Artwork by Patch Keyes

Duppy Hunter: A Locals Guide to St Paul’s is a ‘listening experience’ where audiences are invited to embark on a playful exploration of St. Paul's, assuming the role of Duppy Hunters in pursuit of an elusive spirit hidden amongst the streets and sights of this vibrant neighbourhood.

This unique experience is a collaboration between Trinity and the renowned Tamasha Theatre Company, whose work supports both emerging & established Global Majority artists and arts organisations Coney who create playful digital experiences.

We caught up with the Director of Duppy Hunter, Hanna Adu-Boateng, to find out more about the adventure:

What attracted you to this project?

The project came about at a time when I was seeking work with Global Majority theatre companies. I was really interested in the collaboration between Tamasha, Coney and Trinity and the concept of the Ends and Tales genre of theatre. I liked the fact that the three organisations were looking for a director who was connected to the Global Majority heritages, especially the African Caribbean communities in St Paul’s, Bristol. I came to Bristol 30 years ago to work creatively within St Paul’s for an organisation called Kuumba, which empowered and developed people of African descent. Dr Edson Burton also worked there at the same time. However, an opportunity has never arisen for me to direct/dramaturg one of his plays. The project brief also aligned with my desire to delve into work which includes interviewing members of the community to draw out personal stories connected to the rich history of St Paul’s. I also was really attracted to the prospect of developing my work with digital media and audio production, which would be a new and exciting challenge for me.

Duppy Hunter is written by Dr Edson Burton, inspired by interviews with the local people of Bristol and their memories. How do you go about directing a piece of work that use community stories?

Directing Duppy Hunter means that you must be able to connect with, design a specific set of questions that you want to ask each interviewee, but also be flexible enough to go with the stories each person wants to tell. The memories of local people and their connection to St Paul’s give authenticity to the narrative, which Edson created. It is important that the writer has confidence in you honouring his work and the local people trust and are comfortable with sharing their memories with you. I think Edson drew out a strong narrative that will relate to many of the community of St Paul’s from decades gone by, but he also included poignant individual memories of characters who have passed, which must be overseen with care and empathy.

Why is a project like this important to Bristol - and beyond?

It is so important that Bristol and places beyond recognises and celebrates the epic contribution the African Caribbean people from the Windrush era onwards have shaped the political landscape, history and culture of the city. You can learn more from projects such as this.

What should someone expect to experience when they sign up for Duppy Hunter?

They should expect to have a lot of fun experiencing the narrative unfold as it transports you from one memory and place to another, through the central character of Josie, who is a Duppy Hunter. They will also be moving through different periods of time, encountering different people who have contributed to the racial justice and equality struggle.They will enjoy music from different decades, the singing of hymns and be moved by real people who have passed but will never be forgotten. They will learn alot!

Duppy Hunter runs from 03 October - 29 October and starts at The Trinity Centre - click here to get your tickets.

Set between states of being – past and present, dream and waking life, colonised and free, male and female, memory and prescience – Neptune Frost is an invigorating and empowering direct download to the cerebral cortex and a call to reclaim technology for progressive political ends.

This is an Afrika Eye & Trinity Presents partnership with poetry from Shakara followed by a post-screening discussion.

See Afrika Eye's 2023 programme at www.afrikaeye.org.uk.

About Trinity Presents:

This event is part of Trinity Presents - our in-house programme of music and performance, bringing world-class artists and emerging talent to inner-city audiences.

Image: Sould and Cells

We are thrilled to announce our Autumn Theatre and Arts programme, a dynamic exploration of grassroots social justice which celebrates underrepresented voices and shares untold stories from Bristol and beyond.

“This season is an ode to the underrepresented voices and cultures that make up our social fabric, redefining and exploring contemporary arts through the lens of social justice.” Esther Afikiruweh, Combined Arts Producer, Trinity

The series features film screenings, spoken word performances, theatre and dance and kicks off with an immersive audio trail, 'Duppy Hunter: A Local's Guide to St Paul's' on 03 Oct. Audiences are invited to embark on a playful exploration of St. Paul's, assuming the role of Duppy Hunters in pursuit of an elusive spirit hidden amongst the streets and sights of this vibrant neighbourhood. This unique ‘listening experience’ is a collaboration between Trinity and the renowned Tamasha Theatre Company whose work supports both emerging & established Global Majority artists and arts organisations Coney who create playful digital experiences.

On 12 October, we welcome community artists Carlota Matos and Hiba Elhindi, who, in collaboration with the refugee and asylum seeker support charity Borderlands, will host 'Theatre of Migration'. This evening promises engaging panel discussions, screenings, and sharings, delving into the world of participatory theatre and the ethical considerations of creating theatre based on lived experiences, particularly from the perspective of refugees and asylum seekers.

The powerful documentary, 'I am Judah', will be screened on 20 October. The film tells the poignant story of Easton resident Ras Judah, who was unjustly tasered by the police in 2017. Despite a criminal trial, the officer responsible was found not guilty, and in September 2018, she was also cleared of misconduct. "I Am Judah" critically examines this case, giving voice to Judah as a community elder and shedding light on the broader issue of police injustices affecting many others.

Returning to Trinity on 05 November, dance artist Akeim Toussaint Buck and Crystal Zillwood present their performance, 'Souls and Cells'. This mesmerising showcase delves into themes of heritage, ancestry, and moments of inter-connectiveness through the medium of movement, dance, and sound.

As a culmination of the season, we join forces with the Afrika Eye film festival on 17 November for the 17th festival edition. Together, we will present a screening of 'Neptune Frost', the 2022 science fiction romantic musical film co-directed by Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman, alongside performances from spoken word artists.

Our Autumn Theatre and Arts programme promises to be a season of thought-provoking and inspiring events, celebrating diversity, social justice, and artistic expression. Join us as we elevate underrepresented voices and share powerful stories that resonate with the many communities who live in Bristol.

About Trinity Presents:

This is part of Trinity Presents - our in-house programme of music and performance, bringing world-class artists and emerging talent to inner-city audiences.

The evening will include a sharing from ongoing theatre workshops with migrant women in collaboration with Borderlands and a screening of the work being done by project SuFIA (Sudanese Folklore-Inspired Arts) by Hiba. The 45-min panel discussion will feature topics such as the ethics of participation, making theatre from lived experience and working with migrants followed by a Q&A.

Carlota recently partnered with Bristol-based charity Borderlands to offer free weekly theatre workshops for migrant women starting in September 2023. This participatory theatre project addresses language barriers and explores identity and what it means to be a woman in different cultures.

Theatre of Migration with Carlota Matos and Hiba Elhindi will take place on Thursday 12th October, 6.30-8PM at the Trinity Centre, Trinity Road, Bristol, BS2 0NW.

Doors will open at 6.15PM and the event will start promptly at 6.30PM. Refreshments will be provided. Please note there won’t be any alcohol served.

ACCESS: This is a relaxed event and will have BSL interpretation throughout. Trinity is wheelchair accessible.

Families are welcome and there will be a non-staffed breakout space available with children's toys and activities.

About Trinity Presents

This event is part of Trinity Presents - our in-house programme of music and performance, bringing world-class artists and emerging talent to inner-city audiences.

More information to come...

Photo credit: Ice Road by Raucous, Jack Offord, Jacobs Wells Baths

"Bristol is brimming with dance talent in many forms, and it is well overdue for a dedicated space of its own" Deborah Baddoo MBE, Bristol Dance Futures Producer

Former dance centre and Victorian swimming pool, Jacobs Wells Baths has recently been saved from potential disposal by Bristol City Council following their announcement to launch an open process for expressions of interests to manage the building via a Community Asset Transfer.

In 2019-21 we were part of Bristol Dance Futures, a consortium dedicated to building dance profile, capacity and infrastructure in Bristol. The project highlighted the rich potential of dance in the city and created legacies including cross-sector working across health and community development.

We asked Bristol Dance Futures Producer, Deborah Baddoo MBE, to reflect on the project and to share how it could help reimagine a community space, such as Jacobs Wells Baths.

"During my time as producer for Bristol Dance Futures it was clearly evident that there is a huge gap in terms of a dance specific space in Bristol.

Obviously, it is important to bring dance into other organisations who may not normally have access to dance activity, but there is a thriving dance community throughout the city, hiring commercial studios, performing in unsuitable spaces and trying to book spaces in venues for rehearsals, classes and workshops.

Post Covid-19, now more than ever, the powers that be are recognising the valuable role that dance and indeed all the arts have on helping individuals on their journey to wellbeing and the special role that dance has in connecting people, improving mobility, releasing stress and enhancing creativity, to name only a few of the benefits of dance.

A dedicated dance space such as Jacobs Wells Baths has potential to be a place where many exciting initiatives can flourish, a networking space for dance, a rehearsal space, and importantly hub for dance and wellbeing activity in the city.

Dance in Bristol has gone through many changes and manifestations over the last 25 years, but these have always tended to be piecemeal, short-lived initiatives having limited long-term impact for the sector as a whole.

Bristol is brimming with dance talent in many forms, and it is well overdue for a dedicated space of its own. A dedicated space will help enable the dance sector in Bristol to continue to grow and be a catalyst for exciting new developments and a much needed home for dance in this vibrant city."

Deborah Baddoo MBE, Dance Producer

If you would like to join a conversation on what the future for Jacob Wells could be, please click here.

The choir will perform existing songs from their repertoire as well as new songs chosen to reflect the avian theme of the visuals. There will be iconic murmurating starlings and some extraordinary Bees from Martin’s award winning film ‘My Garden of A Thousand Bees’ (featuring a previous collaboration with the choir), building to a finale with the dazzling murmurations of winter waders from The Wash estuary in Norfolk.

Support will be an improvised piano performance by the choir’s Jakob op den Brouw with visuals by Steve White.

Performance starts at 8pm

Find out more about the choir from their website and instagram.

Laughter and tears, puberty and menopause, struggles and success. A range of local Bristol women from different generations and cultures come together to share their real-life stories and experiences of being a women.

So get ready to put on your Bluetooth headsets and let this all-women cast take you on a truly mesmerising, intimate and unique journey of what being a women means to them.

Please note, this show contains sexual references.

A Bristol reading from the brilliant debut collection of YouTuber, writer, and poet, Leena Norms. Plus a local support line up TBA.

Leena Norms is a British poet and writer from the West Midlands. She has been sharing her poetry online for over 10 years and her video essays have amassed over 11 million views to date, covering everything from literature and second hand fashion to protecting the planet and surviving your twenties.

Bargain Bin Rom-Com is the first collection of poems by Leena Norms. From the politics of ice-cream to the permission slip you didn’t know you needed, this is a tongue-in-cheek look at living on a planet that is filled with both doom and glitter.

Please note, this is a seated event.

About Trinity Presents:

This is part of Trinity Presents - our in-house programme of music, bringing world-class artists and emerging talent to inner-city audiences.

About The Den:

The Den is Trinity’s new, seasonal outdoor venue. Situated within the historic grounds of Trinity, The Den is designed to feel like a magical corner of a festival, with its own bar, food offer and a backdrop of the vibrant community garden.

The Bristol Ballroom Community are inviting everyone to Bristol's First Official Ballroom Function. Bear witness to this spectacular fusion of dance, fashion, performance, and gender expression. The public are invited as spectators, or if you have the nerve, you can participate or ‘walk’ the Ball. There are different tickets for walkers and spectators so please be careful when choosing. There is a category for everyone – some will be dance performance based, some performance art, and others just feeling yourself!

Originating in Harlem, New York in the 1920s, Ballroom Culture has since spread across the globe. With its racial inclusivity pioneered by Trans figureheads such as Crystal Labeija, the Ballroom Scene celebrates and prioritises LGBTQIA+ people of colour. Members of the Ballroom Scene come together for Balls, where individuals and Houses compete in fashion, beauty, realness, and performance categories for prizes. The Bristol Ballroom Community formed in 2019, as they were obsessed with Ballroom Culture and wanted to make a safe space for Queer People of Colour. They eventually reached out to the wider UK Ballroom Scene.

Anyone is welcome to participate, but if you’re new to Ballroom Culture and want to walk any the of categories, why not do some research before you walk? Reach out to the Bristol Ballroom Community or join one of their weekly Training sessions, and please be respectful of who the space was created for.

Please press the 'More Info' on the left of the screen, or copy the Facebook link below into your browser for a full breakdown of the categories and their criteria:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1334609100372266/

If you would like to participate in this event as a 'Walker' please contact @BristolBallroomCommunity via Instagram, so that they can provide you with the Walkers Ticket Discount Code. Walkers tickets cost £7

https://www.instagram.com/bristolballroomcommunity/?hl=en

We hope to see you on the Floor!

Over 12 weeks children and families from local school Hannah More primary took part Trinity’s ‘Art Club’ project, in partnership with Take A Part. During one session we headed down to Hannah More to chat with the children and families to ask them what they thought of 'Art Club', press play above to hear what they had to say!

"When I was their age, we didn't get the possibility to draw - we couldn't afford it" Baktiar and Asenat's Mum

In total 25 children and families came along to ‘Art Club’. During the sessions they explored different art-forms, such as clay making, model making using with different types of art materials.

The group also went on ‘go see’ visits to arts organisations and museums in the city. This included a trip to see the Grayson Perry exhibition in the Bristol Museum and a visit to the newly established arts organisations 'St Anne’s House' where they met resident artist Rachel Clarke.

‘Art Club’ is a Trinity commission, delivered by Take a Part in partnership with Hannah More Primary and made possible through funding from the Cultural Recovery Fund

Trinity believes that the best art is created and experienced by the 67 million voices that make up UK society today. This is why we support and nurture creative communities, creating opportunities for artists and communities to co-create and experience culture together.

"I can't tell you how much we enjoyed it. It was perfectly pitched for this age group. This is exactly what we need more of” - Head Teacher from school’s audience group

Collaborating with communities

In March 2021 we launched an ambitious community arts project, 'What I Want To Be, What I Want To See' that asked communities to share their hopes and dreams for the future, post-pandemic. From this initial idea we commissioned community arts practitioner Michelle Roche to collaborate Newton Network and the local community to programme a series of ‘creative happenings’.

Throughout 2021 Michelle, Newtown Network and local residents created a programme of activities including a weekly 'coffee morning and lantern making' session that culminated with a mid-winter Dolphin Parade. Residents also took part in a series of collective actions – a community painting day and a public playlist of their favourite songs – sharing the unique identity of this vibrant corner of Bristol.

Creating opportunities for children and families to access and shape culture

Spilt Ink Theatre Company was awarded the Young Audiences Commission, which was introduced following a consultation, to offer more young people and family activities. Through our on-going partnership with local school St Nicholas of Tolentine, the company delivered a series of workshops collaborating with over 60 children to devise a new work, ‘Home’ that culminated in a public sharing in May 2021.

Trinity joined forces with Take a Part and Hannah Moore primary school to deliver 'Art Club', a project for children and their families to explore what culture they enjoy and what issues matter to them. Art Club took place for 12 weeks after school and included group trips to visit organisations such as Spike Island and The Bristol Museum, meeting staff and volunteers and having an opportunity to ask questions and see behind the scenes of some of the biggest cultural venues in the city. We will also be hosting a pop-up exhibition of artworks created by children and families who took part in the project.

Supporting the development and sharing of new and exciting work

In the summer we welcomed a range of performances in our pop-up outdoor venue, in the community garden and, for the first-time since Mar 2020, inside the building. This included a Trinity ‘take-over’ by associate artist Roxana Vilk, The Vilk Collective and immersive tech-artists Squid Ink with their 'Lullabies Celebration' celebrating the culmination of Roxana’s Lullabies project. The project collected and responded to songs from the many languages spoken in Bristol and beyond. Roxana is continuing to develop her creative practise including performing at St Georges Hall and through her residency at Watershed’s PM Studio.

Through micro-commissions and subsidised space we continued to support the creation and development of new work, including Houston Dance Company who devised Like Mercury in the Fyfe Hall. The show was selected to be programmed as part of the spring season of theatre and dance in 2022 and premiered to sell-out audiences. The show explored gender, sexuality and identity and positive feedback from audiences included people commenting that the show ‘taught me to embody and celebrate my sexuality’. The company will be touring the performance in the UK throughout 2022.

• Doors 6pm
• Show starts 7pm

please note:

• Strobe lighting will be used throughout the show
• This event will be filmed for On Demand

Please read our COVID-19 Safety Policy for information on attending events during this time. Please note, proof a negative PCR/lateral flow test is required for entry.

Roxana Vilk's Lullabies Celebration Day. Photo credit Khali Ackford

The past few years have been a testing time for our industry. Looking to the future, we want to change how we work together in Bristol and the South West — as a small group of venues, we have started thinking about how as a collective we might find moments in the year to link our pathways and programmes for artists, celebrating and sustaining them alongside platforming their work in the places they call home.

Throughout March, join us in exploring what a connected city offer for theatre-makers might look like. Co-delivered by Trinity, Bristol Old Vic, Tobacco Factory Theatres and The Wardrobe Theatre and with input from many others, Connecting the Dots is a joined-up initiative piloting how we can work together to present and cross-promote shows, free workshops, meetups, residencies and open forums for artists and audiences here in the South West.

This is a pilot – a work-in-progress, even. It’s the beginning of an idea pulled together at pace with a want from all of us to build for the future. The initiative will have events that take place in-person and a small digital programme. We want to know what you think of it and to hear your feedback and your ideas for what this could become.

With love, Trinity, Bristol Old Vic, The Wardrobe Theatre & Tobacco Factory Theatres.

Important information

We will gladly book interpreters and/or captioning for any events as needed. If you have booked for an event and require interpretation, captioning, or another access adjustment, please email and we will book it.If possible, please give us at least 5 day’s notice so we can ensure captioners/interpreters are available.

All rooms are wheelchair accessible via lift and have access to accessible and gender neutral toilets.

These workshops are offered for free but if there we have a limited number of stipends available for those that might experience financial barriers to attendance. This could go towards travel, your time, etc. To request one, drop us an - stipends will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Find out more

Head to Bristol Old Vic's website to find out more about the programme of activity by following this link.

Photo: Apple N Spice

Head to Trinity this Spring to get involved with a new season of theatre and dance featuring shows that amplify stories from across the UK and beyond, creating a picture of life in modern Britain.

From shadow puppetry inspired by Indian culture to spoken word, this season is one of highs, laughs and - as always - conversations.

"I loved this from the moment I read this two cultures mixing together with singing and dance and audience participation, great one for the children to get involved in" Forum member feedback on Apple 'N Spice, showing 17th Feb 22

Launching with Apple 'N' Spice (17 Feb), an interactive dance and theatre show inspired by Snow White and Ramayana (an ancient Indian story).

On the Inside (25 Feb) by Untold Theatre transports audiences to a dystopian world where four people are trapped inside and forced to live together and their morals and values are thrown out of the window when their true selves begin to emerge...

Dry Season (06 Mar) is a spoken word show that takes a candid look at the impact of experiencing the menopause in your 30's.

Like Mercury (12 Mar) is a powerful new dance and music collaboration by Emma Houston and Bellatrix. Developed with support from Trinity, the show explores the idea of identity through a queer lens.

The Big Trinity Picnic (26 Mar) is a family show hosted by poet Simon Mole and musician Gecko who will perform alongside a very special invited guest poet and is perfect for children aged 7-11 and their families/carers.

About Trinity Presents

The shows where selected following an open call for artists and companies responding to the theme, 'art of resistance'.

Trinity's programming forum made up of community members and independent representatives chose six shows to feature as part of our latest season of in-house programming.

This work is part of Trinity's commitment to amplifying the diverse voices of groups and communities who make UK culture today. To read more about what this means, see: #67MillionVoices.

All tickets are priced as 'pay what you can' starting at £7 + bf and all shows will feature a BSL interpreter.