MC Beth was an edgy adaptation set in contemporary Bristol where MC Beth is a respected rapper and loyal member of a local gang. This original take on Shakespeare's Macbeth clearly helped the young cast of non-professional actors, to engage with the subject matter and make it their own. They performed with confidence and clear ownership of the material creating an exciting and engaging production.

A good mix of comedy, contemporary music and action engaged the diverse audience who on the whole appeared not to be a typical theatre or Shakespeare audience. The text was cleverly adapted mixing modern dialogue and poetry with Shakespeare's original words.
The use of a number of performance spaces with the audience in and amongst the action helped break the barrier between spectator and performer, making the performance feel accessible and 'dangerous' at the same time.

Clearly the performers were restricted by their limited acting experience and training but their commitment and engagement with the work made it a very cohesive and inspiring event. As with any project that brings together young people who may be participating in theatre for the first time, or who have had no connection to live performance before, we see a clear mixture of conventional performance style with a highly individual and unconventional interpretation and practice.

It would be very exciting to see how this group could develop given more time to work together, especially if they were encouraged to explore their individuality and create a performance style of their own.

MC Beth was staged as part of the Tank Theatre Project, funded by The Ernest Cook Trust and Avon and Somerset Constabulary Trust.

The researcher will support the Vice and Virtue project coordinator in conducting research into existing archival sources documenting the history of Old Market Bristol, from the 1900s to the present.

Funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, the project will consist of activities designed to engage the community of all ages in sharing their experiences and stories connected to the locality. It will also involve carrying out detailed research into the area, with a focus on key themes.

Together, the project team will achieve the following aims:

• Documenting the social history of communities who lived and worked within Old Market High Street before these stories are lost.
• Telling the history of Bristol marginalised communities whose stories are often excluded from mainstream history and heritage activities, i.e. gay and lesbian culture, black servicemen, sex industry workers.
• Documenting the changing population of Old Market with the settlement of migrant communities.
• Documenting the transformation of business and industrial history of Old Market
• The production  of a rich and diverse local heritage to promote a positive image of Old Market to counterbalance media and local negative perceptions of the area.

The project will culminate in an exhibition, booklet, and a series of workshops to produce an Old Market Heritage Trail (hard copy and online), as well as a detailed research project into the area's history, which will build upon existing online and hard copy archive information.

Application deadline

• Project Researcher: 31th January 2014

Click here to visit the job vacancies section of our website and download the individual job specifications. Applications to be made using our application form. Please note, we cannot accept CVs.

The Trinity Centre were pleased to welcome Lord Mayor Faruk Choudhury yesterday to launch a new open-access play area in the Trinity Gardens.

Funded by The Veolia Environmental Trust the aim of the project was to create a new space for children and young people in the local area, where current play provision is limited.

The play area was designed and built by The Green Play Project who specialise in uniquely exciting playscapes inspired by nature, built to promote creative and interactive play.

Children on the day commented that the new space was "amazing!" and "really fun" and parents also commented how great it was to have something like this in the area. Paul Taylor, Executive Director of the Veolia Environmental Trust joined us on the day and was able to see first hand the benefits of such a resource for the local community. The Lord Mayor spoke of how great it was to have such a facility for the communities of inner-city Bristol and visiting officers from the Avon & Somerset Constabulary also expressed their thanks to the Veolia Trust for investing in the area.

The project was also supported with a grant from the Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Partnership.

The play area is open every day and we welcome families to bring their children to come and play in the new space as well as to enjoy the surrounding community garden. There is also a wider programme of capital works taking place, funded by The Big Lottery Fund, which will help to further improve the facilities for the community. Read more about it here.

Thanks to funding from the Big Lottery Reaching Communities Buildings Fund we have started works on-site. Headed up by Bristol-based contractor CW Duke, we have now begun to realise the ambitions that many people have had over the years to make the Trinity Centre into a versatile and comfortable space for the people of Bristol.

Works have begin to create a new loading bay entrance and daytime reception area and works have also started on the upstairs hall space, with the steel framework installed to support a new partition wall. This will create two usable spaces in the upstairs of the venue - a large main hall space with sprung wooden floor and underfloor heating suitable for a range of large community meetings and private functions as well as music, dance and theatre performances, also a second 'community common room' space, with IT terminals and furnishings suitable for any community meeting or learning activity.

gcp Chartered Architects, the lead architect team, have created artist impressions of what the new space will look like, to give an idea of the range activities that could take place following the completion of works in January 2014.

If you are interested in the project and would like to find out more, why not join us for our free open day this Thursday, 17 October from 10am - click here to find out more.

click to view artist impression

Vice & Virtue took a look beneath the area's reputation to explore the many cultures that have lived here, its national significance as an area of architectural conservation and key moments of historical interest.

Themes included: the riots of 1932, the British and GI experience, business, trade and leisure in Old Market, the sex industry, the Gay quarter and new communities in Old Market.

The project - funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, Quartet Community Foundation and the Old Market Community Association - consisted of oral history and reminiscence activities designed to encourage members of the community, of all ages, to share their experiences, photos, documents and memorabilia.

This rigorously researched project built upon existing online and hard copy archive information. It culminated in an exhibition, book and heritage trail featuring all the work gathered through the project.

Old Market history

Much coverage given to the area often refers to it as having a 'seedy reputation'. Comments from other residents and traders have worked to counter this image, including Mr Ferris, a local publican commenting in a local newspaper article, “It's amazing we've done so well in the recession...more and more people are choosing to live here.”

Paul Bradburn, Chair of the Old Market Community Association said; “a project that celebrates the rich heritage of the area and allows the general community to appreciate that heritage will be a great benefit to the people of Bristol”.

The Vice & Virtue Project ran from Autumn 2013-Spring 2015.

Buy the book here!

17 October is a big day for Bristol’s much loved Trinity Centre. The Big Lottery-funded development work on the building has begun and Bristol West MP, Stephen Williams will open a new open-access children’s play area. The open day from 10am onwards will be a great chance for Bristol communities to come and see what's happening and what will be on offer in the newly developed Centre, as well as to try out the new play area (weather permitting!).

Funded by The Veolia Environmental Trust with a grant of £23k and a £2k Community First grant, the open-access play area designed and built by the Green Play Project has been created using high quality, sustainable materials and will include environmentally-conscious features - including a bamboo corner and tunnels which can be used to grow climbing flowers and vegetables - in order to inspire and challenge children and young people.

Bristol West MP, Stephen Williams said:

“The Trinity Development Project is an excellent candidate to receive this funding. The local people are working together to create valuable community green space and a safe children's play area and I would like to say a big thank you to The Veolia Environmental Trust for their help. Old Market is pulsating back into life.  A decade ago hardly anyone lived there but now in 2013 it is home to thousands. I am sure the play area will become a vital part of this new Old Market spirit!”

The Executive Director of The Veolia Environmental Trust, Paul Taylor, said:

“We are pleased to support this project that has created a safe and exciting space for children and families to enjoy outdoor activities and connect with their environment. I hope that the opening event is a success and that the new play area is enjoyed by the community of Bristol for many years to come. Congratulations to all involved.”

The Trinity Centre is internationally renowned for its music events (famous bands like U2, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Clash, Roni Size and others have played there) and locally it provides a much loved centre and resource for community activities. Trinity Community Arts have been awarded a grant of £460,000 towards redeveloping the Centre, which will improve access and increase the space on offer for community activities. The grant is from the Big Lottery Reaching Communities Buildings Fund - aiming to help people and communities most in need through giving funding to improve community buildings where a wide range of community activities take place. The work has also been supported by the Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust who have provided matched funding for the Big Lottery grant to replace the boiler.

Centre Manager, Emma Harvey said:

“The Lottery grant will be used to create a new entrance and reception area and install heating, a sprung wooden floor, lighting and drapes in the upstairs hall space to make it suitable for activities such as conferences, dance and fitness and performance. There will also be a second, smaller, hall space suitable for IT classes, community meetings and smaller functions.”

Click here for more information.

Press management on October 17^th, Nigel Locker, Bud Communications nigel@bud.uk.com

We are looking for a team of volunteers to help with the distribution of flyers & posters.

As we get busier and busier we need to expand on the small team we have at present. Work depends on how many gigs/events we have coming up each moth. Some are busier than others but there is always work to be done.

We offer 2 FREE tickets to each volunteer subject to availability.

If you are interested or would like more info please contact: jamell@3ca.org.uk

The Trinity Centre was pleased to welcome iconic poet Benjamin Zephaniah through our doors today as part of a national research tour into the history of black radical poetry in the UK. Writers and activists drawn from the local community attended a meeting to share ideas and sources with Benjamin.

The meeting was coordinated by writer and literary consultant Kadija George (of Peepal Tree Press), in partnership with Trinity's Project Coordinator Dr Edson Burton, through the Trinity Community Initiative. Trinity has been a base for community arts and creativity since the 1970s and the meeting served as a homecoming for Benjamin, as he recalled performing here in the Centre's early years as a venue.

This was an exploratory meeting to discover what information is available within Bristol. The project is ongoing and we may hear soon of a call for more sources to support Benjamin in his quest to compile a comprehensive anthology.

‘10 to 10’ Old Market Community Photo-Shoot

Thursday 19 September 2013, 10am-10pm at the IC-Visual Lab photo office, 58 Old Market St, Bristol, BS2 0ER

Free photography event following the theme “Community”. The project aims to bring together the local community in a fun activity using photography. The event, led by IC-Visual Lab is designed to encourage locals and the wider Bristol community to explore and document Old Market Quarter - bringing attention to the area by building a live photo archive - The Old Market Diaries.

From 10am-10pm participants can capture the everyday life of The Old Market community. The participants can choose to photograph their homes, gardens, work places and streets. The activity is open for everybody - photographers and non-photographers, locals and the wider public. Instructions and map will be provided from the IC-Visual Lab office (58 Old Market Street) during the event.

Participants can then upload their images to a dedicated website www.icvl.co.uk/10to10 which will be available during the day. Our editors will select the final images that shall be uploaded to the project’s online archive. The IC-Visual Lab office will also contain facilities for downloading the images from cameras as well.

Up-and-coming photographers have been invited by One Giant Arm to come along during the day to take their own view of the area. The final images will then become part of the online archive and will be published in a photo booklet co- edited with OGA.

Also available on the day:

• Mobile Portrait Studio - professional portrait photographer Kirsty Mackay will taking pictures of passers by in Old Market, who will be able to get their prints afterwards on Clifton Colour.
• Digitising old photographs and family albums - bring along your old photographs and family albums related to Old Market to be digitised. The activity will review the past of the area, trying to find unique events that took place and recording the stories behind them. The digitising studio will be based in IC-Visual Lab office.

More about Old Market Quarter

Old Market Quarter has been selected for this project as it is one of Bristol’s fastest growing communities with residents originating from over forty different countries. Yet, Old Market, with its changing worlds and its connected histories, hasn’t ever had its stories told. Via the interventions of the IC Visual Lab collective of photographers and local participants Old Market will act as a catalyst to construct living archive of the area that will enable and enhance greater community cohesion, both within the local community itself but also within greater Bristol as a whole.

Emma Harvey, Centre Manager for the Trinity Centre said; ‘’Trinity has run several heritage projects about the area and we're happy to support IC-Visual Lab in running this great project that explores and celebrates the rich and diverse heritage of local communities"

For more information contact ibi@icvl.co.uk

The British Red Cross memory garden was officially unveiled on 30 August 2012 - the International Day of the Disappeared - an annual commemoration of people who have gone missing in armed conflicts or other violent situations.

Speaking last year to the Bristol Evening Post, Red Cross Service Manager Liz Abbey said: "The coming together of the British Red Cross with Trinity Community Arts highlights the importance of the Day of the Disappeared. There are thousands of people who are going through the agony and pain of losing contact with loved ones. The day remembers those people and gives the Red Cross the opportunity to let them know we are here to help them."

The memory garden has grown well over the past and includes flowers, a kiwi tree and is a space for people to come and pay tribute to the missing and provide a safe place for people to come and remember loved ones they have lost contact with.

Read more about the 2012 memorial garden day here.

If anyone has any memories of seeing particular bands, photographs, flyers, posters or tickets we would love to hear from you.

We would also be very interested to hear from anyone who may have had family celebrations there when it was a church, such as weddings and christenings. These can be from any period in time and we would be especially pleased to hear from elders in the community who have stories to tell. ​

We will build on our current archive to create an exhibition of photographs, gig/event posters, letters, people's memories and memorabilia for an open day on 17 October.

The Centre is about to undergo an extensive programme of renovation and improvement to the upstairs hall and external grounds to create new facilities for the whole community. The open day will provide a change for people in the local community to come along to the Centre and learn more about the improvements, meet others, share their stories and join in the fun.

Please email us your stories to or write to us at Christina Robino, C/o The Trinity Centre, Trinity Road, Bristol BS2 0NW.

The Bridges project was a great success - we produced two new commissions and had an audience of 774 across our events and show. We ran 67 activity sessions involving 238 participants, with 120 of these being 18 or under. 97 artists and actors were involved in the project, representing a total of 392 days of employment for artists. For more info about the project check out the Bridges Project Report.

The success of the project owes much to the tenacity and resourcefulness of all involved. This was a project that was in many aspects much bolder than had been budgeted for, and in excess of the available capacity. Effective management by TCA ensured that these deficiencies did not diminish the quality of the artistic experience.

Overall the project was successful in terms of participant numbers, audience numbers and profile and TCA hopes to build upon this for future community arts projects and big thanks have to be made to Edson Burton and Nick Young for delivering such an inspiring and aspirational project.

We've submitted an application to HLF for 'Vice & Virtue: Old Market Heritage Project' so bring on the next big challenge! Thanks again to everyone involved for making the project a success.

Keep an eye out for Lil Hype who are taking part in Aleasha Dixson's Street Dance Stars on CBBC from Monday 20^th August. This fierce contest showcases amazing dance crews from across the UK, all hoping to win the ultimate prize of being Aleashas' Street Dance Champions. Here's hoping Lil Hype can show them all how it is done.

Fancy having a go yourself? Hype Dance rehearses at the Trinity Centre every Wednesday and they are currently recruiting strong male and female dancers, 16-25yrs old who are up for performing at events and competing nationwide and across Europe! Contact thype@hotmail.co.uk for more info.

If dancing isn't your thing check out our open music sessions running each week with our Youth Music Makers.

Tank Theatre Company presents 'M.C.Beth' an inspiring original take on Shakespeare's classic story.

Director and writer Dave Lovatt set up the company thanks to funding from the Ernest Cook Trust to help young teach actors between 16-26 become professionals, in honour of Leroy 'Tank' Reid.

Ticket info: £6 adv / £4 conc - Available in advance from Bristol Ticket Shop, at the Trinity Centre and on the door on the night.

For more info about this event 'click here'

The project is being led by Trinity Arts Ltd, designed and built by The Green Play Project, and is costing £24,000 in total. The play area will use high quality, sustainable materials and will include environmentally-conscious features which will inspire and challenge children and young people.

It is hoped that, in addition to being used by the many existing users of the centre, the play area will also attract more local families by creating a natural, fun, safe space within an inner-city urban environment, where currently there is nothing similar this side of the M32.

The Trinity Centre offers a range of much-needed services and facilities. The landmark building – a unique grade II* listed converted former-church now provides a space for the whole community, including those who may face barriers to participation such as young people who have been disengaged from mainstream services, refugee communities, Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and long-term unemployed and financially disadvantaged people.

The play area project will form part of the wider Trinity Development Project funded by the Big Lottery Reaching Communities Buildings Fund, designed to improve and increase the centre’s overall provision to the community.

Funding for the project has come from The Veolia Environmental Trust who awarded a grant of £23,000 through the Landfill Communities Fund.

Centre Manager, Emma Harvey, says, “We are delighted that work is underway. The centre’s garden is a rare greenspace in an inner-city locality and the addition of a play area will encourage wider use by the community.”

The acting executive director of The Veolia Environmental Trust, Maria Cade, adds, “We support community projects up and down the country and it is always great to hear about one starting. I hope that the play area is enjoyed by the community of Bristol for many years to come and I look forward to seeing the completed results.”

The project has also been supported by a £2,000 Community First grant awarded by the Easton and Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Management Team.

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Landfill Tax and the Landfill Communities Fund Any rubbish that is thrown away and cannot be reused ends up in a landfill site. Operators of landfill sites collect tax on each tonne of landfill for HM Treasury. The purpose of this tax is to make it more expensive to put waste into landfill, in turn encouraging us to reduce our waste and recycle more.

A small proportion of this tax, currently 6.8%, can be used to support a wide range of environmental projects near landfill sites, through the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF). Through the LCF over £1 billion has been invested in UK projects. The Veolia Environmental Trust is part of the LCF, which is regulated on behalf of HM Government’s Revenue & Customs by ENTRUST. For further information, please visit www.entrust.org.uk.

The Veolia Environmental Trust has been supporting community and environmental projects for over 15 years. Since we were established in 1997, Veolia Environmental Services (UK) plc has supported us by contributions of over £51 million to 1531 projects.

We have helped fund a diverse range of projects, including the repair of woodland footpaths, the renovation of community halls and the installation of playgrounds and play areas. For more information, or to find out how to apply for funding, visit our website www.veoliatrust.org.

Press information issued by Rebecca Jacob, tel: 01902 794978, email: rebecca.jacob@veoliatrust.org (project number: 4000)

Trinity Community Arts (TCA) is a charity that connects communities and contributes to urban regeneration, through a progressive programme of live music and creative activities.

Based in a much-loved historic Bristol landmark, The Trinity Centre, we provide a cultural hub for the city, where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together to access and shape arts and culture.

We are seeking enthusiastic individuals with a passion for arts and their community to join our Board of Directors, to help realise Trinity's core vision and shape our activities. We welcome applications from:

• Community champions who can help Trinity to meet the needs of our diverse communities
• People who have experience in one of our key project activity areas; Community, Arts, Heritage, Education & Training, Live Music
• Professionals with experience in any of the following areas; Management, HR, Finance, Fundraising, Business Development.

The role of individual Directors is to provide a measured and informed opinion and decision making on matters relating to Trinity's work. Dealing with staff and volunteers, other directors, partners and stakeholders, Directors should demonstrate integrity, diplomacy, openness ambition and innovation in their decision making.

Trinity is what you make it - so come get involved!

If you are interested in joining, please click here for more information. If you are interested in applying and would like to first have an informal discussion with our Chair.

We have secured Awards for All funding to provide a Project Coordinator for the Activate West Side Project. Based at Arts West Side, the new post will help to support volunteers to develop and run regular activities, providing advice and support as well as access to small project budgets for volunteers to set up and deliver their own activities (for materials and flyers, for example). As part of the application, we will also be delivering some food workshops around the café led by The Uprising Bakery, as well as Food Hygiene certificates for core volunteers working in the café. We will also provide two new laptops for the space so that the café is better placed to offer free internet access to the local community.

Volunteers are working to continue the coordination of a rotating Arts Exhibitions Programme and we welcome enquiries from any new or existing volunteers wishing to develop arts/community workshops. The aim is, through support and guidance provided by a new Project Coordinator, to build upon initial ad-hoc activities to create a more structured programme of community activity.

If you are interested in applying to join the team, please visit the Trinity website and download the job description and application pack. Deadline for applications 29 July 2013.

We have also recently redeveloped the Arts West Side café in partnership with The Uprising Bakery, installing a retro counter and furniture for a more kitsch-cool feel. Why not come join us and check out our latest menu, with healthy lunchtime options available!

If you would like to support the Arts West Side project and make a donation to help us run community activities from the space, text AWSP13 £{the amount you would like to donate} to 70070 JustTextGiving by Vodafone.