One year in the life of SPACE!

One year in the life of SPACE!

In April 2016, Trinity welcomed The Island (Artspace Lifespace) into a new partnership to maintain and promote Arts West Side as an affordable and accessible community arts space: SPACE occupies the ground floor of Arts West Side and shares the use of the Art Room in the first floor.

Standing for Sound, Performance and Art that the Community can Engage in (SPACE), has actively invited and involved the wider community to develop their own ideas, relevant to their needs and interests, to showcase work and participate in a free programme of events.

Working in partnership with local groups and artists, over the last year SPACE has hosted 46 events and activities under Sound, Performance, Art, Community and Engagement themes, keeping an open shop front over 224 days and engaging an audience of 2,070 people. Click here to see the full breakdown of events.

SPACE has also provide valuable work experience for 6 committed volunteers, including 2 work placements, supporting the continuous regeneration of the Old Market area. Together, they have raised the profile and visibility of local community activities and increased a sense of neighbourhood in this diverse area of the city.

Regardless of your age, profession, ethnic, cultural, or educational background; whether you consider yourself an established/emerging artist or not at all, SPACE wants to hear your ideas for 2017, so get in touch! Proposals are accepted all year round. Contact Claire Brown, SPACE Project Assistant: space@theislandbristol.com / 07922 359 261

Project history

• August 2011 - Trinity took on a 5-year lease on 6 West Street, Old Market, through the Bristol City Council's Community Asset Transfer (CAT) policy

• 2012 - Trinity launched Arts West Side (AWS), to provide a hub for community and arts activities

• April 2016 - Trinity began a partnership with Artspace Lifespace to launch SPACE - an affordable, accessible community arts exhibition space from AWS main shop-front

• July 2016 - Trinity and Artspace Lifespace launched a public petition to "Save SPACE & Arts West Side", following a City Council decision to lease the premises commercially. The petition gained over 1,000 signatures in the space of two weeks!

• August 2016 - We secured an extended lease from the City Council until the end of March 2018

• April 2018 Trinity says goodbye to AWS and hands over the running of 6 West St to Artspace Lifespace to continue their SPACE projet until 2020.