As part of Trinity50, a year-long celebration marking 50 years of Trinity Community Arts, people across Bristol are being invited to share photographs, recordings, flyers and memories that tell the story of one of the city's most significant community and cultural spaces.

The public call-out forms part of Your Trinity, Trinity50's storytelling campaign exploring Trinity's past, present and future through the voices and experiences of the people who have shaped it.

Trinity is inviting audiences, artists, volunteers, community groups, staff, partners and residents to submit photographs, videos, voice notes, recordings, flyers, posters and personal memories from the last fifty years. Alongside memories of the past, people are also being encouraged to share their hopes, ideas and ambitions for Bristol, Trinity and community life over the next fifty years.

A selection of contributions will feature in a public exhibition at Trinity's Garden Party in May 2027, bringing together memories of the past, reflections on the present and ambitions for the future.

Since the Holy Trinity Church last recorded service in 1976 and the buildings purchase by the Bristol Caribbean Community Enterprise Limited the following year, local people secured its future as a community space, playing a vital role in Bristol's cultural and community life. From sound system culture and grassroots organising to youth programmes, artist development, creative health projects and live music, the organisation has evolved alongside the communities it serves.

The campaign aims to celebrate what Trinity believes is a hidden archive of stories scattered across Bristol. Found in family photo albums, old flyers, personal collections and shared memories, these stories capture the people, communities and cultural movements that have helped shape the city.

As Trinity looks towards the restoration and reopening of Jacobs Wells Baths in 2029, Your Trinity draws a line between past and future. Fifty years ago, community action helped secure Holy Trinity Church for public use. Today, Trinity is applying that same commitment to the stewardship of another important Bristol landmark.

Jamell Ackford, Director of Culture at Trinity Community Arts, said:

"For 50 years, Trinity has been shaped by the people who use it. Our story isn't simply about a building. It's about communities coming together through creativity, culture and collective action."

"We're asking people across Bristol to help uncover the photographs, recordings and memories that tell the story of not just Trinity, but the city itself. We want to celebrate those experiences, learn from them and carry them forward."

"As we look towards the reopening of Jacobs Wells Baths and the future of Trinity, we're building on fifty years of relationships, experience and community trust to imagine what comes next together."

Speaking about Bristol's cultural legacy, Daddy G of Massive Attack said:

"Although Bristol is one of the smaller cities in the UK, the creative and cultural impact it has made on the world has been huge. It is exciting to see this continuing with the new generation of creatives coming out of this city."

The campaign will highlight the people, ideas and cultural movements that have contributed to Bristol's creative identity, from community campaigns and youth projects to sound system culture, artist development and international collaboration.

Through Your Trinity, the organisation hopes to preserve stories that might otherwise be lost while creating new conversations about the future.

People can find out more and submit contributions by emailing press@trinitybristol.org.uk.

Trinity Community Arts is proud to share the final evaluation report for our Cultural Alliance programme – a three-year partnership with four local primary schools that has transformed how children experience creativity in education.

Rather than delivering one-off arts workshops, the Cultural Alliance was built on long-term relationships, working alongside schools, teachers, artists, children and families to co-design creative learning that responded to local need. Through weekly drama and dance sessions linked directly to the curriculum, the programme demonstrated how creativity can unlock confidence, imagination and participation for children facing some of the greatest barriers to accessing arts and culture.

Across the programme:

• 483 children participated in curriculum-linked creative learning.
• Four local primary schools became long-term partners.
• 720 hours of drama and dance were delivered by professional artists.
• 29 teachers and teaching assistants worked alongside practitioners, embedding creativity within everyday school life.

The report highlights how sustained creative engagement helped children build confidence, strengthen communication skills and engage more deeply with learning. Teachers consistently described improvements in participation, writing, understanding of curriculum subjects and self-belief, particularly for children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language.

One of the report's strongest messages is that meaningful change takes time. Rather than delivering a fixed programme, Trinity listened, adapted and developed the work alongside schools over three years. This relationship-based approach created lasting trust and a model that schools now want to build upon.

The evaluation, led by Dr Harriet Hand, Bristol University, concludes that the programme's legacy extends far beyond individual sessions. It has strengthened relationships between Trinity, schools and families, developed a tested model for connecting culture, education and community, and laid the foundations for Trinity to become a trusted long-term arts partner for local schools.

The programme was made possible through the generous support of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Linbury Trust and Nisbet Trust, alongside the commitment and collaboration of our creative partners Movema and acta Theatre, our participating schools, artists, practitioners, children, families and the wider communities who shaped the programme throughout its three-year journey.

As we look ahead, the Cultural Alliance has given us more than an evaluation of a successful project. It has provided a blueprint for how creativity, when rooted in trust, collaboration and long-term partnership, can help children flourish and strengthen communities.

Read the full Cultural Alliance evaluation report to discover the stories, learning and evidence behind this remarkable three-year journey.

There is something really special about seeing a public space come alive through creativity, and this year's Bristol Harbour Festival was a wonderful reminder of what can happen when artists, community groups and audiences come together. Trinity worked alongside Circus City to programme and deliver the Tidal Stage in Queen Square, creating a space for people to gather, perform, connect and celebrate.

Across the weekend, the stage was filled as we brought together grassroots artists, organisations and community groups from Bristol and across the South West, placing them front and centre in one of the city's biggest free festivals. From younger performers taking to the stage to artists who have been sharing their practice for decades, it felt like a real celebration of the many people who make up our creative communities. Trinity groups including HYPE and Gerry's Attic were part of the programme, sharing the stage alongside a fantastic range of performers and organisations.

Families stopped on their way through the festival and stayed for a performance. Friends gathered on the grass to watch a dance company they had never seen before. Performers cheered each other on from backstage and audiences joined in throughout the day. There was a generosity to the atmosphere that felt uniquely Bristol.

The sunshine certainly helped, but it was the people who made the weekend what it was. We estimate around 3,000 people passed through the area each day, creating a constant flow of energy around the stage. Whether someone watched for five minutes or stayed for an entire afternoon, they became part of the experience.

Saturday's Brown Excellence takeover provided a brilliant close to the day, bringing fresh energy to the square and creating an atmosphere that kept audiences gathering, connecting and celebrating into the evening. Watching the square remain full of energy into the evening was a reminder of how important these shared public spaces and experiences can be.

Sunday was a particular highlight. Performances from Bristol Capoeira, Tit for Tat, Mundi Dance and Kings Dance Company brought Queen Square to life, while first-time hosts Aisha Sanyang-Meek and Deepraj Singh guided audiences through the day with humour and enthusiasm.

Events like Harbour Festival create opportunities for artists to share their work with new audiences, for communities to see themselves reflected on stage, and for people to experience culture in a way that feels open and accessible.

A special thank you goes to Sidcot School for sponsoring the Tidal Stage and helping us bring a packed weekend of dance and community performance to Queen Square.

Photos: Alastair Brookes, Elliot Hingston

Earlier this summer, Trinity welcomed friends from Legacy WM to Bristol for a tour of Trinity Centre and Jacobs Wells Baths. The visit gave the Birmingham-based team an opportunity to learn more about Trinity's approach to community ownership, heritage-led regeneration and long-term place-making. 
Legacy WM visited as part of a team away day, looking for inspiration as they prepare for the future redevelopment of Lea Hall Institute in Birmingham. The organisation is exploring how the historic building can become a community hub, bringing together culture, learning, wellbeing and opportunities for local people.

During the visit, the team learned about Trinity's journey from a historic church to a thriving arts and community organisation before visiting Jacobs Wells Baths, where Trinity is leading work to secure a new future for the Grade II* listed building. The tour offered an insight into the long-term commitment, partnerships and community support needed to bring ambitious regeneration projects to life.

Reflecting on the visit, Legacy WM CEO Aftab Rahman said: "My team and I left feeling inspired. Trinity's work at the church demonstrates how much time, commitment and community spirit it takes to make a project sustainable."

He continues, "we loved visiting Jacobs Wells Baths and seeing both the craftsmanship of the building and Trinity's ambition to take on a project of that scale. It shows a real commitment to serving communities. We all left thinking: if Trinity can do it, so can we. Never underestimate the power of seeing to believe it."

The visit marks the beginning of a new relationship between the two organisations. Legacy WM has invited Trinity to visit Lea Hall as plans progress, creating opportunities to share learning and build connections between community organisations working to transform historic spaces for public benefit.

Photo credit: Legacy WM. Images used with permission.

More than 500 people visited Jacobs Wells Baths over the Harbour Festival weekend to experience Cast Light, an immersive sound and light installation by internationally acclaimed artist collective Squidsoup.

Presented by Trinity Community Arts, Cast Light transformed the historic Pump Room into a captivating environment of light, sound and movement, offering visitors a rare opportunity to explore one of Bristol's most significant heritage buildings.

The event marked an important milestone in the transformation of Jacobs Wells Baths and one of the first public activations of the site since Trinity became its guardians. For many visitors, it was their first opportunity to step inside the building and experience its unique atmosphere, history and potential.

The installation formed part of Trinity's Art of the Possible programme, which is opening Jacobs Wells Baths to artists, audiences and the local community throughout its restoration. Ahead of the building's planned reopening in 2029, the programme aims to bring people into the space now through creative events, performances and cultural experiences.

Samuel Javid, Business Plan Development at Trinity Community Arts, said:

"It was incredible to see so many people experiencing Jacobs Wells Baths in this way. Cast Light perfectly captured what the Art of the Possible programme is about – bringing people into the building now, creating memorable cultural experiences and demonstrating the enormous potential of this extraordinary place before it fully reopens."

Dan Pearson, Technical Director at Squidsoup, said:

"Bringing Cast Light into the Pump Room was a unique opportunity. The architecture, history and atmosphere of the space became part of the artwork itself, creating an experience that couldn't exist anywhere else."

The weekend also formed part of Bristol Harbour Festival Fringe and highlighted the growing excitement around the future of Jacobs Wells Baths as a new home for arts, culture and community activity in the city.

A huge thank you to everyone who visited, our volunteers, partners and the Squidsoup team for helping make the weekend such a memorable success.

We look forward to welcoming audiences back to Jacobs Wells Baths soon as the next chapter of its transformation unfolds.

Photo credit: Khali Photography.

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