Science Fair, 2025; image by Alistair Brookes

After years of consultation, experimentation and refinement, we’re now seeing the impact of our work come together; strengthening our ambition to be a nationally celebrated hub for socially engaged arts. By joining the dots across multiple projects, partners and communities, we’re reaching more people than ever and embedding creativity into everyday life.

At the heart of this transformation is our for, by, with methodology, which ensures that everything we do is created for communities, shaped by those with lived experience, and developed with the people and partners who help bring it to life. Through this approach, we’ve secured major multi-year funding, providing the stability needed to invest in long-term change and build deeper relationships that ensure our work is truly relevant and impactful.

Partnerships with Bristol Drugs Project and Bristol School of Art are creating new pathways for adults to engage with creativity as a tool for health, wellbeing and personal development. Through targeted workshops by expert facilitators and with individuals who may not otherwise access creative spaces, we are providing opportunities to build confidence, express identity, and develop new skills - whether in music or performance.

Our Cultural Alliance and after-school programmes are ensuring that creative opportunities exist for local children - many of whom are engaging with the arts for the first time. By embedding arts provision within schools and community settings, we’re developing work by and with young people that helps them discover their creative potential, make new connections, and gain valuable life skills.

Trinity's combined arts programme continues to flourish, bringing an exciting mix of dance, theatre and live performance from emerging artists both local and touring to allow new audiences to access this exciting work at Trinity and beyond. Alongside this, our Seeding Sessions are platforming some of the most exciting new sounds offering an enchanting and experimental evenings for true music enthusiasts.

By expanding our work for audiences in schools, community spaces, and public spaces, we are ensuring culture is more accessible than ever. Whether through powerful theatre performances by local artists, high-energy dance workshops with community groups, or participatory projects that put people at the centre of the creative process, we are bringing communities together in meaningful ways.

This progress has been made possible by an ambitious, empowered, and dedicated team whose passion for socially engaged arts is driving change. With strong foundations in place and an exciting future ahead, we’re ready to take our work even further - expanding our reach, deepening our impact, and ensuring that culture and creativity remain at the heart of community life for, by, and with the people who need it most.

By Adam Gallacher, Deputy CEO

Women Who Make & Do Craft Market

Trinity is proud to celebrate the creativity and resilience of our communities with these recent highlights...

Women Who Make & Do Craft Market

A really lovely group of women and lots of networking - stall holder

On 9 March, we opened our doors for International Women’s Day to host a vibrant craft market, spotlighting female and non-binary makers and creators. Delivered in partnership with Eastside Community Trust and Somali Kitchen, with support from Fun Palaces, the market supported local traders, makers, and artists, providing opportunities for free workshops, demonstrations, and creative activities.

The event welcomed 500 people thoughout the day, celebrating local talent including potters, authors, illustrators, crocheters, cake-makers, artists, herbalists, gardeners, woodcarvers, and weavers. Bristol-based female music artists provided a steady soundtrack to the afternoon, adding to the event’s vibrant atmosphere.

Hosting events like these in partnership with creative communities is at the heart of what we do. If you have an idea for a partnership event or activity, we’d love to hear from you!

Trinity & Bristol Drugs Project: Creative Communities

We are pleased to announce a new partnership with Bristol Drugs Project (BDP) launching in April 2025. As part of Trinity’s vision of Creative Expression for All, we will be working with BDP’s Creative Communities programme; a thriving ten-year initiative that delivers weekly creative groups and events within BDP services.

Creative Communities uses arts practice to build positive relationships, break stigma, develop work and social skills, and foster a vital and life-affirming sense of community. Many of its long-running groups, including Bristol Recovery Orchestra and Beginners Music, will now be based at Trinity. Additionally, we are proud to become one of BDP’s Sober Spaces venues, reinforcing our commitment to accessible and inclusive creative opportunities.

Together, we will also explore new bespoke creative programmes that respond directly to local needs and interests, enhancing Trinity’s year-round adult programme to support inclusion, health and wellbeing, and skills development.

Garden Party Origin Story

Looking back to the roots of Trinity and its connection to the free party and festival scene, we are reminded of the importance of spaces where people can come together to create and celebrate. Our annual Free Garden Party is a staple in Bristol's cultural calendar that embodies the city's spirit. Originating as a community-focused event rooted in the legacy of Bristol’s underground free parties and DIY festivals, the Garden Party continues to provide a space for creativity, music, and shared experiences.

Check out the details of this year's event here and get in touch if you're interested in performing, having a stall or volunteering.

From craft makers and community arts to the heritage of free festivals, Trinity remains a place where communities shape the art of what's possible and curate new ways of being each and every day.

We're what you make us, so get involved!

Cultural Alliance Programme - research phase, 2024

The Cultural Alliance Programme is revolutionizing arts education for Key Stage 2 children in Lawrence Hill, offering free weekly dance and drama lessons that foster creativity, learning, and wellbeing

Empowering children through arts

With a mission to bridge gaps in arts access and address educational inequalities, the Cultural Alliance Programme offers students at Easton CE Academy, Hannah More Primary, and St. Nicholas of Tolentine schools the opportunity to engage in creative learning. Each week, every KS2 year group receives an hour-long session led by professional practitioners from Movema and ACTA. These classes are integrated into the school curriculum, aligning with each school’s themes and values, such as Easton CE Academy’s focus on "Belonging".

"I really missed our Cultural Alliance teachers over the holidays, but I’ve been practicing!"

Student comment

Learning from Term 1&2

The first term launched with great enthusiasm, as children eagerly met their new mentors from ACTA and Movema. The sessions quickly became a space for movement, self-expression, and relationship-building. Early takeaways included:

As the project progressed, teachers were encouraged to actively participate in the sessions, moving beyond behaviour management to engaging in creative learning techniques themselves. This collaborative approach helped embed creative strategies throughout the school environment. Highlights of term two included:

"There’s been so much creative expression and joyful connections happening in every session!"

Cultural Alliance Practitioner, Movema

Impact so far...

The Cultural Alliance Programme has already made a tangible difference:

Looking ahead

As the programme moves into Term 3 the focus will shift towards measuring individual progress and ensuring long-term impact. A mid-January planning session will refine methods for tracking measurable change. Term Four will culminate in a student performance, showcasing their creative growth and inspiring future participants.

Additionally, Trinity is collaborating with Professor Helen Manchester and Dr. Harriet Hand to co-design an evaluation framework. This will measure cultural value and assess the programme’s effectiveness in strengthening inclusion, attendance, and students' wider connectivity with learning.

Funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the Cultural Alliance Programme continues to pave the way for inclusive, dynamic arts education in local schools.

Image by Alistair Brookes

Are you aged 14-18 and of Black heritage? Join us and become part of this exciting programme...

Following an initial two-year investment from WeMove, Trinity has secured further funding to amplify the voices of young people through The Speak Out Collective.

“I was a part of the Speak Out Trinity session where we were able to explore and enhance our creativity, speak and express our thoughts on topics such as culture and creativity, and then develop a project or an idea afterward!”

This next phase will embed social action through creative practice, supporting young people to share their stories and learn from peers. We're welcoming back young people from previous Speak Out cohorts alongside a call out for young people in the community, primarily aged 14-18 and from Black heritage backgrounds to join this next part of the programme, which includes:

• Monthly collective sessions: Young people will co-create and, where appropriate, lead these sessions, shaping the content to meet their creative needs. These will be facilitated by Moyah and Sukina.
• One-to-one mentoring: Participants will receive monthly 1hr mentoring sessions with industry specialists to develop their creative practice and support personal growth.
• Creative commissions: Commissions to create a final piece, linked to their participation, which will be shared with their peers and an invited audience at the end of the year-long programme.

Key info

Collective sessions will be held on the second Monday of each month launching on 14th April.

Future dates: 12th May; June (TBC); 14th July; (August off); 8th September; 13th October; 10th November; 8th December; (January off); 9th February; 9th March; 13th April (Final Sharing Event).

Contact info@trinitybristol.org.uk to sign up.

The story so far...

Over the past two years, Speak Out has engaged young people in three cohorts, exploring themes of Home, Neurodiversity, and Future Proofing. This work has provided participants with a platform to develop their creative voices while gaining confidence and skills. Thanks to the exceptional work of previous cohorts, we have been fortunate to receive extension funding to continue and expand the project.

Speak Out has made a real difference in young people’s confidence and skills. Over the last two years:

The Speak Out Collective is a direct response to this consultation, ensuring young people continue to have a platform to express themselves creatively and shape their own narratives.

For more information, visit: Speak Out at Trinity

Film by Latent Pictures

In September 2024 we will launch the ‘Cultural Alliance’, a two-year tailored arts-based learning programme delivered in partnership with three inner-city primary schools, Easton CE Primary, St Nicholas of Tolentine and Hannah More Primary. This new programme, funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation, is a first of its kind in the local area and has been co-designed to meet the needs of each school.

The primary schools in the Alliance are based within a half-mile radius of the Trinity Centre with many of the children who attend facing challenges due to health, learning needs, and socioeconomic factors.

Aligning with Trinity’s long-term commitment to combat inequality through the arts, the Alliance will utilise a tailored arts-based curriculum focused on dance and drama in partnership with locally rooted creative partners ACTA and Movema. By addressing the detrimental effects of limited arts-education, the ambition is to support children's overall development and empower them to thrive in their learning journey. Alongside the programme, teachers will be offered ongoing support in their practice, offering them the creative tools and resources to provide the best opportunities for each student to flourish within their unique situations and learning environments.

“The Cultural Alliance will allow children across our local community to connect and learn through creativity. We are looking forward to working with our partner primary schools to inspire creative thinking and allowing each child who participates to thrive” Jenny Bodnarchuk, Youth Service Manager

The Alliance has been shaped through extensive consultation with primary school pupils, teachers, governors and community organisations, conducted by Trinity since 2021. These consultations highlighted the urgency of embracing alternative measures of academic success - considering their pupils’ diverse linguistic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds - and reported the need for new tools and practices to build trust and foster inclusivity.

The Alliance takes an investigative approach, incorporating tailored collaboration with each school, responsive to their unique needs. By integrating arts-based learning, teacher support, and initiatives addressing inclusion, the Alliance will create a transformative educational experience for educators and pupils, fostering a more inclusive and equitable learning environment.

The Alliance has been developed via initial seed funding from Van Neste Foundation and Nisbet Trust secured in 2023 to test and refine the programme through free-to-access arts-based provision for primary-aged children that included Forest School activities as well as embedding a dance programme, World in a Box, in partner schools.

Building on learning from these pilot activities, the launch of the Cultural Alliance in September 2024 has now been made possible through a two-year grant from Paul Hamlyn Foundation marking a significant step forward in local investment in children's access to arts and culture.

Find out more about our Children and Young People's programme here.

The Real Living Wage Foundation  has announced that the new RLW will be increased by 10.1% in the new financial year (April 2023). Outside of London new Living Wage rates will rise to £10.90 an hour (£1 increase).

"We should not treat staff as a cost cutting measure but the engine which drives everything we do.  We know low-paid workers are being hit the hardest, with over half using foodbanks in the last 12 months, so the time for us to act is now". Adam Gallacher, Deputy CEO

With the largest year-on-year RLW increase announced recently we stand firmly with our commitment to ensure all staff and regular contractors are paid fairly. As such we have implemented the changes as of October 1 2022. This will mean entry level-staff members and those on casual contracts will benefit early from the increase.

We are proud to be an accredited RLW employer. New research from the Cardiff Business School shows that workers being paid the Real Living Wage have benefitted from more than £338m in extra wages since the start of this year, with one in ten employees now working for an accredited Living Wage Employer.

Find out more about the Real Living Wage by watching a short film about the positive impact it has on some of our team members here.