Jacob Wells Baths, a Grade II Listed building holds within its walls a wealth of of architectural and social heritage - from its time as a public swimming baths to its 30 year history as a dance hub. A grassroots campaign is underway to bring back the building into the community.

From its time as a swimming pool, to being a multi-use arts hub, we are exploring and sharing the stories of the building over the years. Here, Trinity’s Heritage & Engagement Curator Dr Edson Burton tells us about his Jacobs Wells Baths’ Story...

"It was 2017 and I was coming to the end of my residency at Pervasive Media Studio, where I was working on a project called The Last Blues Song Of A Lost Astronaut.

I was looking for a space that had depth and height because I wanted to test the four aspects of what was going to be quite a tech-heavy, immersive theatre experience.

We looked at multiple venues across the city but nothing quite fitted. In particular, sight lines were an issue as we were looking to project at scale and most spaces just weren’t big enough for the concept of these 'four areas' that we could project onto and perform within.

I got in touch with Artspace Lifespace who were meanwhile tenants at the time of Jacobs Wells Baths at the time. We went down to look at the space and it was absolutely perfect.

There are very few spaces that have that much height and width. This means then that, in terms of creating an immersive show, it is a fantastic space for this type of performance, especially as it has one of the best sprung floors around.

I know other companies like Racous have also used the space brilliantly - it'd be great for the city to keep that creative spirit alive."

Get Involved

Click here to sign the Hotwells and Cliftonwood petition

Share your JWB story on social meda using #SaveJWB or send it to sarah@trinitybristol.org.uk

Further reading

Read more from Dr Katie McClymont from her talk about resusing heritage spaces

Read more about how the community is fighting for Jacob Wells here.

Jacobs Wells Baths, a dance centre for over 30yrs, has been closed for a number of years

The mission to restore Jacobs Wells has received a significant boost with grants from the Architectural Heritage Fund and the Sylvia Waddilove Foundation UK, aimed at matching the committed funding from the Nisbet Trust. This financial support is a crucial step towards reimagining and restoring the iconic Grade II Listed building in Hotwells.

The redevelopment project is being supported by specialist expertise from an experienced professional team including conservation-accredited architect, Corinne Fitzpatrick. Corinne has previously worked on projects including Clevedon Pool, Bridgewater Castle House, St. James Priory, and Tabernacle Kingswood, as well as supporting with a year long repair programme of works to the Trinity Centre.

Leading the design aspect of the project is Sean Redmond and the PH3 Design team who have a history of involvement in feasibility studies and capital design scheme’s for the former Bristol Community Dance Centre, based at Jacobs Wells for over 30 years until they closed in 2016.

The structural engineering team from Mann Williams have been working on a similar restoration scheme to Moseley Road Baths. The team are being led by Nichola Dyer of Greenwood Projects, who are also providing Quantity Surveying services.

The team have commenced on-site surveys to assess the condition of the asset. These surveys will help identify costed works plans, which will include a phase of Emergency Works to stabilise the asset while the Trinity Team and the steering group work on developing an application to the Community Ownership Fund (11 October).

As part of our mission to restore the building we will be continuing to approach heritage funders to support Emergency Works alongside developing a full application to Community Ownership Fund – a £150m government scheme to save assets and amenities at risk of being lost.

Be part of future and help make the magic happen:

• Fill in our survey tell us how you would like to use space
• Share your story e.g. images / memories of space #savejwb or to info@trinitybristol.org.uk
• Write a letter of support
• Join us on one of our pop up events to find out more about our plans (20, 23 Sep)
• Comment and vote on our Pol.is
• Click here to join our mailing list to be kept up to date on ways to get involved
• Click here to donate to the Jacobs Wells Baths Fundsurfer now

Image credit: Docklands Community Centre/Full Circle

Dubbed by agencies across the voluntary sector as, ‘The Great British Sell-Off’, our shared heritage and civic assets, community and youth centres, libraries and public green spaces are being lost as part of the council funding crisis.

Bristol City Council’s 2022-23 budget announcement is framed with the proviso that further cuts will be needed to plug a £19.5m deficit. This includes, “£3.5m by reviewing the buildings we own across all services.” With the statue debate still raging nationally, we’re sleepwalking into a future that, even prior to the pandemic, has already stripped Bristol of £30m worth of publicly owned assets.

"If we continue to deplete our supply of places where we can read our first book, become a Scout, learn a language or a new dance move or play Bingo in our retirement, we’ll continue down the pathway to polarisation."

The challenge is not in making such spaces loved, it’s in making them viable. We neglect the leaking community centre, or the inaccessible library, whilst trying to ‘level-up’, through investing in ‘transformative’ projects where the cost of the economic impact assessment alone would cover repairs and alterations across community spaces citywide. It’s hard to see how the building of an Arena or a multi-million concert hall refurb compensates us for the loss of the places where we connect with one another, make memories and build our sense of place and belonging in our everyday lives.

As costs of a few projects escalate to keep pace with aspiration, this increases the distance between the ‘viable’ and ‘non-viable’ spaces. If you’re a charity running a building, it’s almost impossible not to get caught on the capital conveyor belt to nowhere, in which we all chase an unattainable vision of the perfect building. Often, like Trinity, it’s what we’re legally constituted to “preserve” our asset. This means, even with the best intentions, we can end up leaving behind our stakeholders and our communities in the pursuit of building back better.

When we get swept up in the notion that a capital project is the priority above all else, we lose sight of the thing that makes buildings important in the first place; it’s the empty space within and the energy it’s filled with that matters more than the bricks and mortar.

We want to make Trinity the best venue it can be, just not at the expense of other venues or those who need the building in the first place and who have been happy using it even at its shabbiest. Balancing the need to future-proof and make a viable and sustainable Centre, whilst taking others with us and ensuring any investment is felt beyond our four walls.

This is why we produced the 100 Beacons report in partnership with other venues and the Council to evidence the contribution of Bristol’s community assets, including the critical role they’ve played in providing local services as part of the COVID19 response.

As part of Bristol’s One City Plan, early indications are a commitment from the Council to invest in improvements to concessionary lettings, such as those referenced in our report. This could provide a lifeline to buildings owned by the city and managed on our behalf. As the budget is still in draft form, we still don’t yet know how this will translate into money to make neighbourhood hubs useable, accessible, green and COVID-Secure. However, this is at least an example of what can be achieved if we work together on what matters to people, to ensure spaces are retained for community use for the benefit of ourselves and future generations.

If we continue to deplete our supply of places where we can read our first book, become a Scout, learn a language or a new dance move or play Bingo in our retirement, we’ll continue down the pathway to polarisation. Such catastrophic loss to communities makes it easy to develop false attachments to an effigy of a slaver not designed with us in mind, whilst increasing our resentment towards those we see as encroaching on any space we feel we have left, be it the immigrant or the gentrifier.

If only those advocating to preserve commemorative statues put even a fraction of that energy into campaigning to save their local heritage asset or civic space, volunteer at their local community or youth centre, or set up a regular social activity in their local library we’d all feel the positive effects. As we continue to navigate the isolating impact of a period of successive restrictions, it’s the spaces that reduce the distance between us that help us to level-up, culturally, socially and economically.

Emma Harvey, CEO

Read the report: A Community Canvas - building the case for community infrastructure 2022 - 2026

Thank to everyone who has made the magic happen at Trinity this year- it's thanks to the generous support from people like you that we can continue to inspire and strengthen local communities through arts and culture.

This year we’ve made strides towards our vision of Creative Expression for All offering a year-round cultural offer.

We launched the Cultural Alliance - a two-year arts-based learning programme in three local primary schools, ensuring every Key Stage 2 pupil now receives weekly dance & drama sessions.

We’ve increased our commitment to young people, including weekly Speak Out sessions, giving young people the creative tools to take action about issues they care about.

By nurturing young people’s creativity, we’ve welcomed rising talent onto Trinity’s stage including the Next Gen Sounds performance at the annual Garden Party.

We’ve appointed three Community Connector roles to better understand the needs and interests of residents and community groups within the Newtown area, Stapleton Road as well as people accessing services at the Wild Goose Cafe.

We are continually working to enhance our heritage building, ensuring it remains accessible, inclusive and sustainable for all. This year we launched the Ticket Levy, a fee applied to all bookings to help us fund essential improvements to Trinity Centre.

Our Citizens for Culture, delivered in partnership with St Paul's Carnival, and Citizens In Power, is bringing together people across the Southwest to meet with creative practitioners, cultural providers and decision-makers with the aim to create a Cultural Plan for the region.

Advocating for our shared community spaces remains a priority for us as we progress in our mission to save Jacobs Wells. We’re now working hard to raise essential funds to restore and re-open the building as a multi-purpose community hub by Autumn 2025.

We are hugely proud of everything we’ve achieved throughout this year, and the impact we continue to create for our local community.

None of this would be possible without the longstanding support and friendship of our supporters, partners and audiences.

We have created an online poll allowing people to share their thoughts and feelings for Jacobs Wells Baths.

The platform allows you to vote on other submissions, this is collected anonymously and gathers common themes.

If you would like to share please click this link and share with anyone who may want to join in.

About Pol.is

Pol.is is a survey technology where users can enter statements, which other users can express their positions on, clicking either “agree,” “disagree,” or “pass”.

It is an Open Source online tool that can be used to gather open ended feedback from large groups of people. It is well suited to gathering organic, authentic feedback while retaining minority opinions.

If you have any other feedback or comments, or would like to get in touch about something more specific, contact sarah@trinitybristol.org.uk

Credit: Ice Road by Raucous - Photographer Jack Offord

Trinity have submitted a bid to Bristol City Council to take on Jacobs Wells Baths as part of a Community Asset Transfer.

Jacobs Wells Baths, a Grade II listed building, opened as a public swimming pool in 1889. In the 1980's following the closure of the pool facilities the site was re-purposed as a community dance centre - which closed its door in 2015. Following this in Dec 2022, due to rising costs, Fusion Leisure Centre announced that it could no longer commit to re-opening the building as a public pool and a public campaign was launched, driven by local residents, to safeguard the future of the building.

Trinity have been working closely with stakeholders to develop a cohesive plan to take on the management of the building and deliver a programme of repairs in order to re-open Jacobs Wells Baths as a community space. Alongside this we have created a detailed business plan that outlines our vision for the space to be economically viable. You can read these documents here and here.

We remain committed to working with Bristol City Council, Councillors, partners and stakeholder groups to develop and deliver a realisable repair and renovation scheme that is both in keeping with the venue’s dance heritage and also responds to consultation and the desperate need for community and youth provision within the locality. This includes hosting events, attending meetings and other activities to gather feedback from the many voices invested in the future of the site. If you would like to keep up-to-date about our plans, sign up to our mailing list here.

Artwork credit ASLS

Trinity CEO Emma Harvey reflects on the importance of community buildings following the news that Jacob Wells Baths is now at risk of being taken out of public ownership.

Jacobs Wells Baths is an asset owned by us. Built in 1889 to serve the working poor, the Grade II Listed building holds within its walls a wealth of of architectural and social heritage - from its time as a public swimming baths to its 30 year history as a dance hub.

This all risks being lost as, in December 2022, leisure company Fusion Lifestyle announced they were pulling out of restoring and managing the space meaning our cash-strapped local authority may now table it for disposal.

The story of this asset is sadly not unusual. A 2019 report by Bristol Cable revealed how Bristol City Council has sold off millions of pounds’ worth of public property as part of their ongoing response to austerity. This local saga is set against a national backdrop dubbed as ‘The Great British Sell-Off’, with local authorities across the UK attempting to combat funding crises through sale of our shared civic and heritage spaces.

"One thing you can say about Bristol is we’re a city that has demonstrated we can take complex heritage assets and transform them into viable community and cultural hubs."

It’s a pattern that shows no sign of stopping in 2023. Bristol faces yet another round of cuts and the pressure’s on to plug a £32m funding gap in whatever way possible. 134 years on from the Baths’ construction, it feels as though Bristol folk are still working hard though still very much the poorer for it.

It’s really easy to reduce these buildings to numbers on a spreadsheet. If we sell Jacobs Wells then the headache as to what to do with it next is finally over. Plus, we get some cash to plug a gap so we can all breathe a temporary sigh of relief until the next cycle of cuts. If you grew up poor it’s actually understandable. I’m sure many of us have memories of our parents pawning what few possessions they’d acquired just to make ends meet. It’s just what you do when you’re broke.

The problem though is that, when our Councils take this same attitude to balancing the books, this robs current and future generations of the assets we own and makes us all collectively poorer. In a city like Bristol, growing in density and diversity, it deprives us of places to come together, connect and share experiences. To learn and grow, to grieve or to celebrate. To keep fit, dance and be merry. To avoid loneliness or just to get out of the cold. Even to problem solve, mobilise and take collective action about the things that matter to us.

What is unusual about Bristol though is that for every Jacobs Wells Baths there are other success stories that run counter to this ‘sold from under you’ narrative. From Spike Island, to Watershed, to the Tobacco Factory, one thing you can say about Bristol is we’re a city that has demonstrated we can take complex heritage assets and transform them into viable community and cultural hubs.

The Trinity Centre is one such building as over the last 15 years we have demonstrated that we can take a big old dilapidated liability and transform it into a celebrated, multi-use arts and community asset.

So what’s stopping us from doing the same with JWB? Even with our track record, groups like Trinity just aren’t treated as serious contenders when the future of assets like Jacobs Wells Baths comes up for discussion. Maybe that’s because we don’t have millions of pounds at our disposal, or maybe its because I look like a Fraggle and talk like the love-child of Russell Brand and Janet Street-Porter. Decision makers just aren’t that great at trusting anyone to solve complex problems if the solution isn’t packaged in received pronunciation and a smart suit.

We don’t do it because we’re told we can’t, are scared to try or don’t believe we can. If we want to change this narrative this doesn’t start with the Council. It starts here and now with us. If we want to save our spaces and protect Jacobs Wells Baths and other shared civic spaces for this and future generations, as citizens we need to come together and say we want one last shot at reimagining a different future.

The Council may be the landlord but these buildings are ours. Once they’re gone they’re gone and there is no going back. We just need to believe for a moment that we can do this Bristol. Let’s put our heads and voices together and make it happen.

Take action today:

• Contact your Councillor and MP – write to them about why JWB is important
• Prepare a statement for local Cabinet
• Check out past feasibility study and plans for viable asset management
• Send your support to ensure it is registered as an Asset of Community Value
• Share on social media using the tags #SaveOurSpaces #SoldFromUnderYou #SaveJWB
• Read our 100 Beacons Report and find out more about Power to Changes We're Right Here Campaign

Fidel Meraz delivers his talk about re-using historic buildings. Image credit @Khali Photography

Our Heart & Soul project celebrated people's major life events at Trinity and ran alongside our current building conservation works. As part of the project we wanted to explore further the challenges and achievements of transforming and preserving historic buildings. The project included a series of talks, inviting both national and international speakers to share their knowledge and experience on the positives and pitfalls of re-imaging historic buildings.

Speaking from an architecture perspective about how a space can be adapted to better serve the community, Trinity Trustee and UWE Senior Lecturer Fidel Meraz delivered the first talk of this programme, and talked about buildings around the world where the function has changed over time, Feb 27 2018...

Most churches were originally built to hold a service once a week - by giving them a second life, the building accommodates for a far larger audience.

What was really compelling about Fidel’s talk was that he spoke in metaphors of the human life, about the way buildings are born as beautiful and well attended sacred buildings, then decline over time until finally they are not active. He used the example that when an elderly person struggles to walk, we give them crutches, and this is also the way he likes elderly buildings to be treated.

An interesting point was made that most churches were originally built to hold a service once a week, therefore in some cases by giving them a second life, the building accommodates for a far larger audience.

When we approach a church we have a predetermined view of what will be inside, Meraz explained, so it is exciting to be surprised by what we find. In Asturias, Spain, the Santa Barbara Church was abandoned and crumbling until the community took action. They raised money and with sponsorship from Red Bull too, it was converted into a vibrantly colourful indoor skate park.

Through time the architectural intention has changed from a place of worship to a space of activity, but the purpose of the building as a space to serve the community remains. He compared the Santa Barbara Church with the Trinity Centre because in both cases what you find on the inside is unexpected and fun.

A lively discussion began after Fidel's talk around Old Market and gentrification. Image credit @Khali Photography

From Fidel’s talk I learned that the world is full amazing ideas of how to reuse spaces. Tess Sieling, project intern

After the talk, Edson Burton invited a discussion between the audience and Meraz, in which the future of the Trinity Centre, Old Market and Bristol were spoken about. Concerns were voiced about the gentrification of Old Market area, which highlights the role the Trinity Centre plays in serving communities.

There is a sense that it is now in a crucial era where the Trinity Centre’s responsibility is to remain accessible to all communities without judgement and, from, Fidel’s talk I learned that the world is full amazing ideas of how to reuse spaces.

This write up was by Tess Sieling, who was the project intern on the Heart & Soul heritage project. The talk was part of a series exploring the challenges and achievements of transforming and preserving historic buildings and was programmed in collaboration with Bristol's Architecture Centre and the University of West England (UWE).

How to get involved

Click here to sign the Hotwells and Cliftonwood petition to Save Jacobs Wells Baths

Further reading

Read more from our Heart & Soul talk series - Father Paul, - Dr Katie McClymont, and A Million Bricks of Love.

Read more about the Save Jacobs Wells Campaign here.

SAVE Britain's Heritage Buildings at Risk Register, 2023

As Bristol City Council lists Jacobs Wells Baths for disposal in their 4th July 2023 Cabinet meeting, national advocacy group SAVE Britain's Heritage have added the asset to their 'At Risk' Register, highlighting the urgent need for its preservation and repurposing, along with 67 other new entries to their representing various historic structures across the country.

The nominations received for inclusion in the 'Reuse Me, Don't Lose Me' register showcase the diverse range of endangered buildings in need of attention and revival. Alongside Jacobs Wells Baths, other newly added entries are a burnt-out grade II* bank in Somerset, a neglected grade II townhouse in Margate, ex-industrial buildings in Hull, and a collection of 18th-century estate buildings near George Eliot's birthplace in Warwickshire. Each structure has its own unique story and requires dedicated efforts to breathe new life into them.

The inclusion of Jacobs Wells Baths in the register has happened just as the Council have it is deemed that the building "offers no contribution to service delivery or the local community", in papers published ready for (see pg 282) next week's meeting.

Contrary to this claim, the building has been identified as the only viable option for community and youth services for over 25,000 residents in Clifton, Hotwells & Harbourside. Its social and heritage value has created a huge strength of community feeling about the need for JWB to be retained as a community asset, with a petition in Feburary this year attracting over 1,000 signatures.

Jacobs Wells Baths, "offers no contribution to service delivery or the local community” - Bristol City Council, June 2023

With the complexities that limit demolition or development, Trinity are continuing to support the community case for reisnstatement as a community asset, offering to take on a leading role in developing and fundraising to deliver a viable recovery plan. Embracing a quick-fix mentality has led us to this point, and it is essential that we work collaboratively with the community to find a solution that yields the best results and value for the council, especially in these challenging times as people more and more are turning to our public spaces, through initiatives such as the city's Warm and Welcoming Spaces.

The inclusion of Jacobs Wells Baths in SAVE Britain's Heritage Buildings at Risk Register demonstrates the significance of preserving this historic site and finding a suitable organization, such as Trinity, capable of attracting grant funding to ensure its long-term survival.

As the fate of Jacobs Wells Baths hangs in the balance, there is still time to save it and encourage the Council to explore all possibilities to safeguard its future for benefit of the community and future generations.

Take action today

Submit a question or statement for local Cabinet

Check out our plans for viable asset recovery and management

Share on social media using the tags #SaveOurSpaces #SoldFromUnderYou #SaveJWB

About SAVE Britain's Heritage

SAVE Britain's Heritage is a leading national campaign organization, formed in 1975, that aims to save and protect historic buildings from unnecessary destruction or neglect. Through advocacy, education, and activism, SAVE works tirelessly to preserve the architectural heritage of the United Kingdom.

SAVE's Buildings at Risk register has been active for 34 years, serving as a platform to raise awareness about disused historic buildings and advocate for their reuse to ensure their survival. With growing national attention on the importance of finding sustainable new uses for historic sites, the register plays a crucial role in preserving our architectural heritage.

Amy Hutchings, with the support of Anna Haydock-Wilson, created a bespoke artwork for Jacobs Wells as part of the Fundsurfer appeal. Photo: Alastair Brookes

Thank you Bristol - we wouldn't have achieved this milestone without you!

Jacobs Wells – formerly known as Bristol Community Dance Centre in Hotwells – is one step closer to being revived in 2025 following a £1,050,000 grant from The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ (DLUHC) Community Ownership Fund. The investment will help to deliver plans developed in response to a community campaign to transform the derelict space into a vibrant community arts hub.

Since the start of 2023, the race has been on to save the Grade II listed building following news that Bristol City Council had listed the asset for disposal. Backed by community stakeholders including Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association, artists and local councillors, we set out on a mission to raise the funds needed to repair and restore the building.

"This is another massive step in a hugely ambitious recovery effort and the Trinity Board would like to extend our huge thanks to DLUHC, match funders and supporters for sharing our vision." Trinity Trustee Dr Fidel Meraz

This latest investment builds on Bristol City Council's 35-year Community Asset Transfer offer to Trinity and ongoing survey work funded by Nisbet Trust and match funders to assess and scope the repairs scheme and undertake emergency measures to stop further damage.

The grant from DLUHC matches over £400,000 pledged in support of the project from local funders Nisbet Trust, John James Foundation and match funders including individuals who have been donating to an online Fundsurfer appeal.

The journey so far...

The Grade II Listed building has sat dormant since 2018 and faced an uncertain future at the start of 2023 when plans to reinstate it as a pool fell through. A petition was launched to save the building by the Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association, with the help of Trinity and it was subsequently listed as ‘At Risk’ by SAVE Britain’s Heritage due to its dilapidated condition.

We are actively progressing detailed surveys to the fabric of the building to assess the building’s condition and viability; this includes essential surveys to scope and cost works to inform decision making and capital-works. Subject to these, Trinity’s vision is to secure an estimated £4 million for a two-phased capital project and bring the building back into use in 2025 as a home for dance and community activity. See more about our plans, here.

Trinity Trustee, Dr Fidel Meraz who has been working with staff and community supporters to drive the appeal said:

"We want to take this opportunity to share a heartfelt thank you to all who contributed to the mission so far. From the encouraging letters from residents to the dedicated volunteers who generously shared their time to help campaign to restore the building, your support has been invaluable. We wouldn't have achieved this milestone without each one of you."

Dan Norris, Metro Mayor who recently visited Jacobs Wells for a behind-the-scenes tour said:

“Jacobs Wells Baths is full of potential, and I know many local people are really behind getting this building restored and opened again for the benefit of the community. I’m delighted that the hard work of Trinity Community Arts has paid off to secure this cash.

"As I’ve seen when I looked around, there’s a lot to do to before Hotwells residents can enjoy this facility again, but the potential is amazing. This is another important step on the journey.”

“Each step in this journey paves the way for the next and this latest grant from DLUHC brings us ever closer to building's revival. Its success is still very much dependent on your support - we invite you to join us and show you care by giving to our Fundsurfer". Emma Harvey, CEO

Councillor Craig Cheney, Deputy Mayor for Finance, Governance, Performance, and Culture, Bristol City Council said of the news:

“It was brilliant to see the new artwork at Jacobs Wells Baths last month, after we awarded a 35-year Community Asset Transfer lease in July to bring the Grade II listed site back to life.

"Congratulations to everyone at Trinity for securing this major £1 million investment in Jacobs Wells Baths. We hope that it will be a giant leap on the journey to delivering a thriving community arts hub.”

Our CEO Emma Harvey said:

“The success of a project like this is less about one thing and more about overcoming a series of interconnected challenges - from addressing immediate liabilities and securing funding to galvanising support from local stakeholders, alongside showing that the building has a long-term, viable future.

“Each step in this journey paves the way for the next and this latest grant from DLUHC brings us ever closer to building's revival. Its success is still very much dependent on your support - we invite you to join us and show you care by giving to our Fundsurfer".

Read more about the Community Ownership Fund here.