To everyone who donated and supported Trinity this year we wanted to say thank you and let you know how your help has impacted on the work we do.

Dancers from Gerry's Attic, a dance group for the over 55's take part in a workshop (photo @ Sarah Koury).

Trinity Community Initiative supported community and voluntary groups with over 4000 hours free and subsidised hall space.

Keisha Thompson delivers a workshop to young people as part of our IGNiTE programme (photo @Khali Ackford).

Over 100 people took part in one of the professional workshops delivered by touring companies and artists programmed as part of our IGNiTE theatre and dance programme. Highlights included students from Making Tracks taking part in a vocal looping workshop with Keisha Thompson and Rise Youth Dance taking part in Uchenna Dance’s workshop.

This year we earned a Bronze Attitude is Everything Award, and secured £5,000 funding from the Hedley Foundation and Bruce Wake Charitable Trust to pay for a mobile accessible lift to enable wheelchair users to access our Main Stage.

Josh attends regular 121 music sessions at Trinity's collaborative music making project (photo @ Alistair Brookes).

Our collaborative music making project Making Tracks provided over 400 music sessions for 101 young people, many of whom (85%) struggle with confidence, behaviour, health, well-being or other challenging personal circumstances.  Making Tracks makes a difference in peoples lives.

We are committed to conserving and protecting the Trinity Centre for ours and future generations (photo Khali Ackford).

With generous donations from the public, an uplift grant from Historic England and support from Heritage Lottery Fund and, other charitable Trusts & Foundations we raised the much needed funds to complete the major repairs to the fabric of the building.

Trinity's annual Festival of Light along with the Garden Party attract over 3k visitors and feature a line up of the best local musical talent (photo @Khali Ackford).

You can read more about the work we do by downloading our annual report here, or you can find out how you can continue to support the work we do here.

We couldn’t do this without your support, thank you.

We wish everyone the best over the festive season.

Xyzelle, Sealvia and Chantaleaze - students from project partners ACE perform at Trinity's Festival of Light. Photo Khali Ackford

1. Playing at the Unity stage at St Pauls Carnival

"The Carnival Stage provided an excellent opportunity for young people to perform at one of the City's most significant and historic cultural events. It was great to have staff and  young people across the Making Tracks programme there on the day." Darren Alexander, ACE.

Josh Carter practices singing in one of our recording studios during the Summer Sessions at Trinity (photo @ Alastair Brookes)

2. Summer Sessions at Trinity

"Trinity's in house annual summer workshop and live performance event. Held over two days in August. Working in partnership with Access Creative College Bristol, who delivered bespoke DJ and Film sound workshops." Dave Thomas, Trinity Community Arts

Making Tracks showcase at Trinity's Festival of Light (photo @ Khali Ackford)

3. Youth Music Showcase at Festival of Light

"The Festival of Light provided our young people with the biggest audience of their music journeys so far. The sound quality was amazing and the experience provided a taste of what a professional performance feels like." Darren Alexander, ACE.

Area of Effect play on the main stage at Trinity's annual Garden Party (photo @ Jesscia Bartolini)

4. Youth Music Stage, Trinity Garden Party

"Area of Effect rock band opening on main stage. Seeing these three 15 year-olds rise to the amazing opportunity of performing their set with hi spec stage and PA  and at such a public event was so exciting. It really upped their expectations and motivation in terms of performance, and it also opened them up to 1:2:1: music development and support." Troy Tanska, Basement Studios

5. End of Year Showcase Party, Trinity

"I was really proud of the range of performances - from those who'd never made music in front of others, to performances good enough to charge for. They were really respectful and supportive of each other - even though there were such varied genres and skills. It was a massive highlight seeing a young person who had such a difficult time in the past, but who turned their life around since being part of Making Tracks in the summer and is now at music college, absolutely smash it centre-stage. Such an honour to see the power of music in action." Troy Tanska, Basement Studios

Trinity has submitted an objection to a proposal to develop 12 new apartments at 90 West Street, Old Market.

Our objection relates to the absence of community consultation in relation to the proposals and that the Noise Impact Statement makes no reference to the development’s proximity to Trinity.

We understand there is a critical need to build new homes in the city and welcome conversations with developers wishing to invest in the area around us. Conversations with existing businesses are a standard part of any planning process and help to inform plans, limit the number of objections to any project and give developments the best chance of success.

We believe people not only need places to live, but also spaces to come together, socialise and celebrate. A development less than 200 yards from an existing live music venue - which has not taken any action to mitigate against noise impact on new tenants - must be challenged.

Trinity is member of newly formed Bristol@Night Board which has been set up to respond to issues affecting the city’s nightlife. We will be working with this board - which also involves Save Bristol Nightlife - in the new year, to ensure as a city we continue to support and protect what makes Bristol a great place to live, work and visit.

If you would like to make your own objection to the proposed development, please visit Bristol’s Planning Portal and make your own objections, or cut and paste the following:

I would like to object to the recently resubmitted planning application reference 18/06186/F (previous reference: 17/04953/F) for the following reason:-

Insufficient Mitigation of Noise for New Dwellings (Agent of Change principle)

The Noise Impact Statement is from Nov 2016 and there have been no revisions of this report since this application was last submitted. The report makes no reference to the fact that the development will be right next to an existing live music venue (est. 1976).

Therefore, no mitigating actions have been taken in relation to its proximity to the Trinity Centre and there is no acknowledgement or awareness of the proposed Agent of Change Principle.

Josh has been attending 121 sessions at Trinity as well as workshops and other events delivered as part of Making Tracks (photo Alastair Brookes - KoLAB Studios).

"I had heard Trinity provided people who have had difficult pasts with good opportunities to develop skills with performing and recording music"

Hi, I am Josh I'm 21 and I come to Trinity weekly to attend 121 music sessions that are part of the Making Tracks Project .

As well as the recording sessions I attend I also have been learning skills in songwriting workshops and other music related events at Trinity.

I came to trinity because music is something that I’ve always been passionate about and I had heard Trinity provided people who have had difficult pasts with good opportunities to develop skills with performing and recording music, I mainly work with Al in the studio and greatly enjoy it.

I’ve struggled with mental health problems all my life and being able to record at Trinity has been a massive help with keeping myself positive and active. Taking part in Trinity has benefited me in more ways than I ever would have imagined, it’s enabled me to be able to write and record my own songs and has helped me develop my skills and confidence as a musician. When I first started attending trinity I was very shy and struggled with depression a lot and the friendly atmosphere provided at trinity has really brought me out of my shell and helped me become the strong confident person I am today.

Without trinity I would never have gotten the chance to make my own music or improve my skills as a musician.

If I had to describe my experience at trinity in three words I’d use “truly amazing experiences".

You helped secure Trinity's past, now play your part in Trinity's future

Architect Tim Ronalds delivers his talk 'Resurrection Man' during our 2018 talk series, delivered as part of our Conservation and Heritage activities (photo credit @Khali Ackford)

We are delighted to announce we have been awarded £1000 by shoppers at Tesco through Tesco;s community Grant scheme, Bags of Help.  Voting ran from September to October and Tesco's shoppers choose which local charity to support by voting with a blue token given to them at the check out.

During 2018 people took part in workshops exploring traditional skills used in the initial building of the centre in the 1800's.These stained glass pieces form part of an indoor visual history trail. (Photo @ Khali Ackford)

The money awarded will help us continue our Conservation works including proceeding with a solar panel and battery storage installation. Thanks to everyone who supported Trinity with their vote!

Ania sharing her work in progress at Trinity (photo @ Alastair Brookes)

A few thoughts about sharing Guayabo at SPILL Festival of performance 2018

"I just didn’t know how it would go until I had this experience"

Ania Varez is one of four Bristol based artists who are developing exciting new work in collaboration with communities at Trinity over six months as part of our IGNiTE theatre and dance programme.

During her residency Ania is developing ‘Guayabo’ a participatory work that invites people to gather around their pain and the pain of others and is heavily influenced by Ania’s move from Venezuela to leave her country’s violent dictatorship. The crisis is rarely mentioned in mainstream media and Ania has been using her art to share her and her family’s experiences with others.

Ania recently took ‘Guaybo’ to Spill Festival, an international festival of contemporary arts and activism in Ipswich. We asked her to tell us the four things she learnt while she was there.

Maybe not all works are meant for art festivals (or maybe they need a bit more help)

Guayabo is a very challenging piece to share for different reasons. Mostly, because it requires placing myself in a very vulnerable state, my family is also exposed through the videos and texts I read, and the topic is extremely painful and difficult on its own.

I was concerned that those who came to experience the work might not have the capacity to offer the mental and emotional investment this piece requires due to the festival environment which is overwhelming with people quickly moving from one performance to another. I also felt the audience needed more time to process the difficult information that Guayabo conveys, whilst in a safe environment, before leaving the room and returning to a conventional social mode.

Towards the end of the work, I invite people to stay in the room for as long as they need and to chat with me if they wish, but since people had to rush to another show, most of them could not have that time, which felt important in terms of caring for themselves and for me. To know this for future sharings is really positive!

I will think about what needs to change inside the work to ensure people receive the care they need. However, the context is also important. I’m sure SPILL would have made a bigger effort to ensure these things happened if I had spoken about them beforehand, but I just didn’t know how it would go until I had this experience. Maybe arts festivals are not the right context for Guayabo, or maybe it just needs some programming adjustments (have more time altogether, organising a meal to share right after, for example) would really help to overcome these difficulties.

Guayabo connects people in the UK with Ania's family in Venezuela

It’s nicer to meet people outside of performance settings

Whilst being at SPILL I slightly regretted not having the time to see other works and meet many people. Sharing this piece took all of my time and energy and I didn’t have the space to experience much more. In hindsight, I notice that I naturally felt more inclined to encounter people outside of the performance settings (at breakfast, or in the artists green room) in a more relaxed and meaningful way, and most of the time we didn’t even talk about our work which I enjoyed much more.

Before arriving to SPILL, I was quite worried that everyone around me would be trying to constantly pitch their work at each other, but I was glad to discover that most people seemed to agree that having a good time and laughing together was more important.

Self care and support kept everything together

I had severe technical difficulties during my first show and right until the beginning of my second show. This uncertainty added pressure to sharing such personal work, which massively compromised my mental health during the performance days.

Having my producer, Katherine Hall, with me during the first two days really kept me safe and capable of getting through the difficulties, as she took care of many things and allowed me to concentrate on the work. Sadly, she could not stay for the last two days and that would have really affected me if it wasn’t for Shabnam Shabazi (the Wellbeing Liaison of the festival) and Manon Santi (part of the SPILL team) who were there to support me. They gave such gentle and caring attention to me and to the work: this meant I could present the work without having a breakdown or feeling like I was delivering it on my own.

It’s not the end of the line

SPILL felt like an incredible opportunity for me as an artist and a person. It’s the biggest platform I have ever shared work on. But I didn’t want it to feel like the ultimate platform, or the culmination of this long process. I wanted it to feel like another island I stumble upon in the middle of this long trip. A place to pass by, gather things that felt valuable, meet great people and then continue on the journey. Almost one month after the festival, I see this opportunity has brought a few open doors, some new friends and a lot of learning. I enjoy holding on to this feeling of continuation, this long process that exists independently of the platforms that I visit, but continues to be nourished by them. I am looking forward to continuing my research at Trinity Centre next year.

Read more about our IGNiTE programme and artist in residence just here.

IGNiTE Artist Ania Varez is developing the performance piece “Guayabo” as part of her residency (photo @ Alastair Brookes)

Ania Varez is a young Venezuelan artist who left her country’s violent dictatorship and moved to the UK. The crisis she escaped is rarely mentioned in mainstream media but Ania has been using art to share her and her family’s experiences with others.

She joined Trinity as an IGNiTE resident artist in September to develop her new show “Guayabo”, or “heartbreak” in Venezuelan slang. In late October, she invited people to join a sharing session in which she presented her work.

Ania's homeland, Venezuela is experiencing a silent humanitarian crisis (photo @ Alastair Brookes)

All the elements that formed part of Ania’s performance painted a sharp nightmarish picture of her city, a place that has lost all of its warmth and safety. It was brilliant to not just watch but to actually actively take part in the interactive performance Ania created as part of her residency with Trinity.

Prior to entering the performance space, we were greeted by Ania and added to a WhatsApp group by her assistant to receive messages and media during the performance. We were then invited to walk into the space – a dark room with two rows of seats lined up to face one other. At one end of the rows; a TV, at the other end; a large lamp, switched off. The only other light source in the room was dim, the atmosphere was heavy.

Only a few minutes in, Ania invited us to lie down on the floor while she told the story of a murdered corpse being found in a park while she and her lover were peacefully laying down on the grass. This was a tipping point in the performance; by involving our bodies in the story-telling, it felt like we were brought incredibly close to Caracas, her home city, and to the terror that reigns there.

People wrote who they loved on apples as part of Ania's grief party (photo @ Alastair Brookes)

From writing the name of our loved ones on an apple, a mundane fruit that is now impossible to find in Venezuela, to joining efforts to smash a piñata, we were all made part of her grief party. The poems she wrote and read and the ongoing TV screening of the footage she gathered during a rare visit to her family were striking and raw. “In this city, laughter feels like a miracle”, “The last second of panic before you close the front door”, “Until there’s a bullet in the back of everyone you know”.

During the Q&A that followed the performance, we were asked if the stories that involved violence were too descriptive and shocking, but were all positive that they gave the show strength and impact.

Guayabo is about creating connections between places where the connections have been broken. (photo @ Alastair Brookes)

One thing felt very clear: “Guayabo” is not a teary-eyed drama seeking the audience’s compassion. It’s an invitation to connect Ania’s isolated family in Caracas and England. An attempt to create a positive link between two places that have been completely disconnected, if only for an hour. The large lamp that stood unlit in the room was set up to switch on if Ania’s mother replied to her WhatsApp message: “Are you safe today?”. We all sat waiting for the lamp to turn on for a solid minute, but it didn’t. Instead, Ania recorded a voice message of all of us clapping and cheering for her mother as a gesture of acknowledgement and support.

The 31st of October marked the 2 year anniversary of Ania hugging her sister for the last time before leaving. She marked the day by performing “Guayabo” at SPILL Festival in Ipswich.

About IGNiTE

IGNiTE is Trinity's in house programme of world-class, innovative theatre and dance about issues that matter to people now, starting conversations and sparking debate. IGNiTE is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and buy Bristol City Council

We asked the Trinity team what their favourite moments on this heritage project were, and this is what they came up with.

Workers hand carved new stone - even during the snow! Photo@Khali Ackford

#1 Emma Harvey, Centre Director

“It has to be when we did some researching into the last wedding that happened on the 26th March 1976 at Trinity. We managed to find someone whose name matched the couples on social media and decided to direct message them. It was moment of high anxiety to see the icon that they where messaging us back!

Thankfully it was to say that they where still happily married and that they were super happy we had contacted them. Cheers from us to them for 42 years together!”

Our Heart & Soul project took place alongside major repairs to Trinity. Here a participant creates woodcuts, inspired by Trinity's history. Photo@Khali Ackford

#2 Fidel Meraz, Trinity Board Member

“Sharing pizza and drinks during an afternoon with the staff and the stonemasons who were doing most of the the material work on the building, is such a wonderful memory.”

#3&4 Karina Castro, Project Manager

“ I am going to choose two .. if that is allowed … first up has to be 'A Waltz Down Memory Lane' (20 April) - a great afternoon of dancing, cakes and memory sharing attended by over 40 people over 55. This was made even more amazing by having Norma's Groovers back at Trinity entertaining our friends.

Dr McClymont's talk looked at how we repurpose old buildings. Photo@Khali Ackford

Then, Dr Katie McClymont's 'and the spirit lingered on' (19 June) - a really engaging talk that got everybody involved (inc Khali, the photographer!) about how historic buildings, particularly former churches, are now used as sites of secular worship and as community hubs."

Centre Director Emma Harvey shares the floor with TCA founder Matthew Hewitt and long standing DM and former Centre Manager Derreck Sterling. Photo@Khali Ackford

#5 Glyn Everett, Chair of Trustees
“I really enjoyed the talk 'Reconstructing Trinity from Disrepair to Glory' (31 July) - A wonderful conversation around the different moments of history that the Trinity has seen, and all the heartfelt effort that has gone into keeping the building open, safe and working for the communities that surround it."

About Heart & Soul

From January to October 2018 we celebrated Trinity's place at the heart of the community through a programme of accessible heritage activities, workshops and events. The activities took place alongside our most recent capital works to conserve and renovate the building and where funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic England, Bristol City Council and other charitable Trusts & Foundations.

Sunkern Circus perform to crowds to open up our Festival of Light photo @ Khali Ackford

Young people from our Making Tracks project performed at our Annual Festival of Light and, they were great.

Making Tracks is our collaborative music making project with ACE and Basement– giving young people the opportunity to learn new skills in music creation. Trinity offers 121 and small group music sessions alongside industry workshops and opportunities to perform at Trinity events.

Xyzelle, Sealvia and Chantaleaze - students from project partners ACE performed first to a packed room. Photo Khali Ackford

Xyzelle, Sealvia and Chantaleaze from project partners ACE (Aspiration, Creation, Elevation) performed two songs, followed by Trinity student Louis Stone who performed his original songs using both his acoustic and electric guitars.

Great to welcome Trinity student Louis Stone who played tracks he is working on as part of Making Tracks. Photo Khali Ackford

Playing to an energetic and supportive crowd the students performed cracking sets and roused the crowds ready for local dub DJ Dutchie and the ever fantastic Bristol Reggae Orchestra – well done to them.

Dub DJ Dutchie gets the crowd ready for Bristol Reggae Orchestra photo @Khali Ackford

Bit of a squeeze for Bristol Reggae Orchestra on the stage in the main hall! @Khali Ackford

Onj's firework display was a treat for all the family. Photo @ Khali Ackford

This year we welcome over 800 people through the gates who came to watch the aerial performances, the fantastic firework display from Onj, a very warm bonfire from Woodsy, and the live music in our main hall.

Thanks to everyone that makes the event happen, from staff; to volunteers; to artists; to traders and of course all of you who attended.

The Festival of Light is a free event supported in part by public donations. This year we raised over £1100 in donations meaning that we can continue to run events like The Festival of Light so everyone can enjoy.

Vicki Hearne is part of this years cohort of  IGNiTE artists in residence (photo @Megan Ashton)

Alexa Ledecky, our very awesome project assistant on our IGNiTE programme, went along to IGNiTE resident artist Vicki Hearne's sharing of the work she is developing here at Trinity - sharing's are an opportunity for artists to receive feedback about their work.

Read on to find out Alexa's thoughts about 'Practically Perfect'.

Last month, Vicki Hearne and her Untold Dance Theatre fellow female performers brought their work in progress to Trinity for a sharing session. Audience members were invited to attend the performance for free and encouraged to share their feeling and impressions about the ideas that have been developed so far. Vicki has been working on “Practically Perfect” as part of her IGNiTE residency with Trinity since early September.

"Unity definitely shone through the dancers and musicians during the performance."

The show uses dance and theatre to explore how most women are often pushed to mould their body into an idea of perfection that society dictates. As the performance began, the lights dimmed and two musicians sat by the side of the scene set the atmosphere with an acoustic guitar and synth live soundtrack. The dancers entered, carried by the ethereal melody and began to tell us their story. A recurring theme became apparent: the female body being objectified with harsh humour and sarcasm.

Vicki had several solid scenes to present to the audience. To mention a few without giving too much away; robotic Barbie dolls, a restaurant serving perfect female bodies on a platter, a “cooking” class on how to make a flawless woman. All those scenes involved folding, crushing bodies and treating them like objects, quite literally making them submit to society’s vision of perfection. The audience was also very receptive to the challenging subjects tackled and invited Untold Dance Theatre to go deeper and make them feel even more uncomfortable. The exploration of a serious subject did not cut out artistic creativity. Each scene was different and the audience stated it will be interesting to see how the “chaos binds with the more flowy parts” in the final performance. Discussing the overall tone of the show, a viewer pointed out: “There are kitsch moments, but those were so precise and clean. The comedy helps with the more earthy parts”.

Vicki and the cast listened to the audience with poise, eager to use this sharing session to develop “Practically Prefect” further. Some open expectations were expressed: “The rhythm was building into something that was establishing. I would like to see everyone go completely wild at some point”. The viewers repeatedly showed excitement about finding out the answers in the finished piece: “What happens the the reject; are they ‘put right’ or are they ‘celebrated for being imperfect’?”.

A woman concluded the discussion by encouraging to celebrate our imperfections rather than to condemn them: “We don’t have to be whole as an individual, we’re whole as a group”. One thing is for certain - unity definitely shone through the dancers and musicians during the performance.

The sharing of the work took place in Trinity's Ffye Hall (photo @Megan Ashton)

Stay tuned for updates on Vicki Hearne and our three other artist residents here on our website.

IGNiTE is supported using public funding by Bristol City Council and by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

IGNiTE resident Ania Varez describes her practice as 'community-engaging'

I want to give people in England a point of contact with a crisis that is largely undocumented in the UK. Ania Varez

Ania Varez is a Venezuelan artist who trained in classical dance and moved to Bristol in 2015 having graduated from the London Contemporary Dance School, before moved away from performing dance towards more participatory projects that explore issues of migration and loss.

We supported Ania during our 2018 IGNiTE Artists residency programme to develop her project Guayabo (Venezuelan slang for heartbreak). This was a participatory work that invited people to gather around their pain and the pain of others, challenging our ways of acting and caring for one another through geographical distance or cultural differences, as a medium of survival, transformation and belonging.

We really liked Ania's reasons for applying for an IGNiTE residency:

"The experience of leaving my home in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis and facing the challenges of being an immigrant in the UK, as well as witnessing the current migration crisis worldwide, has strengthened my urgency to develop a practice for these issues to be addressed collectively and creatively, here in England."

Women Wise - photo credit Richard Worts

I have so far created work which has women’s mental health as its core theme.  This is such an important subject to me and I believe I can raise further awareness and add to the debate through the dance theatre Untold creates.

Vicki Hearne

Vicki Hearne is a the creative director of Untold Dance Theatre, an all female intergenerational company based in Bristol. Untold strive to create entertaining, emotive, visceral and accessible dance theatre for all audiences.

As one of four IGNiTE 2018 Artists in Residence, Wicki worked with experienced and novice female dancers with an age range spanning 23 to 72 to explore the variables, similarities and differences in how the idea of perfection manifests itself at different stages of ones life.

As part of her residency Vicki created a new piece (working title) Practically Perfect. The project focsued on the idea of perfectionism, the journey to strive for this unattainable goal and how this affects women in particular.

Alongside this, Vicki continued to develop her outreach project: The Confidence Project, delivering movement and arts workshops to women.

We really liked her desire to explore the idea of perfection in an intergenerational dance project.

'Christenings, weddings, civil partnerships, wakes, parties’...whether as a church or community arts venue, Trinity has always been a space of unique celebration and commemoration. Writes Dr Edson Burton in his introduction to our newest heritage publication 'A Centre For Celebration'. The booklet is part of our Heart &Soul heritage project and is a collection of conversations with the many people who have celebrated in one way or another at Trinity over the years.

Abi & Jack's Wedding at Trinity Centre

"Everybody wanted to get married there at that Trinity Church. My Auntie Marge and Auntie Iris got married there, I was bridesmaid there. What I do remember is where the vicar used to stand, it was a lovely eagle that he had the Bible on that he used to read the service from." Gloria, recorded on 22nd August 2018

Designed by our awesome intern Tess Sieling (who alongside her archive work has spent the year blogging about the Heart & Soul project) the booklet presents a sample of weddings, wakes and parties spanning the life of Trinity. View the booklet in its full glory here, or you can pick up one of the limited printed copies from Trinity. Previous heritage projects include What's Your Trinity Story and Vice & Virtue.

Artist and Trinity Trustee Tom Marsham shares his thoughts on our Free Speech Policy during Trinity's Heart & Soul Celebration, October 2018 (photo @ Khali Ackford)

Centre Director, Emma Harvey, and Trustee and local artist, Tom Marshman, set out Trinity’s approach to free expression

As a community arts space, Trinity is committed to our core values of being a ‘Centre for the People’ and platforming work as part of our IGNiTE performing arts programme that represents and reflects our diverse communities.

This year I was lucky to hear Julia Farrington - Head of Arts at the Index on Censorship (IoC) - talk about about increasing risk-adversity within the arts. Polarisation, amplified by social media, can leave artists feeling scared to take risk and organisations reluctant to host artistic productions for fear of protest and risk to their own reputation and funding.

However, research published this week by the Arts Council England outlines, “long-term resilience of the arts and cultural sector requires adaptability to embrace innovation, the willingness and ability to accept risk and to see failure as a natural part of a vibrant ecosystem.”

If we are to achieve resilience - to not just survive, but thrive - then our collective ability to be bold and take risk is crucial.

Alesandra Suetin performs Ceci n’est pas Noire as part of Trinity's IGNiTE programme (photo @ Jessica Bartolini)

Sometimes this can be challenging, particularly when working with lots of different people where it is not always possible for everyone to see the world from the same perspective.

Ultimately, human beings will behind every decision and we won’t always get things right. Sometimes we will fail.

Knowing all this, grass-roots venues such as Trinity are vital in protecting freedom of expression; both for the benefits of artists and the resilience of the arts as a whole.

As a charity, we feel it is essential for us to demonstrate our commitment to freedom of expression through adopting a Free Speech Policy; to allow a space for artists and communities to come together, to take risks, to be bold, to maybe have some difficult conversations, but to eventually - hopefully - build commonality and unity.

Emma, Centre Director

“In working to sustain a thriving, vibrant and at times challenging cultural sector, there will be tricky decisions to make and the need to handle difference of opinion. In an increasingly complex world, the more that can be done to approach contention with courage and a zest for debate, the healthier our cultural and civic life.”

Regis Cochefert, Director of Paul Hamlyn Foundation

I am an Artist and a board member working predominantly in Bristol but also further afield, working with all types of organisations - from Watershed (where I am based at Pervasive media studio) to National Trust, Camden People’s Theatre, Zion Arts Centre. Mostly, I create theatre shows or performances.

Working so promiscuously with other venues has allowed me to see how other organisations operate and take inspiration from them - not only as a visiting artist, but also as a regular attendee of cultural events. As a trustee of Trinity, that is where I enjoy expressing my opinion.

I have been making work for almost 20 years, but I have never really worked inside an organisation until now, with Trinity in my capacity as board member and, even now, I am kind of an outsider. Being a board member feels as the benefit of having a reflection of the outsider and not too involved with the day-to-day.

When the Trinity team first talked about introducing a Free Speech Policy, its aspirations really connected with me; as an artist and someone that organises events, as a keen audience member and as a member of the board at Trinity.

I loved the way the policy helps us to be very transparent about what Trinity is and what it can be.

Our Free Speech Policy allows a space for artists and communities to come together and to take risks (photo of Daughters of the Curry Revolution @ Jessica Bartolini )

As an artist wanting to make challenging work, I have often come across uncertain faces when I try and make things happen. Coming into organisations, it can be quite confusing about where they stand. I like to be a bit of an agent provocateur - in my work with organisations this has often been sought out - where the organisation feels like they need to be more ‘risky’ - also, attempted to water-down or push-back when they worry they might upset or offend their regular audience. I also feel like now, with the way things are social media, this can really quickly shut things down.

Trinity’s policy is really exciting because it says, ‘we’re prepared for your questions and we want to help all sorts of different people, who want to come to Trinity and make stuff happen here.’

It is important to represent people who not only inhabit, but help shape this city.

Tom Marshman, Trustee/Artist

Read Trinity’s Free Speech Statement here.

Further reading: What's Next? Guidance on Meeting Ethical & Reputational Challenges, 2016

We welcomed Wilbert Smith from Heritage Lottery Fund to the celebration

Andy Council's Trinity Fox finds a home in the main hall

We opened up Trinity so all could have a look around - here participants from The Democratic Set check out The Visible Girls exhibition

Heart & Soul intern Tess chats with attendees at the celebration

Trinity member Stacey from Up Our Street places her vote

Trinity Centre Director Emma Harvey talks about the Heart & Soul project

Simi from Awaz, a weekly community group held at Trinity takes a moment to say thank you

Volunteer Rob's History of Trinity music set awed us all

Love this album? Then check out our Facebook for more photos.

Team Trinity have teamed up with Caring in Bristol to open Trinity during Christmas

We have joined forces with Caring in Bristol to open up Trinity during Christmas for their annual Caring At Christmas Project.

Caring at Christmas has been supporting homeless and vulnerable people over the Christmas period for over 30 years. It provides day and night time support offering shelter, food, clothing and social activities for people in need in our city during what can be a particularly difficult time of year for many. The project relies on support from volunteers and is funded almost entirely by public donations. For 2018, there are over 1000 volunteering opportunities.

“We’re really excited to be working with the Trinity Centre for our 2018 Caring at Christmas project. Separating out our day centre and night shelter will enable us to better support the wide-ranging needs of the many different people that use our project over Christmas. Caring in Bristol believe in city-wide solutions to dealing with homelessness and partnering with a fantastic community centre, such as the Trinity Centre is a brilliant way to support our mission. It demonstrates the ways community partners can get involved and help provide meaningful solutions to one of the biggest issues facing our city today.” Assistant Director, Lisa Spice

Caring at Christmas has historically run both its day centre and night shelter from the Julian Trust’s building in St Pauls, taking over the building and adding extra support and beds whilst the Julian Trust’s night shelter closes for Christmas. For the 2018 project, Caring in Bristol are partnering with the us to run Caring at Christmas here during the day.

The day centre will be open to guests from 24th – 28th December from 10am - 6pm

Caring in Bristol need the help of the city to support the project and people in need over the Christmas period. If you want to organise a fundraiser then we want to hear from you! Get in touch with fundraising@caringinbristol.org.uk. You can also donate to Caring in Bristol via their website.

Caring in Bristol are also looking for engaged community members to join our growing team of volunteers.They are currently recruiting for Caring at Christmas volunteers: please visit their website to apply.

Viki Browne during her residency at the University of Gloucester

I tend to work from what feels like the most difficult or sticky area of my thinking and whenever I’m like: ‘No, I’m not going there’, I’m like: ‘Oh, here we go! Viki Browne

Viki Browne is a performance artist who creates work about topics that are uncomfortable, risky or taboo.

As part of her 2018 IGNiTE artist residency, Viki focused on developing a new project Hyper Fem which considers whether the performance of femininity through drag can be as powerful, political or subversive when performed on a female identifying body.

The new piece was strongly inspired by some of her recent previous projects which involved wigs, Drag and performing as a "make up girl in a tiny dress".

Hyper Fem challenges restrictive gender norms dictated and commodified by the patriarchy.

How Viki describes her work:
“I thought: ‘I like that, I want that, I don’t know why it feels really naughty and forbidden. This is really difficult and feels very against my personal feminism. So I started making work about that. That’s what I’m bringing to IGNiTE – furthering my thinking about the performance of femininity and wether that can be a political and subversive performance, particularly if femininity is positioned on a female body”

In October 2018 we completed our major repair work programme to restore and conserve the Trinity Centre.

We have since reopened our 24hr Pay & Display car park, offering 75 car parking spaces around the building, including accessible parking bays (indicated in red) for visitors to the Centre and wider city as well as people working locally.

Pay & display revenue generated helps to fund Trinity's charitable activities. This includes supporting community and voluntary groups with free and subsidised hall space. Groups include Gerry’s Attic - dance class for older people, dance classes for people living with Parkinson’s and WECIL’s monthly peer support for disabled adults.

“I’m 75 and still dancing – this means so much in term of fitness, socialising and even mental fitness. This wouldn’t be possible without Trinity – who provide amazing spaces for classes” Adrian, participant Gerry’s Attic

Our central Bristol car park is in walking distance of many city centre attractions and is a short distance from Junction 3 of the M32. Trinity is also within walking distance of Old Market (4mins), Stapleton Road (2mins) Cabot Circus (13mins) and Broadmead (19min).

Parking customers can pay via a range of methods including cash, debit/credit card and Apple and Andriod pay.

Rates start at £1. The car park is open 24 hours and customers are able to pay for multiple 12 hour slots for overnight stays.

Click here for further information about parking rates, terms and accessibility.

Trinity's car park is managed by Carflow carpark management company via an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system. All users of the site, including Blue Badge Holders, are required to pay and display the correct amount.

Trinity Centre, finally revealed photo @ Sarah Koury

After nearly a year of being covered by scaffolding we are finally set to reveal our iconic towers again after completing our programme of critical repair works.

“We have been overwhelmed by people’s support, generosity and love of Trinity,Support from funders and members of the public means that we’ve been able to secure the building’s future for generations to come and we want to say a big thank you to everyone involved. We will continue to work hard to make Trinity the diverse and pioneering community venue that the city deserves” Emma Harvey, Trinity Centre Director

Works to the centre, a Grade II* listed building, began in October 2017 as part of our long-term plan to conserve and renovate The Trinity Centre and protect its future, both as a community arts hub and also one Bristol’s most respected live-music venues.

In January 2018, investigations revealed extensive historic damage to the building, leaving the us to raise further funds to stop the building from further deterioration and prevent the former-church from being placed back onto Historic England’s ‘At Risk’ Register.

Following a public appeal to help secure Trinity’s past, present and future, we were fortunate to receive an uplift grant from Historic England, alongside support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Bristol City Council, other charitable Trusts & Foundations as well as generous donations from the public.

A 51 week critical work programme has been undertaken, overseen by Bristol-based Ferguson Mann Architects and construction firm Carrek – locally based specialists in historic conservation. Works included repairs to the roofing, stained glass windows and iconic ‘Trinity towers’, as well as intricate repair of the historic Bath-stone fabric of the building.

After a year long programme of conservation works the Trinity Centre awaits the removal of the final scaffolding (photo credit @Khali Ackford)

Since 2008, we have invested over £2 million in repairing and restoring the Trinity Centre - which is owned by Bristol City Council - transforming it from a dilapidated space into a thriving participatory arts centre for inner-city residents. These latest repair works are the final phase of repairs to restore the fabric of the building and further improvement works are planned, to increase the centre’s usability and sustainability.

Stonemasons take a break after inspecting their work, with East Bristol in the background (photo credit @Khali Ackford)

We had to prioritise what works we undertook meaning that we had to omit some of the planned sustainability improvements, such a second solar PV installation and solar battery storage as well as some additional sound proofing measures.

With Trinity Road Police Station earmarked for a possible residential development, we are aware how important these improvements are both for existing and potential new residents. Therefore we are committed to continuing to ensure there is investment in venue improvements in order to maximise use and sustain the building’s future.

Improvements to the building mean that centre we can continue to be home to over 160 community and voluntary groups who run a range of regular activities from dance classes for older people to the monthly Rhythm of the Night, a nightclub for adults with learning difficulties. We support community groups with over 1400 hours of free and subsidised hall space each year to ensure that the centre continues to provide invaluable public benefit. Activities like these are made possible in part through income generated through our car park and support from public donations.

“I’m 75 and still dancing – this means so much in term of fitness, socialising and even mental fitness. This wouldn’t be possible without Trinity – who provide amazing spaces for classes” says Adrian Longstaffe who attends Gerry’s Attic, a dance group held weekly at Trinity.

The Trinity Towers awaiting their big reveal (photo credit @Khali Ackford)

We will be celebrating the completion of these works at our celebratory ‘Heart & Soul’ event and AGM and warmly invite all to attend-  on 4 October.

You can play your part in Trinity’s future, by donating to Trinity and help support groups like Gerry’s Attic to find community, happiness and opportunity.  Donate online www.3ca.org.uk/donatenow, or text TR1N13 £5 to 70070