Portishead legend and Bristol-Sound pioneer Adrian Utley, together with world-renowned musician and guitarist John Parish, describe why they support Trinity's Notes for Notes Appeal in an interview, now available on You Tube

During the interview, John and Adrian explained why they are supporting the Trinity Centre by creating the "Trinity Anthem" for the Appeal, and Adrian goes on to remember his time performing with Portishead at Trinity back in the '90s.

For every £5 received in donation to the Appeal, Trinity will exchange a virtual musical note, and once 4,000 notes have been exchanged (£20,000), Adrian and John will release the Trinity Anthem - a unique piece of music that reflects and celebrates Trinity's rich 40 year musical heritage.

To support the Appeal, donate on our Just Giving page or by text to ROOF31 £5 to 70070

With thanks to Charlie Tothill, Chris Price (film & edition), Memotone (music).

We have a long-standing partnership with Leyhill HMP - a CAT D, open prison - and provide long-term work placements to individual life-prisoners for between 6-18 months, in order to help improve their chances of successful release.

Many prisoners come into prison unemployed and 73.5% return to unemployment on release*

If an ex-offender is able to come out and find work, somewhere to live and develop a support network, this greatly reduce the chances of them re-offending.

Many prisoners are released with nowhere to go and support from friends or family is not always available. Therefore, in our commitment to providing services for the whole community, it is vital that organisations such as Trinity provide support in the form of work experience placements for ex-offenders.

“I am currently serving a prison sentence at Leyhill prison. As part of my resettlement I go to Trinity Centre where I help out with all aspects of keeping this community centre up and running for all the people in the area. This has given me a lot of confidence to help me move forward in my rehabilitation, meeting new people and giving me a new view on how to be more open and to give me more options for when I do get released from prison.” Statement from an individual on placement from Leyhill HMP, who has been successfully released, 2013

The Trinity Centre is a large, converted, Georgian, grade II* listed former-church building, so ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the building and grounds is a constant challenge.

Our Leyhill volunteers bring with them skills including plastering, painting, carpentry, brick-laying, gardening and cleaning, including COSHH. The placements allow individuals to gain practical work experience, whilst also helping us to carry out essential repairs and maintenance that we otherwise wouldn't be able to afford.

Providing ex-offenders with the opportunity to apply their training within a real setting provides individuals with valuable experience to enable them to secure employment on their release.

“Thank you for making me feel part of the team and treating me like a human being again.” Statement from an individual on placement from Leyhill HMP, who has been successfully released, 2016

Want to read more? See: In memoriam: Phil, a story of change.

Our placements are provided on a case-by-case basis, where individuals are not shown to be on the Child Protection Register or Protection of Vulnerable Adults Register. A full disclosure is undertaken, where individuals are assessed to ensure that offering a placement will not pose a threat to either Centre users or other staff and volunteers. We also have an Ex-offenders Policy that we use to train staff and volunteers in working with ex-offenders. Lehyill HMP regularly monitor placements as part of their “Through The Gate” scheme.

___

*HoC Work and Pensions Committee, Support for ex-offenders Fifth Report of Session 2016–17, p5

The Art Therapy sessions were planned for young adults, most of them referred by their GP's. The purpose of the project was to help individuals to increase their understanding of what is happening, reducing the level of distress caused by unusual experiences and prioritising personal recovery and a quick return to valued roles and social relationships.

Katie Gannaway, Mental Health Worker for AWP Bristol Early Intervention Team explains why the project was important:

"Earlier this year we ran a therapeutic art group from Arts West Side, for 16 weeks. The group was for young people 16- 35 years who are experiencing mental health difficulties. As part of their recovery we wanted this group to be in the community to promote social inclusion, leading to service users to feel less isolated and facilitating them to link in to other community resources.

The art group gave them an opportunity to explore their creativity whilst receiving emotional support in a safe group environment enabling them to feel more confident to be part of the community. The group was for a maximum of eight people, and included two healthcare professionals facilitating the therapeutic art group.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends the use of art for young people because it can help to alleviate negative symptoms and should be provided in a group setting.

The feedback from group members was very positive; they liked the location because it was central, they also felt the space provided was safe and confidential, allowing them to freely express themselves through their art.

They also appreciated the art space below (SPACE), giving them the opportunity to view various exhibits, which for some, influenced their art and interest. This often impacted on our art sessions; members would access the group through the exhibition and this would become a talking point, and an opportunity to engage with others. Some of the members had never had the opportunity to visit art exhibitions; however, the accessibility provided this opportunity.

We would have struggled to provide this group in the community due to limited funds; Arts West Side offered a great space, accessible to communities that are often isolated."

Trinity Community Arts (TCA) has been awarded funding from Heritage Lottery Fund for the Trinity Centre Conservation Project.

Funding for an initial development phase will enable the centre to carry out surveys of the Grade II* listed building, in order to come up with a plan for repair works in 2017. Works will focus on repairs to the north aisle and slate roof, original stained glass window and stonework.

Over the last few years, there has been much investment to improve the Trinity Centre's facilities. With a footfall of over 50,000 each year, the planned repair works will help to ensure the community arts centre can continue long into the future.

Emma Harvey, Centre Manager of Trinity said; “Thanks previous support from English Heritage and the Big Lottery Fund, The Trinity Centre was removed English Heritage At Risk Register in 2014. However, with an old building like this, there is still much work to be done to repair the building. This support from Heritage Lottery Fund will help to ensure the community can continue to enjoy the space for decades to come."

The project will compliment previous capital repair and redevelopment works and will be the final major-works phase relating to the repair and conservation of the historic fabric. The capital works programme will be complimented by a range of heritage learning activities, including training in traditional heritage trades.

Alongside funding from Heritage Lottery Fund, the project development phase has also been supported by the Ashley, Easton, Lawrence Hill Neighbourhood Partnership and the Quartet Community Foundation, with other supporters including Bristol's Rotary Club and Burgess Salmon.

Over the next year, the Trinity team will be working to raise the total funds needed to carry out the repair works and there will also be a number of job opportunities relating to the project. If you are interested in showing your support for the project or would like to know more visit: www.3ca.org.uk/activities/renovation for more information.

About Trinity's heritage

The Trinity Centre, Bristol, has been a diverse hub of community arts activities since its de-consecration as a place of worship in 1976. The building has been a prominent music venue for 50 years and has played host to a spectacular role-call of acts, becoming an important landmark in the globally exported 'Bristol Sound'.

Built between 1829-1832, the 'Waterloo Church' is considered to be one of the finest examples of the work of architects Thomas Rickman and Henry Hutchinson. Trinity is an important Grade II* listed building, which retains significant townscape value in the context of Old Market Conservation Area, defined as "an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character and appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance."

Trinity's 41 stained-glass windows are one of the most striking but neglected features of the building. Built in an English Gothic Revival style, most of the mullioned windows and clerestory feature non-pictorial stained glass and have a Geometric Patten style using simple shapes. The building features a pictorial stained-glass panel in one of the South-East façade windows, with classical figures set against a background of vibrant colours, flanked by diaper quarries and foliage.

Trinity is situated within one of the most culturally diverse and economically deprived areas of the South West. Race, migration and the changing demographic of the surrounding area have played an important role in the history of the building. Over the years, the building has been managed by different community groups, who have all had a role to play in making the centre what it is today.

The Trinity Centre Conservation Project will help to explore some of this history and provide opportunities for people to share their stories and experiences, as well as learn about traditional heritage trades. Visit our Archive for more information.

Image by Jane Porter, BCC

The Trinity training department was pleased to arrange an incredible opportunity for young people from the local area to observe legendary producer, composer, DJ and multi instrumentalist Nitin Sawhney sound check just hours before his much anticipated packed out show here at Trinity Centre.

Backed by a full 8 piece band, including three vocalists, flutes, tablas, guitar, bass and drums. Nitin kindly allowed the students access to the technical process providing a rare glimpse into the intricacies involved with the professional music industry practice of sound checking for a high profile show.

Nitin Sawhney is one of the most distinctive and versatile musical voices around today. Firmly established as a world-class producer, songwriter, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, orchestral composer and cultural pioneer, Sawhney has become a latter-day Renaissance man in the worlds of music, film, videogames, dance and theatre.Sawhney’s output as a musician is highly prolific.

He has scored for and performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras, and collaborated with and written for the likes of Paul McCartney, Sting, The London Symphony Orchestra, A.R. Rahman, Brian Eno, Sinead O’Connor, Anoushka Shankar, Jeff Beck, Shakira, Will Young, Joss Stone, Taio Cruz, Ellie Goulding, Horace Andy, Cirque Du Soleil, Akram Khan, Deepa Mehta, Mira Nair, Nelson Mandela and John Hurt. Performing extensively around the world, he has achieved an international reputation across every possible creative medium.

Nitin was also kind enough to have a chat with our students afterwards to discuss his experiences and share insights into the music industry. Everyone at Trinity would like to express our sincerest thanks and gratitude to Nitin, his band, crew and management for making this opportunity possible.

Jack's biography states: "Jack combines electric guitar, drum machines, keyboards, and an R&B-friendly falsetto to fashion smooth, club-ready electro-pop. Hailing from Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, England, Garratt started writing songs at the age of 12. When he got his first laptop in his late teens, he began experimenting with more advanced music production, eventually releasing the single "I Couldn't Want You Anyway" in early 2014. It made waves on the Internet, especially in the U.K., and led to festival appearances as well as a sold-out London record-release show later that year for Remnants, his debut EP on Island."

Jack kindly took time out of his busy touring schedule to speak to students, answering questions that covered a wide range of topics. These included the creative process, approaches to song writing, the perils of touring and how to go about establishing a successful career within the modern music industry.

His main piece of advice was simply to enjoy what you do and stay to true to yourself.

Everyone here at Trinity wishes Jack all the best of luck and success with his album release early next year.

Trinity aims to provide unique opportunities for young people from challenging circumstances who are interested in developing a music career. Our in-house music training department has begun an exciting new initiative that provides young people with a chance to meet some of the national and international touring artists that perform within the legendary Trinity Centre – one of Bristol's key live music venues.

The first of these sessions took place in October 2015 with prolific Canadian multi-instrumentalist, heavy-rock legend, Devin Townsend. Devin was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad (1994-2007) and has also had an extensive career as a solo artist.

Passing through Bristol on a rare 7 date UK acoustic tour, Devin happily took time out of his busy schedule to take questions from a group of 10 music students. Devin was incredibly welcoming throughout and the young people were visibly in awe as Devin discussed the perils of rock 'n' roll excess and unrealistic over ambition. He stressed that music should remain an enjoyable creative process, as opposed to a career driven choice, which was very inspiring for the young people.

He gracefully allowed the students to observe his sound check, giving the group a unique insight into the professional processes involved in ensuring sound levels for each instrument are balanced and correct, in order to best match the acoustics of the space and artist. Finally, he took time at the end to sign CDs and have photos with the students, before carrying on preparing for the show at Trinity, which was a huge success and well received by the audience on the night.

A big thank you to Devin for making our first Industry Insights session possible!

Vice & Virtue: Discovering the story of Old Market will be officially launched at an event at Trinity on Thursday 16th July, 6:30-9pm.

The event which also includes the launch of an on-going exhibition and website has been organised by Trinity Community Arts and is part of their commitment to celebrating the heritage of Bristol’s legendary Old Market high street.

The book is currently on sale at the Trinity Centre and via Bristol Books, who describe the book as follows:

‘Medieval market,’ ‘bustling High Street’, ‘wild west’, ‘a wasteland’, ‘massage parlours’, ‘gay area’, ‘up and coming.’ Old Market conjures a myriad of conflicting associations in the minds of Bristolians. There is some truth to all these associations. They reveal the story of Old Market’s brightest hour as part of Bristol’s shopping Golden Mile, the riotous inter war years, the impact of war, post war decline brought on by the redevelopment of the city centre, and revival as Bristol’s gay quarter.

Vice and Virtue details each phase, introducing the reader to the people, the institutions and the processes that have created Old Market’s rich heritage. The title is a playful nod to complex and interlinked themes that have defined this area for centuries.

For more information, visit our Marketplace.

The book was written by Dr Edson Burton and Mike Manson and has been produced thanks to funding from Heritage Lottery Fund and with support from The Old Market Community Association and Quartet Community Foundation.

For more information about the launch event on Thu 16th July, click here. If you would like to attend the event, please send an RSVP to info@3ca.org.uk or call the Trinity office on 0117 935 1200 and leave your name.

We have a number of students who showed an interest in music, both playing, singing, rapping and writing. We have not had the capacity on-site to facilitate sessions or to accommodate and further such interests, and so had to outsource teaching sessions.

Trinity seemed ideal as they were able to tailor the sessions to meet the individual interests and needs of the student, as well as having a sound understanding about the types of young people we work with. Often our young people require a different approach than is provided at more mainstream provisions, and being able to tailor sessions to their specific interests has been ideal when considering the level of engagement.

So far all of our student who have attended the sessions have given positive feedback about the work they are carrying out, as well as showing clear progression, even in this short amount of time. Often it is the engagement with the session that these young people find difficult; however we have seen little evidence of this being the case with these sessions. Having a positive educational experience is crucial for this type of young person, who often has found difficulties with previous provisions.

Trinity has been extremely accommodating of our timetables and the young people we work with. Having not had great experiences with the education system previously, the positive sessions that are held on a 1:2:1 basis not only strengthen their musical ability and interest, but also goes towards creating a more optimistic attitude to new situations and experiences available to them. Our students all seem to be really enjoy the opportunity to learn new skills and express themselves in a different way, using techniques that have been specifically tailored to meet their interests.

Imogen Hopkins, Project Worker for Include Bristol CfBT

The meal is very wholesome coming straight out of the earth in my local area. It is great to learn new gardening skills. My 3 year old daughter loves to run around and play with other children who come to the garden. It is a really great communal space.

I found the day greatly beneficial to my mental health as I find it really meditative to help a garden grow, it feels such a positive thing to be doing as I am passionate about growing food locally and organic, it is a great way forward to help us people and our planet stay healthy.

I feel like I am part of something important as if people could grow more food locally there would be far less dependency on supermarkets which creates lots of unnecessary packaging and transportation costs to the environment. I also feel the community day benefited me physically, being active outside and eating healthy food.

My daughter also enjoys the space and climbing frame and I love that she gets to learn where her food really comes from and that we can grow our own.

I love the Trinity Garden space and all great people working there who are knowledgeable, friendly and supportive. I go to the garden on other days with my daughter to help out in the garden and really enjoy getting back in touch with nature. I feel it is really important to teach my daughter where food comes from and that we can grow it ourselves.

I have met lots of people at the garden who share an interest in gardening and sustainability. It is great to feel in touch with my local community, nurture the local earth and grow things together. It is so lovely to share a healthy organic nutritious meal made from the gardens produce and have a chance to chat and share ideas.

I think projects like this at Trinity are very important to educate people about growing and to keep the people of our city connected."

Luna took part in a monthly community gardening drop-in day as part of our Bristol 2015 'Grow It, Cook It, Eat It!' Project. Read more about project activities here.

''I am a member of Trinity Walking group and have been with them for a few months. I have enjoyed the walks not been on all of them but I do when I can. I was introduced to the walking group while I was in hospital.

I suffer from mental health conditions and wanted to do something to make friends and keep active after I left the hospital. The hospital arranged a meeting here at Trinity and I came after a phone call and have been going ever since.

Due to losing friends after leaving work and neighbours passing away or moving, I have felt lonely for a long while.

Ever since I have joined this group I am developing friendships and have felt a lot better.

Not only do I get the enjoyment of of walking and the exercise that comes with it, I explore new places and visit places that has a strong family history.

It would be nice to have some more female walkers, as we are mainly men, but at the same time it's nice to walk with new people and develop friendships. During the walk we stop of somewhere and have a cup of tea and a chat. Its good for my well being.

Living on my own I sometimes get a bit lonely and this walking group has given me something to look forward to and the confidence to meet new people else where.''

Trinity runs several walking group activities, involving people from a range of ages and abilities. Click here, if you are interested in joining the Trinity Walking Group, or taking part in our other Trinity Community Garden activities.

"I was expelled from my college course at Circomedia when I was 16 because of my poor participation, which was mainly due to my crippling anxiety and non-existent confidence.

I found out about Trinity's courses for young people online and signed up for some free classes and workshops as part of the 2007 Bristol Sound Project led by Nick Young. I took part in a mixing class with Souljah Clique, a scratching class with Dutty Girl, amazing singing workshops with the fantastically talented Kizzy Morrell from Studio 7, theatre sessions with director Dave Lovatt and a graffiti workshop with Bristol street-artist Silent Hobo.

I then went on to re-do the college course at Circomedia I was expelled from and received a triple distinction.

After one year of their professional course I went on to study at a well known circus school in Montpellier, France, where I had wanted to go for years. I've been working with a circus in France and now plan on coming back to Bristol to continue training and hopefully spend some time volunteering at the place which helped me gain my confidence.

The Trinity Centre is a truly unique organisation filled with talented people driven to encourage young aspiring creatives and support those who need it. My time there was special and even as a lost moody teenager I didn't feel judged or belittled - totally the opposite. I can't recommend their courses enough."

Each year Trinity works with 60 young people from challenging circumstances across our learning programme and activities. We work with young people who have fallen out of education, helping them to can gain confidence, develop skills and find routes back into education or employment.

If you would like to support our work with young people, visit our Just Giving page or text TYTP99 £[the amount you want to donate] to 70070 to donate to the Trinity Youth Training Project today.