The hand-crafted guitar built by young people who attend Novalis Trust, a Stroud-based learning academy

Young people from Novalis Trust have generously donated a handmade guitar to Trinity's music-making program. This guitar was created as part of the Workbench Project, an initiative delivered in partnership with Pi Guitars.

"We are honoured to donate this guitar to Trinity Community Arts. May it inspire creativity, foster community, and bring the joy of music to all who play it. Thank you for the incredible work you do in Bristol, nurturing the arts and empowering individuals." - James Mountjoy, Novalis Trust

The guitar will be available for young people who attend music making sessions at Trinity to access and play as part of 1-2-1 sessions or the weekly drop in music-making sessions Next Gen Sounds.

The Workbench Project involves young people at the Stroud-based college, who visited Trinity last week to present the guitar to the Music Team. In addition to the donation, the young people enjoyed a tour of Trinity's facilities, including the Recording Studio and the Live Room. Novalis Trust is a Stroud based charity who operate multiple residential facilities in aid of people with learning difficulties from the age of 7 all the way up to 65.

James Mountjoy - a Senior Occupational Therapist from Novalis - said that the group wanted to donate their guitar to Trinity as they love the work we do with Young People in the Creative Arts, reaching so many people to bring them opportunities to explore their creativity, much like the work done at Novalis and Pi Guitars.

Click here to find out more about Trinity's programme of events and activities for Children, Young People and Families.

Bristol Harbour Festival 2024 - Image Credit: Amy Fern

We were delighted to be welcomed back to programme the vibrant dance stage at this year's Bristol Harbour Festival - one of the biggest events in the city welcoming over 250,000 visitors across the weekend.

'This cocreated dance piece has been a wonderful creative project that brought dancers together from different backgrounds from across Bristol to create a unique, emotive piece' - Penny Marie, Dance Workshop Facilitator

Taking over the stage in Queens Square, we platformed a huge range of dance styles and traditions present in Bristol’s dance community; from Indian to Irish Dance, Voguing to Turkish Belly Dancing.

Some highlights from the weekend included Anna K, Bristol Ballroom Community, D-Wild Fitness and RSVP Drummers. We also platformed established resident dance groups based at The Trinity Centre, such as Gerry’s Attic, a dance group for older people who rehearse at Trinity every week.

In the lead-up to Bristol Harbour Festival, we commissioned Dance Facilitator, Penny Marie, to lead a series of participatory dance workshops in which attendees co-created a new dance piece to be performed at the festival. Across five workshops dancers of all abilities and backgrounds collectively devised a 15 minute dance piece entitled 'Our Light Within' that they performed on the Saturday of the festival.

Alongside this, HYPE Dance, who offer weekly street dance sessions at Trinity, hosted the Ultimate Dance Championships 2024 – a competition open to all dance styles for ages 12 and above. Winners of this competition showcased their dancing skills in front of the Harbour Festival audience and a panel of judges that included professional dancers Bethany Kyle, Tesleem Adeyemi and Candice Scott. Alongside this, HYPE brought performances from Lil Hype, Hype Dance and Hype Carnival Squad.

We wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who made the takeover at Bristol Harbour Festival 2024 such a success; from the facilitators, the talented dancers, the technical team behind-the-scenes, our partners Movema, Gerry’s Attic and HYPE Dance, and of course to everyone who came along to watch the performances and support dance in Bristol.

Programming the Dance Stage is one of the many ways we are creating pathways for communities to connect and celebrate together though culture. Click here to find out more.

Trinity Garden Party 2024 - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

We are very happy to announce we are one of three organisations to be awarded funding to deliver free culture and events activities in the city centre, between summer 2024 and February 2025.

“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this grant and to be recognised as the anchor organisation to bring together the diverse communities that make Old Market such a vibrant neighbourhood to visit, live and work in” - Jen Farmer, Arts Engagement Manager, Trinity Community Arts

Compass Presents, The Invisible Circus and Trinity Community Arts have each received £40,000 of funding from Bristol City Council to be the lead organisations to produce and manage activities in three areas of the city centre: Christmas Steps, Old Market and Stokes Croft.

This grant highlights the focus of our work over the last few years to proactively connect and engage with our hyper-local communities in arts and cultural activities, alongside our live events programme that boosts the local economy. With this grant we can build on our reputation producing high quality arts activities by co-designing an exciting and meaningful programme in partnership with our trusted local partners bringing together artists, residents and small businesses to maximise our collective potential.

The ongoing aim of the programme is to attract more people into the city centre to help support the local economy, businesses and the culture and events sector by showcasing Bristol’s reputation for creativity and arts.

We will be announcing more details about the events in the coming weeks.

Acclaimed actress Miriam Margolyes took time out of her busy tour schedule to visit Jacobs Wells Baths, showing her support for the ongoing recovery efforts of this historic building. As an early supporter of the campaign, and a patron of Trinity Community Arts, Miriam's visit highlights the importance of restoring Jacobs Wells as a vital community and cultural heritage hub.

“I’m thrilled to have a chance to visit Jacob’s Wells Baths and encourage the Council and my fellow-supporters with their exciting plans to return this listed building to the service of the local Community. This will help so many to have a go - opportunity knocks at last.” Miriam Margolyes

During her visit, Miriam Margolyes met with our team and some of the professional team from PH3 Design who have developed the recently approved planning scheme to restore the space. Planned works include a street-facing main entrance and modernisation of the previously unused ground floor Pump Room, transforming it into a new cafe-bar and studio.

Miriam's visit comes as we complete key milestones for the project, including securing planning and lease completion. This means we can now begin crucial Phase 1 Repairs including works to the main hall roof, funded by £1.6 million secured from the DLUHC Community Ownership Fund and match funders.

We are excited to now be able to move forward with our efforts to bring the building back into use as a multidisciplinary venue for arts, heritage, youth, community and educational use.

We want to give thanks to everyone who has so far shared in our journey to make this vision possible, including our Patron Miriam, Bristol City Council, local stakeholders and the Hotwells & Harbourside Community Association, who led campaign efforts to save the building from disposal.

Completion of the 35-year leasehold is still to be confirmed by asset owners, Bristol City Council.

Find out more about our Jacobs Wells mission:

• Discover our vision for the building to be restored and reopened
• Learn about our Community Asset Transfer offer by Bristol City Council
• Donate to our Fundsurfer to help raise much needed funds for our phased plans to restore the building

Oh Miriam! Live is at Bristol Beacon, 12th July – Click here for tickets

In partnership with St Pauls Carnival, Citizens In Power and West of England Combined Authority we are delivering a Citizens’ Assembly for Culture in 2025.

This ground-breaking initiative will bring together people from across the region, to meet with creative practitioners, cultural providers and decision-makers to shape the future of a cultural delivery plan for the region.

We have recently recruited Anjali Prashar-Savoie as the Citizens’ Assembly Producer to help with the successful delivery of the Assembly. We caught up with her to find out more about the project that will take place in 2025.

Q: Hello Anjali! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you’ve come to be the producer of the Citizens’ Assembly.

A: I've been working in the cultural sector and in nightlife with a focus on grassroots culture, community organising, and creating spaces that prioritise people, equity, and access. I'm really passionate about how culture can drive new forms of social and civic participation, especially given the current political, environmental, and social challenges that we collectively face.

This experience led me to the Citizens’ Assembly Producer role. I'm grateful to contribute to something that represents the kind of systemic change we need in both culture and society as a whole. Often, we know what challenges we face in culture and beyond, but practical moves towards solutions can be difficult to organise at scale. The Citizens’ Assembly stood out to me because it offered a practical model for doing culture differently.

Q: What has your experience been of the job so far?

So far, I've been connecting with cultural workers, organisations, and grassroots organisers to get people involved in the project and understand how Citizens' Assemblies can be useful. I'm also working on expanding a wider Citizens for Culture network to make sure that the Assembly is shaped by the people it serves.

Q: You’re currently working on connecting with other cultural organisations and individuals in the region over Citizens For Culture. Why would you encourage people in the cultural sector to get involved with the project?

The sector is filled with incredible talent and group efforts that make for an exciting and diverse culture. However, sometimes the work on the ground doesn't trickle upwards into decision-making and policy. On top of that, a lot of the cultural sector is made up of freelancers who work somewhat disconnected from each other, meaning we work in silos.

Engaging with Citizens for Culture will connect people interested in citizen or community-led culture. This means you can expand your network, share information, skills, and resources, participate in upcoming workshops, and contribute to collective advocacy efforts to influence policies and secure better support for culture in the region. It provides an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with citizens and other cultural workers, creating a collaborative community with shared goals of doing things differently.

Citizens for Culture also connects you with the Citizens’ Assembly set to happen early next year. We are looking for people in the cultural sector to become associates of the assembly and help guide what happens next. By engaging with this project, together, we can make sure your voice is amplified to shape the Assembly, and that the outcomes of the assembly are supported. Overall, this is a region-wide collaborative project that is worth being a part of because the process and outcomes will be determined by the people who join.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

We are offering online information sessions over the summer to learn more. The sessions will cover what a citizens’ assembly is and how you can get involved. In these sessions, we will also be seeking your input into our upcoming workshop series that will run throughout the Autumn.

Additionally, I love to chat. If you are a creative, cultural worker, venue, organisation or community organiser in the region, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to reach out to me directly to chat about all things culture, community and citizens' assembly.

Find out more about the Citizens' Assembly for Culture project:

• Sign up to an online information session with the Citizens' Assembly team

• Email Imogen@trinitybristol.org.uk to join our Citizens For Culture mailing list

• Read Edson Burton’s opinion piece of why voting matters in this series about civic participation

• Read our blogs to find out more about the Citizens' Assembly project

1985 Oct 25 International Time Off for Women Day, credit Evening Post, collected as part of Art of Resistance

Trinity is committed to creating ways in which citizens can take an active role in shaping arts and culture. In 2025 Our Citizens Assembly for Culture, created, in partnership with St Pauls Carnival and Citizens in Power will take place, offering people living in the West of England Combined Authority region the opportunity to actively shape the arts and cultural experiences that matter most to them and their communities.

As part of this commitment we are connecting with leading voices in the cultural sector to ask them to share their thoughts on the different civic and democratic tools that we as citizens can access. In the first in our series of opinion pieces exploring civic participation Dr Edson Burton, Curator at Trinity, reflects on the role of voting in democratic decision making.

"The Bristol Bus Boycott, the Gay Rights Movement, the Disability Rights Movements of the 1960s-1990s. These campaigns or movements have led to legislative changes that have, in turn, transformed our social attitudes"

Opinion: Voting Matters, Dr Edson Burton

‘Politics time again, are you gonna vote now?’ lamented the reformed Buju Banton, alluding to the lethal elections of his native Jamaica. But the question could equally be applied to the forthcoming British election. During the last General Election (2019), 67% of the population voted, up from the all-time low of just over 59% in 2001.

While that figure is on the rise, it still means that over 30% of the population has no say in how they are governed. According to a recent YouGov poll, the reasons given for not voting include a lack of access to polling stations, ineligibility, and no forms of ID. However, the most prominent reasons are a lack of trust in politicians and a feeling that voting will make little difference.

One might argue that cynicism is rife in politics, with pledges that are misleading if not downright dishonest. It has ever been thus, but in a crowded information world, voters may become so confused as to become indifferent.

Perhaps the dance of truth owes as much to us as to our politicians. Few would jump for joy at the thought of higher taxes, but without increased taxation, how can we fund our troubled public services, invest in green technology, or ensure education offers opportunities for all?

Responding to concerns over national identity, political parties offer a raft of immigration control measures that, if implemented, would lead to a national staffing crisis. Yet, to extol the virtues of immigration is to risk electoral suicide.

The convergence between the main political parties may also fuel voter apathy. "There's no difference between them" is the often-heard lament. Despite the barbs and bites, there appears, at times, to be more that unites than divides the main parties. They vie to expose the actual commitment to an agreed-upon agenda rather than the agenda itself.

But it is worth remembering that this consensus is the result of political participation. The impetus to secure or woo working-class votes in this election is a result of the extension of the franchise beyond a small property-owning class. Once enfranchised, all parties have had to take seriously the interests of a wider range of citizens with divergent interests and lives. Further franchise expansion was not some benign gift of a ruling class but the result of blood and guts campaigns by working-class men and women. Think Chartists, Unions, the Suffragettes.

What is the point of voting if you cannot meaningfully participate in society? If your race meant you could be legally denied access to jobs or employment? If your gender meant you were denied promotion, let alone equal pay? If your sexuality or sexual identity could lead to your imprisonment?

Such was the case prior to major civil rights campaigns: the Bristol Bus Boycott, the Gay Rights Movement, the Disability Rights Movements of the 1960s-1990s. These campaigns or movements have led to legislative changes that have, in turn, transformed our social attitudes.

Broadly speaking, all our political parties have arrived at baseline of inclusivity consensus. In recognition of new voting demographics and the reputational damage of appearing to be illiberal parties may wish to appear to be race, gender, and disability friendly

But how safe is this consensus? Is it a pragmatic concession to the present while some hanker for an illiberal past? The USA has recently demonstrated the danger of complacency as civil rights advances have been eroded by reactionary forces. Could the same thing happen in England? Perhaps if it is electorally beneficial, but certainly not if it is electorally damaging. It could only be so if we vote or hint that our vote is for the preservation of our rights.

Beyond preserving our rights, further changes that we want to see in society will inevitably involve legislation, which in turn will involve exerting pressure upon politicians. The time scale of change may not suit the urgency of our demands, but rather than lose heart, we must continue to exert political pressure through campaigning and ultimately through the ballot.

Not voting is a verdict on politics, but it cannot lead to change; rather, it will maintain the status quo. In the calculus of win or lose, only voters and their interest's matter.

Vote.

Find out more about movements that have shaped society by exploring our interactive heritage timelines

Trinity Garden Party. Photo Alastair Brookes

Over the last year, we have developed our Community and Neighbourhoods programme in response to the needs and interests of residents, community groups, and grassroots organisations.

“I’m really looking forward to connecting with the residents of Newtown. The weekly sessions will be a place where people can share their skills and interests and socialise together” Shanti, Community Connector

We have created three 'Community Connector' roles to connect with communities within the Newtown area, families who live on or near Stapleton Road, and people who access services at the Wild Goose Cafe.

Shanti Pant is the Community Connector for Newtown, a neighbourhood directly opposite the Trinity Centre. As with all the Connectors, Shanti has an active presence in Newtown both as a local resident and in organising community events alongside her daughter, Hemlata.

Originally from Nepal, Shanti has lived in Newtown since 2019. Having grown up in the countryside, she is keen to bring activities to Newtown that connect people to nature and organise weekend events for children and families. A keen craftsperson she wants to use these skills to offer activities for people who may be experiencing loneliness and isolation, providing opportunities to connect through creativity and craft.

In the first few months as a Connector, Shanti has been working with Trinity’s Communities and Neighbourhoods team to plan workshops inviting local residents to join artist Benoit Bennett in designing a mural to celebrate Newtown and the communities who live there. She also attended workshops led by the University of Bristol at their Wellspring Micro-campus in Barton Hill. These workshops explored ways in which older adults can use film as a creative medium – something that Shanti is keen to explore with local Newtown residents.

Alongside this, Shanti has been connecting with residents and community organisations, including Lawrence Hill Health Centre, to create two new free-to-access activities for Newtown residents that will start in June 2024.

Nature in Newtown is a series of weekly nature walks where local residents are invited to explore the area and take part in gentle movement activities. Initially led by facilitator Subitha Baghirathan, the sessions will then move on to exploring how to use simple creative film techniques as a way to capture and express participants’ experiences of engaging with this activity.

Shanti will also be hosting drop-in Coffee Morning sessions in Rosevear House every Friday morning from 10am to midday, starting on 4th June until 5th July. These meetups will include creative activities and the opportunity for residents to connect with each other.

If you are a Newtown resident and you have an idea for creative activities in your community you can speak to Shanti by:

• Attending a coffee morning or joining a nature walk
• Calling Trinity on 0117 935 1200
• Sign up to our mailing list

Community Connectors and our Community and Neighbourhoods programme has been developed in response to our pledges, click here to find out more.

Harbour Festival 2019 - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

Trinity is commited to creating spaces to celebrate and engage with different types of artforms. This is why we have teamed up with Harbour Festival to bring back the dance stage at this year's festival, programming a stage in Queen Square 20 July.

On Saturday, Trinity will be curating the stage, followed by Movema – an award-winning dance company – taking the reins on Sunday. This year's dance programme is more inclusive and representative than ever before, celebrating Bristol's diverse community through an array of talents and styles.

As always, we'll be collaborating with local dance companies, community groups, independent artists, and cultural organisations to showcase the rich tapestry of dance talent Bristol has to offer. We will also advocate for dance across the city, featuring open access and free-to-attend dance workshops leading up to the festival, ensuring dance is accessible to all.

We are thrilled to announce that Penny Marie will be our dance facilitator for Harbour Festival, working with the community to co-create a dance piece for Bristol through community workshops. Additionally, Trinity residents Hype Dance, an urban dance group for young people, will unveil their Ultimate Dance Championships 2024 – a competition open to all dance styles for ages 12 and above, giving contestants the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience at the Harbour Festival and win exciting prizes!

Our programme boasts an incredible lineup of dance groups, featuring long-time collaborators with Trinity: Gerry's Attic, a regular dance class for over 55s; Anna K, a Turkish belly dancer who led performances and workshops at our Garden Party on 12 May; Bristol Ballroom, a queer-led collective known for their vogue balls at Trinity and previous Harbour Fest performances; and Kennedy Muntanga, a professional dancer presenting his new work ‘Hare and Lion’. We are eager to unite these established partnerships, promote fresh work, and provide a platform for these talented dancers at one of Bristol’s biggest events of the year.

Igloo - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

This May Half Term, we’ve got an exciting programme of activities and events for children and young people of all ages to get involved with at Trinity.

Wednesday 29 May - Friday 31 May – Speak Out

Our Speak Out workshops continue on Monday, offering young people aged 16-18 free workshops and the chance to create a performance piece with the guidance of Kabbo Ferdinand – an African Indigenousness storyteller and musician, and Natasha Gatward an immersive performance artist and eco-conscious costume designer.

Wednesday 29 May – Music Masterclass: Hodge

Music Masterclasses are back on Wednesday 29th May. This month, young people aged 16-25 are invited to a free production workshop with Bristol-based DJ and Producer Hodge, who will share their approach to producing which involves finding sounds, processing them, and creating loops and ultimately overcoming writer's block while finding methods to create music in an organised way.

Thursday 30 May – Next-Gen Sounds

Next-Gen Sounds continues as normal during the half-term, with young people aged 14-25 invited to Trinity to take part in group drop in music making sessions led by Trinity and Off The Record.

Friday 31 May – Stay and Play

Children aged 0-5 & their families are invited to Trinity to play, learn and have fun together in our Friday Stay and Play sessions, delivered in partnership with the Health Visiting team. Come along to play, sing, share stories and enjoy the beautiful gardens.

Sunday 02 June – The Fairy Forest

Head to Trinity on Sunday to explore a forgotten woodland world, filled with fairies, forest sprites and mystical beings in ‘The Fairy Forest’ a new children’s theatre show from Tidal Tales, suitable for ages 3 and up.

Click here to learn more about our programme of activities for children, young people and families.

Garden Party 2024 - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

On Sunday 12 May, we opened our gates once again for Trinity Garden Party – our, free annual day party, celebrating the start of the summer through music, dance and arts.

"It was a fabulous day - thank you to Team Trinity and everyone involved!" - Audience Feedback

In our outdoor venue, The Den, we programmed a diverse range of live music and DJs from across Bristol and The South West. The young musicians from our Next Gen Sounds programme kicked off proceedings, showcasing their musical talents that they’ve honed during the sessions. Following on, we had beautiful acoustic Folk from Eva Penney, groovy Latin rhythms from Los Gusanos, Moroccan Gnawa from Mohammed Errebba, and live Hip Hop from Komposa. Later on in the evening, DJs brought the energy, with an eclectic world music selection from Kesh, amapiano and UK Funky from Josephine Gyasi, and finally Selecta J-Man and Rider Shafique finished things off with a heavy selection of Jungle and Drum and Bass.

Inside, The Main hall was buzzing with performances from our resident dance group Hype Dance, a Turkish Belly Dance circle from Anna K, and finally The Greenbank Ceilidh Collective led the dance with a joyous ceilidh. Upstairs, Fyfe Hall hosted a range of creative craft workshops to keep the young ones busy.

We wanted to say a massive thank you to all who made Garden Party this year such a success; from the talented artists, workshop facilitators, stall-holders, local food vendors, the dedicated sound and lighting team behind the scenes, our hardworking bar staff, the entire Team Trinity, and, of course, all of you who joined us on the day. The event saw our largest ever turnout, with over 3,500 attendees, and thanks to your generosity we raised over £5000 in donations, allowing us to organise more community events like Garden Party as well as supporting our charitable mission of making the arts accessible to all. Garden Party just keeps getting bigger and better, with a 60% increase on last year's attendees, and a 65% increase on last year's donations. Thank you for coming down to support what we do and celebrating music, dance and the arts.

If you'd like to continue to support Trinity, click here to make a donation.

Old Market Bristol

May is Local History month, so to celebrate we’ve been looking back at our heritage project, Vice and Virtue, that documented the rich history of Old Market in East Bristol, where The Trinity Centre calls home.

Early History

Old Market is an ancient marketplace which once stood outside the walls of the Old City and served as a main thoroughfare for goods arriving from London into Bristol.

The area contains some of Bristol’s oldest buildings, with over 60 listed buildings including the Methodist Central Hall, The Palace Hotel, and – of course – Holy Trinity Church, aka The Trinity Centre.

Following the demolition of Bristol Castle in 1656, the area was redeveloped and stone from the castle is said to have been used to repave Old Market Street, with many of the original 17th century building frontages remaining to this day.

Old Market Street was a thriving centre for trade in meat and vegetables, as well as being home to an assortment of small industries specialising in the production of farming utensils, as well as several brewers, maltsters, and public houses.

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution radically transformed Old Market, with major new businesses attracting workers from across the South West. New opportunities for employment led to East Bristol’s rapid urbanisation during this period. By 1881, the population of St Phillips rose from approximately 8,000 in 1801 to 50,000.

Religion was seen as a major civilising force that followed rapid urbanisation, and as such, many churches were built in these expanding urban areas. One such church was Holy Trinity Church, now The Trinity Centre, which was built between 1829 and 1832 by Thomas Rickman and Henry Hutchinson, two architects from Birmingham and seated 1,500 people.

The new railway added to the hustle and bustle of Old Market. Traffic increased significantly when an electric tramway was introduced in 1876. Unsurprisingly, the street market struggled to coexist with the tram network, and the market ceased to operate during the 19th century, which signalled the start of rapid change in the area.

The Golden Years, 1900-1939

Old Market Street, with its transport links, entertainment centres and range of shops, was an important and vibrant part of Bristol. The first 30 years of the 20th century were marked by a series of bold new development, including The King’s Cinema, The Methodist Central Hall and The Empire Theatre, catering to a new appetite for culture and the arts. While the traditional street market from which Old Market gets its name had faded out during this period, in its place came a range of new stores and retail businesses.

Old Market was part of the ‘golden mile’ of streets that stretched from Lawrence Hill to the City Centre, with a diverse offering of shops attracting visitors from far and wide.

Decline and Rejuvenation

Bristol breathed a sigh of relief after the Second World War, in which the city’s Historic City Centre was decimated during the Bristol Blitz, with Castle and Vine Street being flattened by bombings. However, across the city, including in Old Market, life did not return to normal immediately, with essential food items subject to rationing until 1954.

After the Second World War, Old Market had become increasingly isolated and sidelined. Now Castle Street was no more, Old Market stood on the other side of a bomb site which many Bristolians feared to cross. The electric trams ceased operation in 1941, and by the 1950s, St Philips Station was closed to passengers, further isolating the area.

The bombing of Bristol’s historic centre led to new approaches to housing, in particular high-rise flats of the 1950s, which dramatically changed the face of St Jude’s and Old Market. Old Market also had to compete with the newly built Broadmead shopping centre. The development of the ring road and roundabout as part of the 1966 Development Plan further isolated Old Market from the rest of Central Bristol. Within a dozen years, the ‘high street’ atmosphere of Old Market had all but disappeared, with a dramatic decrease in footfall in the area.

However, the idea that Old Market went into terminal decline after the Ring Road masks a more complex picture. Old Market’s isolation opened a space in which new cultures and subcultures emerged. Since then, Old Market has becoming a bustling centre of nightlife and culture, becoming a home for Bristol’s LGBTQ+ community, alongside a new and diverse offering of restaurants, bars and clubs. With one of the fastest growing populations in Bristol, Old Market’s future seems to be one defined by its eclectic mix of cultures and lifestyles.

Click here to explore Trinity's archives to find out more about the history of The Trinity Centre and Old Market.

This news item is based on information gathered as part of Trinity's Vice and Virtue project.

Image Credit: Megan Ip

We caught up with Arts Engagement Manager, Jen Farmer, who is leading on the Community and Neighbourhoods programme to find out more about how she has been working with people living in the locality to co-create an arts-based community programme.

"It’s important for us to work in this way so that we’re not doing things ‘to’ people, or making assumptions about what people want or are interested in. Instead, we hope that this approach will enable us to build meaningful connections and understanding with our most local residents" - Jen Farmer, Arts Engagement Manager

You started in the role last year - what have you been up to since joining the Trinity team?

I started out by exploring the hyper-local neighbourhood (neighbourhoods within a 0.5 mile radius of Trinity), connecting with residents, community groups and grassroots organisations to understand the work that is already taking place and their current and historical relationships to Trinity.

I spent a lot of time listening as I wanted to make sure that what is created responds to need and builds upon the already brilliant work and activity that is happening around us.

Connecting with the Trinity team we hosted a series of workshops to help build an interactive online map that allowed us to see the connections between the people and organisations that offer community activities and support. From this, we have created a hyper-local network of people who are delivering and offering services in East Bristol.

I've been working closely with the team at Trinity to help support community-led groups to deliver regular affordable activity at the centre. This has included supporting All Ah Wi to host quarterly sessions for local women, including a takeover day for International Women’s Day.

What have you learned along the way?

I’m continually learning. Everybody has the potential to surprise you, with an interest, or a skill, something they’d like to explore or share. Listen, share, don’t make assumptions, and be respectful of people’s time. Building trust and relationships takes time, and connection with individuals is just that – individual!

‘Co-creation’ what does that actually mean, and why is it important to work in this way?

A: Co-creation describes a collaborative process: a way of approaching and exploring something where everyone involved is part of decision-making, rather than one person, or organisation taking the lead.

For us, this means sharing control and ensuring everyone is part of the conversation. It’s important for us to work in this way so that we’re not doing things ‘to’ people, or making assumptions about what people want or are interested in. Instead, we hope that this approach will enable us to build meaningful connections and understanding with our most local residents, and support activity that people feel real connection to, and ownership of. The aim is that, over time, we build trusted relationships where all our activities and programming is informed by our local connections.

What is next for the Community and Neighbourhood Programme?

We have secured funding to support three 'Community Connectors’ with target outreach that will focus on: Elders and intergenerational practice in Newtown, individuals experiencing food and housing insecurity in St Judes, and women who live and socialise around Stapleton Road, one of our most local high streets.

The connectors, who all live locally, will provide an important bridge between communities and Trinity. We’ll work together closely over the coming months. I will be support and follow their lead, offering guidance and expertise to help the connectors shape a programme that responds to needs and interest.

How can people get involved?

• Look at our What’s on section in the website to get involved in regular groups here such as Women of Colour and Ecstatic Prance.
• Sign up to volunteer with our gardening sessions.
• Join us for our May Garden Party, or volunteer at it.

Trinity Garden Party - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

From fortnightly volunteer sessions in our community garden, to supporting free community events such as Garden Party, volunteering is a vital part of supporting what we do.

We spoke to Rob, one of Trinity's longest-running volunteers, about how he got involved with Trinity and to find out more what it is like being a Trinity volunteer.

"Volunteering at Trinity helped me gain skills and meet people that I otherwise would never have had the opportunity to. My day job is very different, so it’s always a refreshing change to help out with the music and community events I’m passionate about" - Rob, Volunteer

Q: Hi Rob, tell us a little about yourself

A: I’ve been a volunteer, on and off, for about six years or so. I started in 2017 helping on reception every Saturday. I had that role for about two years. Nowadays, I volunteer with events just as and when I can. I always try and make time for the Garden Parties though!

Q: How have you benefited from volunteering at Trinity?

A: Volunteering at Trinity helped me gain skills and meet people that I otherwise would never have had the opportunity to. My day job is very different, so it’s always a refreshing change to help out with the music and community events I’m passionate about. I would recommend it to anyone!

Q What have been your favourite events to volunteer at?

A: Anything community focussed I would say. The Garden Party is an obvious choice because it’s such a fun day to be involved with, but I helped with loads of different events when I was on reception. Weddings were always really special days, and Caring at Christmas was great to be a small part of.

Q: Any stand-out memories of volunteering at Trinity you’d like to share?

A: Helping to find an emergency gas safe engineer to install the new cooker a day before Caring in Bristol were due to cook literally hundreds of Christmas meals was daunting, but so satisfying to see it work out in the end. The person we found held up their holiday plans and didn’t even charge, they were just happy to help a great cause.

Also, seeing people return to Trinity after covid for the garden sessions was wonderful to witness. The Den has become a returning feature too, which is great! It’s been nice to see the centre evolve over the years. It’s a really important space for Bristol.

Q: Why should people volunteer at Trinity?

A: The Trinity team are great, working with them always makes me want to help out more. To be part of the team and help deliver the events, I find really rewarding. Guest list for some of the amazing gigs there is a nice perk too!

We are currently looking for volunteers to help out with our Garden Party on Sunday 12 May - click here to find out how you can get involved.

DIASPORA! Festival Flag Making Workshop

DIASPORA! Festival is a vibrant celebration of people, arts, culture, film, and more, taking place at host venues across the city on Early May Bank Holiday weekend 03 - 06 May. Brought to the South West by Diverse Artists Network, the festival aims to reflect the rich variety of talent within the south west’s global communities, with an emphasis on the creative arts that reside within these communities. Trinity is very proud to be partnering with Diverse Artist Network to bring Diaspora to Trinity, through a programme of workshops, music events and arts.

“Brilliant people, really welcoming and great level of diversity and lovely to talk to people from different backgrounds” - Diaspora! Flag Making Workshop Participant

As part of Diaspora’s engagement fringe programme in the lead up to their festival weekend, Trinity partnered up with them to deliver their programme of free creative workshops named ‘Flag Up Your Identity’. These workshops were open to all and served to unleash the creativity of the workshop participants to make a unique flag that embodied their identity and heritage. Participants were encouraged to create unique flags influenced by their cultural roots and their personal journey. Over the Easter period, Trinity welcomed over 30 participants who made wonderful flags which will be showcased at Trinity and other locations around the city.

DIASPORA! Festival continues throughout the May bank holiday weekend, kicking off with the official opening ceremony for the festival taking place on Friday 03 May 4pm – 7pm. Expect an evening of dance, music, poetry, food, and folklore, showcasing the extraordinary talents of our local community while fostering meaningful cross-cultural connections. Tickets are free, find out more here.

After the opening ceremony on 03 May, we will be hosting Pangea at Trinity. Pangea is a club night which celebrates sound system music from around the globe, bringing together a diverse range of genres including Samba, Bhangra, highlife, gospel, dancehall and much more. Click here to get tickets.

Closing out proceedings, on Sunday 05 May we have Alkebulan, African Storytelling Village, a day of African arts and culture featuring captivating storytelling to vibrant dance performances. Featuring local artists from the likes of Kabbo Hue Ferdinand, MoYah, Ian Solomon-Kawall, Penny Avery, and Mohammed Errebba, this event promises an unforgettable cultural showcase. Find out more here.

We are very proud to be partnering with Diverse Artists Network for DIASPORA! Festival, highlighting our commitment to providing accessible cultural events for the community, and a space to learn arts and crafts as well as opportunities for participants to skill share.

Carnival workshops at Trinity.Photo Alastair Brookes/KoLAB Studios

With the support of West of England Sport Trust (Wesport) we are expanding our creative offer for primary-aged children living/ attending school within the locality.

Through our partnership work with local primary schools, we will be working with Easton Academy to offer key stage 1 and key stage 2 children free-to-access after school activities, a summer school as well as provision for parents/carers.

Building upon previous projects, including last year's Easter Carnival workshops and 2022/23 ‘World in a Box’ programme, leading dance company Movema will embed themselves within the school to deliver the programme that aims to encourage schools to offer their facilities for activities that encourage healthy and active lives.

‘We are thrilled to be supporting local partners through our place-based work. Through supporting schools to open their facilities outside of the school day to both school and community users, we hope to create sustainable change in increased physical activity levels in communities where they are needed most.” Nicole Emmanuel, West of England Sport Trust

Shaping the offer to reach children, who may be living in under-resourced communities, Movema will host after-school clubs that will include dance and movement workshops. They will also work with teachers and children to shape and deliver a creative offer for free activities during the summer break.

Our Children and Young People's team will collaborate with parent/carers at Easton Academy to develop free to access sessions that will take place within the school to encourage movement, active lives and improve wellbeing.

The programme will run until March 2025 and will further support our ‘Cultural Alliance’ a partnership with three-local schools. Developed through conversations with primary school pupils, teachers, governors and community organisations, the Alliance aims to address existing gaps that many children experience in accessing creative activities as well as strengthening the educational growth and wellbeing of children.

You can find out more about our Children and Young People's programme here or sign up to our mailing list to keep-up to date.

Igloo - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

As part of our Children and Young People’s programme, we brought Igloo, an interactive early year's performance, to Trinity. Igloo was created by Barton Hill-based Travelling Light Theatre. The company created the show specifically to tour to non-traditional theatre venues with the aim of breaking down barriers to accessing theatre.

We connected with our partners, Central Bristol Children Centre, to offer children (and their grown ups) who attend the centre’s weekly Stay & Play at Trinity, the opportunity to watch the show for free. Igloo was shared in a separate space running alongside Stay & Play, allowing families to choose if they wanted to give the performance a try during a familiar group session. In total we welcomed over 100 families/carers to two performances of Igloo.

Through feedback from conversations between children, families and local community groups and building upon our pledges we are looking at ways to create a responsive programme that aims to offer young children the opportunity to take their first steps in their creative journey.

Coming up in the summer we are pleased to host theatre company Tidal Tales who will be bring their latest show, Fairy Forest: Stories from the Trees, for an outdoor performance. This follows the 'The Hare the Moon and the River' that we programmed as part of our Summer Sessions last year.

You can keep up to date with our our Children and Young People's programme here or to hear about upcoming events and activities sign up to our mailing list here

International Women’s Day Celebration - Image Credit: Megan Ip

As part of International Women’s Day celebrations, women's group ‘All Ah Wi’ took over Trinity for a full day of workshops and discussions to celebrate the talents and interests of women.

“It was a really good day, all who came had a great time and got a lot out of it" Saláma Kefentse

Organised by Saláma Kefentse, who leads the ‘All Ah Wi’ group, the take over included dance workshops delivered by Penny Avery, Essential Oils demonstrations and live music by DJs Kissan and Delicious. In the afternoon, Carmen Carol delivered a wellbeing workshop and the event finished with a live podcast with the female-led Keep It Real team.

Salama first connected with Trinity after attending Festus celebrations back in December 2023. During this event she shared that she would like to bring ‘All Ah Wi’ to Trinity and following this our Community and Neighbourhoods team supported Salama to programme the event. This collaborative programming approach is part of our pledge to support people, grassroot groups and artists, living in the locality to deliver grassroots and community-led activities supported by Fun Palaces.

Following the success of ‘All Ah WI's 'International Women’s Day takeover we are pleased to be supporting Salama to host the group regularly at Trinity. All Ah Wi and will take place every three-months. If you would like to find out more about the group please get in contact with Jen Farmer, Arts Engagement Manager or sign up to our mailing list to keep-up-to-date.

Next Gen Sounds Performance - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

Young people from our free weekly music project, Next Gen Sounds, were invited to perform during Off The Record (OTR)’s exhibition at Trinity. We work in partnership with the OTR team who come along to the weekly Next-Gen sessions as an additional offer for young people.

“It was really great to get the chance to perform live, it’s so much fun, Trinity really give us a lot of chances to perform in front of an audience. It’s really fantastic to be able to play here” - Joe, Next Gen Sounds Participant

On the night, young people from Next Gen Sounds took to the stage for one hour. Giving incredible musical performances, from bands playing covers of much-loved songs by Fleetwood Mac and Radiohead, to acoustic solo performances, rap, and DJ sets, demonstrating the wide range of musical styles that the young people are exploring as part of Next Gen.

OTR’s exhibition featured paintings, drawings, photography, poetry and of course music from Next Gen. Our Next Gen Sounds sessions are supported by staff from OTR who bring their expertise around mental health and wellbeing to the group sessions, ensuring that the support offered by the programme focuses not only on young people’s musical abilities, but also provides a safe space for personal support, in which the young people can develop their confidence, interpersonal skills, and support their mental wellbeing.

As part of our Children and Young Peoples' programme we offer ways in which those aged 0-25yrs can take their first and next steps in creativity. Next Gen creates pathways for young people to develop their musical practice; from supporting song writing, to demystifying music production, and music masterclasses to eventually offering the young people a platform to perform their music to a live audience.

If you'd like to find out more about Next Gen Sounds, or get involved with the sessions yourself, click here for more information.

Nature Play After School Club - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

As part of our children and young people's programme offer free after school provision for children who attend local primary schools. Children who attend are aged 8yrs-11yrs and many may limited access to any green space at home. We caught up with Liam Callaghan, who delivers the Nature Play sessions to find out more.

Hi! Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background

I’m Liam, the Nature Play lead at Trinity – I have a passion for youth work, having written and illustrated my first children’s book, worked with SEND children for several years and facilitated a variety of workshops for young people.

A How did you get involved with Nature Play at Trinity?

I've been leading the Nature Play project since its beginnings in September 2023. I spent a lot of time at Trinity Centre attending various events before I became a part of the team – I first helped with a Nature Play workshop over the summer of 2023 and through this, Trinity reached out with the opportunity of working together long-term on a similar project, and here I am!

What is the Nature Play project?

The after-school Nature Play sessions we run are a perfect opportunity for local 8-11-year-olds to spend some quality time out in nature, thanks to our beautiful garden space in the heart of Bristol. We operate a walking bus from 3 local primary schools to maximise our outreach and have seen amazing results. We began by having the children create a set of ground rules, which they all agreed on, based around respect and getting involved.

So what do the sessions involve?

After introducing the children to the garden space at Trinty, there was still fruit growing in the garden, so the children would pick apples from the apple tree when they arrived as a tasty snack. Most weeks they would forage flavours to make their own tea, learning about when certain plants fruit, the physics of heat drawing out the flavours and nutrients to make the tea, as well as the communal nature of making and sharing tea together. The group are always very happy to show any newcomers around the garden space – they have found a real sense of security and belonging in the garden and have a great sense of agency within the space.

As the nights grew longer, the children learned about how winter is a necessary part of the life cycle, and how we can relate to the seasons within our own lives, have ‘sunny seasons’ and ‘chilly spells’. They also learned how to safely make a fire to get us through the wintry weather, with some children helping others overcome their fear of flames. The children loved sharing stories around the fire (some scarier than others!), instilling a warm sense of community.

What's the plan for Nature Play going forward into the spring?

As we Spring into 2024, the children have begun making use of their raised bed, dedicated to the after-school club (which they have nearly finished decorating) as well as space in the polytunnel, where the children have been learning how and when to plant different veg (and why) and learning about seasonal changes and the effect climate change is having on us and other parts of the world. Some children have some prior knowledge which they have been happy to share with others during the sessions, building a sense of communal skill sharing.

What benefits do you think the children involved with Nature Play gain?

The children who attend the sessions  have really blossomed over the months, and there’s been noticeable growth in individuals’ confidence, knowledge and overall wellbeing as well as seeing friendships being formed. I can’t wait to see how the children grow over the coming months.

If you are a parent/carer of a primary aged child (8yrs-11yrs) who would like to attend Nature Play click here to find out more and sign up.

Nature Play is held on Monday's during term time and is made possible due to funding from Quartet Community Foundation, WESport and Bristol City Council.

Trinity's Garden Party. Credit: Alistair Brookes

Trinity join Eastside Community Trust, Windmill Hill City Farm and 13 other organisations to call for urgent action to protect and enhance Bristol’s shared spaces.

The initiative calls for urgent measures to safeguard and improve Bristol’s shared spaces, which are currently under threat due to various challenges, including legislation facilitating council property sales to address budget shortfalls.

“Unfortunately, without changes to how decisions are made about community infrastructure, the future of those spaces will always be at risk. The suggestions we are putting forward will enable us to secure a brighter future for our much-loved community spaces" Steve Sayers, CEO of Windmill Hill City Farm

In a published manifesto we join others in calling for several changes to ensure community buildings are appropriately valued. This includes:

• Review the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) process, to enable more community organisations to consider this route.
• Adopt a target and strategy for increasing the number of community owned assets, in line with the One City Plan.
• Delegate leadership for community assets to a member of cabinet or committee, recognizing the sector’s role across council departments.
• Delegate authority to officer level to award CAT leases, for 95 years, when these are up for renewal.
• Include representation from Neighbourhoods and Committees in the CAT decision-making committees.
• Create a framework for protection and disposal of council owned assets, including creating a new ‘community’ asset class which prioritises preservation of community spaces.
• Implement a fair rent structure which recognises the social and investment benefits of community-owned assets.
• Develop a capital investment strategy for organisations with CAT leases

How you can help:

• Read the full manifesto here
• Decisions makers, city and business leaders are invited to talk to us directly, understand more about the work we do and see how these changes could enable us to make a much greater impact across the whole city.
• People of Bristol are invited to share their thoughts and feelings on what their local community space means to them, by writing on a ribbon or sharing a word, sentence or memory on social media using the hashtag #CommunityRoots.

The Community Anchor organisations who created the campaign and manifesto are:

1. Eastside Community Trust
2. Trinity Community Arts
3. Windmill Hill City Farm
4. Black South West Network (The Coach House)
5. Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust
6. Knowle West Health Park
7. Knowle West Alliance
8. Southmead Development Trust
9. Redcatch Community Garden Limited
10. Ambition Lawrence Weston
11. Bricks/St Anne’s House
12. Artspace Lifespace
13. St Werburghs Community Centre
14. Filwood Community Centre
15. Voscur
16. Learning Partnership West