2012 is not only the year of the London 2012 Olympics but is also the 50th anniversary of Jamaican Independence. It is also the 180th birthday of the Trinity Centre - the birthplace of some of the best homegrown Bristol talent.

This year's garden party, Sunday 13 May, will be full of all the usual treats – food, workshops, sunshine (fingers crossed!) and the best of Bristol music. In celebration of this special anniversary, this year's line-up will be headlined by Bristol's original roots rock reggae and dub-music collective Dub from Atlantis. These guys have been performing with some of the best known reggae artists and entertaining audiences for twelve years.

Following on from this on Wednesday 16 May, the Trinity stage will be graced by The Skatalites - a seminal ska band from Jamaica. The band, formed in 1964 and, though time has seen the passing of some of the original members, the band still consists of the finest musicians in the reggae genre and-  from the first note to the last - they will have you whipped up into an elated dancing frenzy, in true celebration of their Jamaican roots. Tickets are available from Bristol Ticket Shop 0117 929 9008.

So come to Trinity Bristol and celebrate 2012, Jamaican style. Visit our Events Page for more info about these and other events.

Wavves / Willis Earl Beal / Hooray For Earth / Pond /

Neon Indian / Jake Bugg / The Rumour Said Fire /

Beth Jeans Houghton / Islet / Patterns / Peace / Rae Morris /

Random Impulse / Admiral Fallow / Bastille / Bondax / Clock Opera /

Eyes On Film / Lulu James / Murray James / The Night / Scoundrels /

Shinies / Swiss Lips / Turbowolf

Already well-established as the festival that brings you future stadium-fillers before any other event, Dot To Dot is set to unveil the second wave of acts on this year’s bill. The UK’s only touring festival, Dot To Dot will visit a multitude of venues in Bristol, Nottingham and Manchester this coming Jubilee bank holiday weekend headlined by The Drums and Pulled Apart By Horses and featuring some of the most electrifying up and coming acts currently around.

Dot To Dot Organiser Anton Lockwood said: “Our second announcement for Dot To Dot 2012 sees us welcome some of the most hotly tipped new acts in the world, including some stars of SXSW. This is what Dot To Dot is all about!”

Kicking off the latest announcement are San Diego surf punks Wavves. Fast, intense, riff propelled mayhem is the order of the day, ensuring Wavves will be raising the energy levels across all three cities. One of the most captivating artists currently getting those in the know all hot and bothered, Willis Earl Beal will be showcasing his Acoustic Sorcery for the Dot To Dot masses, Hooray For Earth will be unleashing their synth-driven psychedelia to whip up the crowds, SXSW sensations (and Tame Impala spin off) Pond will be demonstrating just why they’re being so hotly tipped and Texan art-pop wunderkind Neon Indian will be making a one-off Dot To Dot appearance in Manchester on June 4^th.

Other acts playing across the weekend include Nottingham’s latest singing, song-writing prodigy Jake Bugg, Danish indie folksters The Rumour Said Fire, renowned chanteuse Beth Jeans Houghton who will joining the event for the Bristol date and off-kilter instrument swappers Islet, plus there will be appearances from Patterns, Peace, Rae Morris and Random Impulse. And that’s not all, as other acts set to join this year’s Dot To Dot bill include Admiral Fallow, Bastille, Bondax, Clock Opera, Eyes On Film (Nottingham and Manchester only), Lulu James, Murray James, The Night, Scoundrels, Shinies (Manchester only), Swiss Lips and Turbowolf.

With tickets at an incredible £20 and a staggering list of the most exciting bands around already confirmed plus many more still to be announced, Dot To Dot is a must-see festival for 2012.

Tickets are now on sale

Bristol: £20

Nottingham: £20

Manchester £20

See our events page for full details

Arts West Side: Grand Opening

Arts West Side officially opens its doors at 11am on Saturday 31st March with an offering of coffees, cakes and photography by Khali Ackford.

The venue situated along the vibrant high street of Old Market has been redeveloped by Trinity Community Arts with generous support from Bristol City Council.

The past year has seen number 6 West Street transformed into a valuable new resource for the community featuring a fully fitted cafe, gallery, meeting/office space and art room.

Volunteer-led the venue is supported by an enthusiastic team of volunteers who bring the energy, passion and dedication to make Arts West Side a creative and welcoming space.

So whether you are looking for somewhere to eat, meet, exhibit or create Arts West Side has it all.

Grand opening: 31st March 2012 11am-4pm

Regular cafe opening times:
Tues - Fri - 11am-4pm

2012 will be a busy year for Hype Dance and the coming months will see them rehearsing hard for lots of upcoming competitions.

Hype's tutor Tasha is amongst 8,000 people who have been chosen to carry the Olympic flame across the country. Tasha said: “I have been chosen as a Olympic torch bearer for the relay when it comes to Bristol – I will be running on Wednesday 23 May.”

Speaking to The Sun Tasha, 26, said she has no idea who to thank for her nomination. The paper said:

“The mum-of-one from Bristol started street dancing when she was 18 and now volunteers as a dance teacher in youth and community clubs. Tasha said: "I'm so happy, it's a real privilege."

Trinity is so proud that Tasha has been recognised for the great work she does teaching young people to dance.

Not only will Tasha be involved in the Olympic proceedings but Hype Dance have also been chosen to dance at the Olympic Relay Celebration in Millennium Square on Tuesday 22nd May.

Hype will also be performing at Colston Hall's biggest dance show, Breakin' Convention on 31st May.

Be sure to catch Hype doing what they do best at these events. Hype rehearse at Trinity every Wednesday from 6pm - If you're interested in joining the Hype troupe contact Tasha for more info.

The event will be headlined by Alabama 3 Acoustic and Unplugged - a four-piece outfit consisting of Larry Love and Aurora Dawn on vocals, Rock

Freebase on guitar and Harpo Strangelove on harmonica. With this line up they bring a whole new dimension to the songs made famous by Alabama 3.  

The will bring a unique blend of country, gospel and delta blues, played with a rhythm you’ve got to dance to.

With the addition of Aurora Dawn to the line up, there’s an added injection of soul - as it says on the cover of the band’s previous album Revolver Soul - this is “soul music with a gun against your head”. Their latest album Shoplifting 4 Jesus is out now.

This is a night of music and fun in benefit to raise funds for Womankind – there will also be volunteers collecting on the night in aid of other charities on the night. So why not join us and catch Alabama 3 in an intimate setting and join the party in aid of some great causes!

Advanced tickets are £15 plus booking fee from a number of local outlets including Bristol Ticket Shop. Contact 0117 929 9008. Visit our events page for more info.

Volunteers help with all aspects of running AWS whether its helping with the cafe, running workshops, organising events, coordinating exhibitions, promoting the space or contributing ideas about its future.

We are a friendly group with a diverse skills-set who are united by a desire to see AWS flourish and promote the regeneration of Old Market. It does not matter whether you're a complete novice at running a space or you've been doing it for years we are always keen to have new people get involved.

What can you expect from volunteering?

If you volunteer with us we promise to:

• Support you throughout your introduction by providing a named person with whom you can discuss ideas or raise problems
• Listen to and help you enact your ideas
• Inspire you with a range of creative activities
• Encourage networking, team building and skills sharing through quarterly volunteer events

To volunteer with us you should be willing to:

• Contribute ideas
• Support other volunteers
• Engage with activities
• Promote AWS

So if you want to meet new people, showcase your skills or discover hidden talents get involved with Arts West Side.

Contact westide@3ca.org.uk or visit the volunteering space of our website for more information.

As part of our mission to champion all that is great about Bristol, we are committing to only play CDs in our new cafe from unsigned local talent.

We accept CDs from any music genre and would love to ensure that we have lots of music playing here all the time so please do pop in to the Trinity Centre Arts West Side, or post one through the Arts West Side letterbox!

Make sure to include a bit about yourself as an artist - what you've been up to in terms of gigging, who your influences, contact details - and every month, we'll review one our favourite newfound artists and promote them via our website. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to promote your work to a new audience.

Contact jamell@3ca.org.uk for more info.

Trinity's new community arts cafe is set for a grand opening on the 31'st of march 2012. In the week running up to our opening Westside will also be hosting a photography exhibition from local artist Khali Ackford.

In preparation for our opening we will be celebrating pancake day at Westside on Tuesday 21st of February.

We are inviting local tossers to come to Westside and receive a battering.

Pancakes available from 11am till 6pm.

2012 is an exciting year for Trinity as it marks our first year as a registered charity, our 4th year as a Key Arts Provider for Bristol and the 180th birthday of the Trinity Centre.

The Trinity Centre, formerly the Holy Trinity Church, was opened on 17 February 1832 by the Bishop of Bristol. The former Holy Trinity Church, is now a vibrant hub for all communities and faiths today.

To mark this epic milestone, we have plans for lots of FREE celebration events throughout the year. Our annual Garden Party, Sun 13 May will be jam-packed with bands and lots of activities, arts and crafts and fun for the whole family.

On Sat 30 June we will be working with the Old Market Community Association as part of a local arts festival. We will provide a 'Faux-Glasto' from the Trinity grounds, with lots of festival-themed frivolities such as flag making, welly-wanging, music and games.

On Sat 28 July we will be hosting the fabulous 'Bristolympics', with our partners in crime, The Love of It. We will provide a day of alternative games and sporting activities with a twist, so please come and join in the creative fun!

More details to come soon on the Events area of our website.

We are also planning to launch a commemorative T-Shirt which we will make available for purchase online and during our events. If you have a particular interest in our history and heritage, we have a book which encapsulates just some of Trinity's past - "The Trinity Centre - Culture and Change in Urban Bristol" which was produced as part of our Heritage Lottery Funded project, What's Your Trinity Story?

Public Meeting: 24 February, 6:30pm, Malcolm X Centre 141 City Road St Pauls Bristol BS2 8YH

A coalition of local groups, supported by Black Activists Rising Against the Cuts (BARAC) - including the Malcolm X Centre, Signpost & Rite Direkshon and the Bristol Pakistani Community Welfare Organisation - are joining forces to defend local services in Bristol.

The Council are seeking to ratify changes to funding at a Cabinet meeting on 28 February, which will mean many grass roots services may be forced into closure.

A public meeting is planned on 24 February, 6:30pm at the Malcolm X Centre, to unite groups in response to this, with guest speaker Lee Jasper. Lee is the Chair of BARAC and is a leading member of the Coalition of Resistance anti cuts campaign. All are welcome to attend.

It has been widely publicised in the national media that proposed cuts will hit particular groups harder than others - Doreen Lawrence recently spoke out against cuts, warning that spending cuts will hit working-class and black Britons the hardest. This is appears evident within the cuts proposed in Bristol, which will see some of the most deprived communities losing services - Easton ward will lose out on £162,000 worth of service provision, whilst Ashley and Knowle wards will losing funds of £50,000 and £40,000 respectively.

We are hoping that other groups and individuals will come out and unite with local community groups to protect grass roots provision. The Council are not excepting statements in person for this meeting but are accepting written public forum statements to set its Budget for the 2012/13 Financial Year - it is important, if you care about local services, that as many people as possible write to the Council to express their opinion. All statements must relate to the Council’s Budget, or they will be rejected and must be sent to democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk and the deadline for receipt of statements is 12.00 noon Thursday 23^rd February 2012.

About BARAC

BARAC is a new coalition of black public and voluntary sector workers, trade unionists, community organisations, service users and concerned individuals whose aim is to create a critical mass of opposition to the Government plans to cut vital services and sack thousands of public sector workers including many black workers across the country.

Southend five-piece The Horrors have never been known to intentionally ‘put on a show’. They pussyfoot on stage tonight in a casual, unannounced manner and embark on a set that, whether they like it or not, craves attention and is very much deserved of it.

The Horrors open the show with Changing The Rain. Its stomping parade beats and euphoric synth-heavy choruses was also the opening track of 2011’s Skying, the album that elevated Faris Badwan and co out of semi-underground attention to put them firmly in the limelight. In fact, Skying makes up most of tonight’s show; other colourful offerings include I Can See Through You, Endless Blue and the colossal pre-encore Still Life. They all work phenomenally well. A signifier, perhaps, to the longevity The Horrors are likely to enjoy.

There is little in the way of material from their earlier years tonight and the band focus on tracks from their second and third albums, Primary Colours and Skying. Mirrors Image, Sea Within a Sea and Who Can Say all provide the evening’s noisier interludes while the decidedly upbeat sounds of Skying contrast nicely with the more amorphous feel of its predecessor.

The Horrors are on form tonight. Faris Badwan towers over the mic stand while shaggy-haired guitarist Joshua Hayward rocks the feral beats of The Horrors’ back catalogue, rattling Trinity to its core. The Horrors haven’t got lost in the euphoria of their success and, to the delight on the leather-heavy crowd, it doesn’t look likely that they ever will.

The Horrors close the show with the haunting crescendo of Moving Further Away where they exercise their talent for creating a scratchy, freeform jam – it works despite its distance from the more polished album version.

Everyone in this crowd has been waiting a long time to see The Horrors and they haven’t disappointed. Their focus, songwriting and creative endurance is indisputable. Much as they may shy from attention - it isn’t going anywhere soon.

Duncan Harrison

Scottish avant-folk foursome Trembling Bells will be joined by American singer songwriter and cult hero, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (aka Will Oldham) at Bristol Trinity on May 3. The south west section of this UK tour is supported by Routes Southwest.

Trembling Bells' fresh approach to folk has been garnering praise from fans and critics. Stuart Maconie describes their music as "wild and romantic, witty and heartbreaking. It has both the charm of folk music and the power of rock".

Bonnie Prince Billy is a legendary figure who has produced more than 20 albums. He was a pioneer of Americana and has carved himself a reputation as an unpredictable genius. He has worked under the name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Will Oldham, the Palace Brothers and Palace Music.

In this most recent collaboration, Bonnie Prince Billy will join Bells' lead vocalist Lavinia Blackwall to sing a set featuring new songs, most of which will appear on their collaborative, forthcoming album, The Marble Downs.

With Lavinia and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy at the helm, the duo will be supported by Trembling Bells songwriter Alex Neilson on drums, Simon Shaw on bass and Mick Hastings on guitar to perform a mix of originals, covers and traditional songs.

For more on both artists head to www.myspace.com/tremblingbells and www.bonnieprincebilly.com.

Click here for more information and tickets for this event.

Folk singer and Mercury-nominated singer songwriter Seth Lakeman will be gracing the Trinity stage on March 1st. Multi-instrumentalist Lakeman has created the "musical equivalent of the bodice-ripping blockbuster", say The Guardian. We can't think of a better way to welcome in March!

Punk blues aficionados, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, will be making some serious noise on March 7. Loud, raucous and keeping the raw spirit of blues alive, Jon Spencer and co are an unmissable live act.

On April 28th, Graham Coxon returns to the live circuit armed with tracks from his new album A+E. “Improvisations, experiments in beats, rhythms," says Coxon of A+E. "A chance to uninhibitedly make some sort of perversely sad, danceable and funny and despondent songs.”

Rounding off Trinity's spring season of stellar gigs is the chance to see Trembling Bells joining forces with Americana legend Bonnie 'Prince' Billy on May 3rd. Head to our News page for details on this unique collaboration.

A building Conditions Survey undertaken in 2009 also identified serious deterioration in the lead roof of the south aisle of the Trinity Centre, which led to English Heritage placing the former church on its Buildings at Risk Register.

As a consequence Trinity Community Arts applied for and has been granted funding from English Heritage to carry out an Architectural Feasibility Study and undertake emergency roof repairs.

Trinity Community Arts has appointed Project Manager Mark Gundry from Bristol City Council to manage the delivery of the project, with lead architects gcp Chartered Architects and Simon Cartlidge a conservation accredited architect who previously worked with Trinity as part of the 2009 Conditions Survey.

The Trinity Centre is a community arts centre and independent music venue run by Trinity Community Arts - a not-for-profit charity group operating in the heart of three of the most ethnically diverse and economically deprived wards in the City of Bristol - Easton, Ashley and Lawrence Hill. The Trinity Centre is held by Trinity Community Arts on a lease from Bristol City Council and is protected by a covenant, placed on it by the Church, outlining it can only be used for Youth, Arts, Community and Education purposes.

Since the church was made redundant most of the internal fittings have been removed and a floor inserted near the top of the tall nave arcade. Consent was granted for the repair and conversion of the building in 1987, including the installation of the mezzanine floor by Bristol City Council.

The project forms part of a wider programme of renovation and development works which Trinity is currently seeking funding for, to help improve space for both existing and potential new users.

Support Trinity's Roof Repair Appeal.

While pulling up floorboards at West Street during recent renovation works on the property, we uncovered this enigmatic wedding photograph of an unknown couple. The image is undated but would appear to have been taken during the late 1800s and is marked with the name ‘Marshall - Clair House, Duke St, Henley-on-Thames’.

An article by A G Taylor produced for the Assendon e-Museum outlines how Henley-on-Thames had various professional photographers at the end of the 19th century: “In the 1880s and 1890s, Cartes de Visites (CDVs) became popular. People would have their own portraits taken and presented on a card measuring 2.5 inches by 4 inches. Collecting CDVs of celebrities was also a popular pastime. ”

How the photo ended up under the floorboards of a shop along the high street of Old Market we will just have to leave to speculation.

If you love anonymous and unusual found images take a look at thefoundphoto gallery which specialises in vernacular and extraordinary photographs.

The Trinity Centre has long been valued as a focal point for the local community as well as a much-loved venue hosting a long list of live gigs and performances. We are thrilled to announce that Trinity Community Arts, which began as a community association formed to manage the Trinity Centre, has become a charity and will continue to look after this unique venue and community hub.

The Trinity Centre can boast a rich history of hosting musical events (check out our Archive) as well regular dance classes, arts workshops, creative courses for young people and community-led events such as this year’s innovative Bridges project.

“Gaining charity status is great in terms of providing us with access to more funding for activities and exciting projects as well as helping us to raise funds for building improvement works,” says centre manager Emma Harvey.

Trinity Community Arts will also be aiming to achieve VISIBLE accreditation. This is a quality kite mark for community centres providing a set of standards that will help the Trinity Centre gain more funding and give its users confidence in its policies and procedures.

More details here.

I am delighted to report that Trinity is in good shape and is ready to build on its many strengths in the coming year. This very positive position is of course due to the hard work of Emma and all our staff, of all our invaluable volunteers and our Directors. Thanks to all of you and, especially, to our outgoing chair Geoff Day, who stepped down partway through 2011.

During 2011 a number of additional Directors were recruited in order to strengthen the governance of the organisation. The enlarged Board is busy settling in and has recently held two “away days” in order to assess how best to operate in order to serve Trinity.

One long awaited success has been gaining charitable status for Trinity. This is important because it will enable us to access a wider range of potential funds and to achieve greater financial stability. As part of this initiative we have set up a trading company to operate our non charitable activities, with all surpluses gifted to the charity.

For the first time we have been awarded a grant from the Arts Council - £65,000 for the Bridges Project - an important recognition of the high quality work being delivered at Trinity. The Bridges project will provide a programme of accessible arts workshops using spoken word, creative writing, performing and visual arts, to draw out personal stories of local people and to use the arts to build bridges between communities and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of inner-city Bristol.

We are working very closely with English Heritage as part of ongoing repairs to the roof, assisted by project management skills from Bristol City Council. The Council have also committed to a 35 year lease through their Community Asset Transfer Policy. We are very grateful for the assistance of all our partners.

Our newest venture in West Street is nearly ready to be launched, with building works almost complete and enthusiastic volunteers exploring how best to use all the new facilities.

This is a very exciting time to be involved with Trinity. I’m delighted to be able to report positive progress on so many fronts. I look forward to even more progress in 2012 and in subsequent years.

Check out our Annual Report for more information.

The project has also been kindly supported by a local business who has generously given a donation towards the project.

The project is a visual and performing arts project exploring the theme "bridges". Throughout the project we will be working with local people to share stories and create artworks together.

We will look at barriers dividing inner-city Bristol - including physical barriers such as the M32 as well as cultural and language differences - and the bridges communities create to overcome these. Working with different art forms, we will help people in the community to share their stories, through language, images and interactions.

During collaborative workshop sessions, participants will be supported by professional artists from a range of backgrounds to develop their own individual projects using different mediums, so that their story can be told through multiple media. Individuals will be encouraged to share work with their communities and the wider city. We will work with people to create performances, an exhibition and a booklet celebrating the rich diversity of inner-city Bristol. The project will culminate in a large-scale final performance in the beginning of 2013 inspired by the stories and works produced throughout the year.

The project will be led by Edson Burton, an acclaimed writer of both literate and script who worked with us on the recent What's Your Trinity Story? Project, and Nick Young, who delivered our sell-out performance At Tether's End as part of the Bristol Sound Project in 2008.

We will be launching a full programme of activities in the new year. If you would like any further information about the project, please contact edson@3ca.org.uk or sign up to our e-newsletter for updates.

Trinity was set with tables, chairs and tea lights for this performance. The ambience was warm and intimate and the audience were young and soft-spoken; in all, a most agreeable evening's entertainment.

Louise and The Pins sang their country-tinged, harmony enriched songs with a lot of style and a friendly reception from an attentive crowd. It's unusual for a tour to have such a well-considered balance in the support slot and this vocal trio fitted the bill perfectly.

Fionn Regan had a very positive response to his first album, The End of History, followed by a bit of backlash against the second, the band-enhanced Shadow Empire. Tonight we were back to a tousled, lone troubadour show: one man on stage playing acoustic guitars and singing distinctive, poetic songs in a rich melodious voice. New songs from his third opus, 100 Acres of Sycamore, dominated the show with three in a row to open and a couple as encores. Be Good Or Be Gone from The End of History got the biggest shout but all the new songs were well-received. From Shadow Empire only the disturbing and powerful Violent Demeanour was performed. For me, it was the striking high point, a stark expression of something personal and real.

Given the minimal one guitar/one voice show, Regan did very little outside the songs themselves to engage with his audience. The crowd nevertheless was content with the deal. He's a very serious artist who pours his poetic spirit into the songs themselves, giving little of himself away between them. "I've always had a thing for dangerous women" was a notably strong line from new song, Sow Mare Bitch Vixen, which also stood out for its deep guitar tuning and consequent bass line. Hunters Map and Put A Penny In The Slot from The End Of History were also highlights of an enjoyable evening.

Sam Saunders

For more on Trinity's rich history of hosting live music head to the Archive section of the site

The small grant will help us to source café start up equipment, develop flyers and promotional material and fund training for volunteers who will help to run the space.

As part of the funding we are able to offer FREE accredited short courses in Health & Safety, First Aid, and Food Safety for volunteers who are participating in the volunteer-led café project, run by Trinity Community Arts.

There are a limited number of course places available and priority will be given to local residents and those who are committed to volunteering long-term as part of the project.

If you are interested in volunteering to help develop our café and would like to find out more, please contact 0117 935 1200 or email info@3ca.org.uk