect. But reflecting on its anniversary can serve as a reminder of what we can achieve if we stand up for what we believe in and enable everyone to have a fair chance to a healthy, happy life. The surge in volunteering in response to the coronavirus crisis has at least shown us that, in spite of everything that divides us, people are able to unite and mobilise for the good of each other when it matters most.

Provoking change is neither a sprint nor a marathon; it’s a relay. If it feels like we're covering the same ground over and over again that's probably because we are. The bit that keeps it exciting is you never know who’s gonna pick up that baton next in the race for human rights.

That's why we have to reset and see the face of our own struggles in the faces of others - not just in our friends but in the face of our worst enemy. Seeing the limitations of ourselves and our own assumptions and treating cooperation not as a chore but as the tool that's fundamental to our evolutionary success.

The next ten years of equality and what that means for us all is a lap that starts with you today.

Emma Harvey, CEO

Following a competitive open-call for applications, we are very excited to have commissioned Neurodivergent, queer artist Tink Flaherty as part of our Trinity Presents programme. Tink will develop a brand new idea for an online audience called ‘Bed Bloggers,’ a performance aiming to challenge the stigma associated with spending a day in bed, by starting a series of intimate performances directly from their bed.

Tink applied along with 38 other artists to our joint commissioning opportunity delivering in partnership with Cambridge Junction, made possible using Arts Council England’s Covid-19 Emergency Respond Fund.

“I am delighted to be the recipient of the Trinity and Cambridge Junction commission for my project Bed Blogger: Bed Blocker is a person who occupies a hospital bed long-term, the suggestion being they might be overstaying their welcome, blocking the bed from being used by other patients. I am particularly interested in working with neurodivergent artists and engaging neurodivergent audiences, those with long term health conditions and those who experience disability.” Tink Flaherty

Tink will be working with Efi Ntoumouzi, a multimedia artist to design and curate a brand new online experience /exhibition space and artist Katy Baird, who will work alongside Tink to devise and develop the performance element of the work.

The panel that had the tough decision on which artist to award the £3,000 commission to included community partners and participants from both Trinity and Cambridge Junction. Panel member Sam Ross said “Tink’s project is a worthy commission, and promises to fully exploit the creative demands and possibilities of digital performance, in order to rewrite the social narrative around chronic invisible illnesses and the act of being bedbound.” Other panels members included TV scriptwriter and playwright Jane Carter Woodrow, MAYK Co-Director Kate Yedigaroff, Troop member and Performer Sam Ross, Total Arts participant Mary Ellen and Director and facilitator Gavin Dent.

You’ll be able to check out Tink’s project by following us on our social media channels and keeping an eye on our news page. To find out more about Trinity’s Arts programme head here

*Neurodivergent is a person whose brain does not work as generally expected or accepted by society (Oliver, 2019:3)

Trinity Community Arts Ltd has been accredited as a Living Wage Employer – a commitment that will see everyone working at the Trinity Centre receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.30 or higher. The real Living Wage rate is significantly higher than the government minimum for over 25s, which currently stands at £8.72 per hour.

"The future might be uncertain, but we're nevertheless committed to ensuring our lowest paid employees and contractors aren't the ones bearing the burden of the challenges we face.”

Emma Harvey, Trinity CEO

In the South West, over a fifth of all jobs (20%) pay less than the real Living Wage - around 456,000 jobs.

Despite this and the current recession, Trinity has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.

The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 230,000 people and put over £1 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.

Emma Harvey, Trinity CEO said: “Trinity isn't just a building - it's people who make great things happen. With restrictions on live-performances still in place, there's a lot of precariousness in the arts and culture sector right now - plus, we're a charity still fundraising to support our direct delivery.

"The Centre is based in one of the most economically deprived, ethnically diverse areas in the South West. If we want the arts sector to reach and represent diverse communities, this starts with paying people properly.

"The future might be uncertain, but we're nevertheless committed to ensuring our lowest paid employees and contractors aren't the ones bearing the burden of the challenges we face.”

Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Trinity has joined the movement of over 6000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.

“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Chelsea and Everton Football Clubs, Lush, and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Trinity, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay."

Rise Youth Dance take part in Ucnehnna Dance workshop

Trinity has delivered youth arts training since 2005, working with over 250 young people from challenging circumstances annually, giving them a chance to realise their potential through participation in arts and culture.

Trinity has been awarded a grant of £30,000 from The Social Enterprise Support Fund.

With over 80% of Trinity's core costs covered by income generated by our trading-arm and restrictions still in place on live music events and club nights, our model of sustaining a vibrant and diverse community programme has been overturned.

Many people know Trinity as a live music venue, but even with live events not happening, we're still very much delivering our wider community arts programming, which includes supporting other grassroots groups with space and resources and delivering activities such as our youth music and community garden projects, so people can develop skills, build confidence, reduce isolation and improve well-being.

Funding from Social Enterprise Support Fund, distributed by Resonance, will help us to remain solvent and support business development activity, in order to explore other ways to sustain our community arts programme.

The Social Enterprise Support Fund provides essential financial support to help social enterprises during COVID-19.

Since 2009, Trinity has supported 33 YP through paid-internships as part of national programmes including the Creative Employment Programme and The Future Jobs Fund.

It will help social enterprises to meet additional demands, change the way they work, make their spaces COVID-secure, and manage liquidity during the next six months.

Five social enterprise support agencies have come together to deliver the fund. Big Issue Invest, The Key Fund, Resonance, the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) and UnLtd will jointly deliver £18.5 million in grants, with support from CAF Venturesome, the Young Foundation and Ashoka.

This has been made possible thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK. The partnership is one of five The National Lottery Community Fund is supporting as part of its COVID crisis response.

Rhiannon Jones, Programme Director of Trinity said; "These are challenging times, but this grant will help us to continue to deliver our services at a time when they're most needed and rebuild for the future. Thanks to National Lottery players for making this possible."