Community painting day with Rose Popay. Photo credit Khali Ackford

Trinity is a charity whose work connects communities and contributes to urban regeneration, through a progressive programme of live music and creative activities.

Following the success of Trinity’s recovery post-Covid we are in an exciting period of change and growth in the organisation and are looking for new team members.

Youth Service Manager

Join our Arts Programme team in the newly created, full-time, Youth Services Manager – in response to consultation, we are expanding our programme of activities for children and young people and require an experienced Youth Services Manager to help us build on our longstanding offer in music and nature play, developing  new areas in dance & performing arts, alongside an enhanced outreach offer for schools and neighbourhoods.

The successful candidate will be experienced in designing and delivery of creative programmes for children and young people and will be passionate about using arts and creativity to help build skills, confidence and progression for those taking part.

Duty Manager

We're also looking for a part-time Duty Manager (15hr pw basic) to join our team in time to help us with the delivery of our late-night programme alongside our varied community events.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for working in a community and live-events setting and  will be flexible and adaptable, ideally with previous experience as a key-holder or event/house manager.

To find out more about the roles head over to Get Involved to download the recruitment packs or if you have any questions about the roles, please get in touch on info@trinitybristol.org.uk

Trinity is committed to creating opportunities for people to gain access to the arts industry and gain experience in the creative sector, particularly amongst groups with lower representation in the arts industry.

“At Trinity the opportunities for cross-departmental collaboration are massive. I’ve learned so much being here that I wouldn’t have at other venues” Aysha, Event Production Coordinator

Many of our permanent team members initially joined Trinity on an internship. Aysha, Trinity’s Production Coordinator, started her journey at Trinity in 2019 on a three-month internship. A role was created to suit both Aysha’s skill-set and the needs of Trinity. Trinity feels that this individually focused approach to hiring staff leads to more meaningful, fulfilling employment, and means that employees are in roles that best suit their skills, experience and long-term ambitions.

Like many members of Team Trinity, Aysha was offered a permanent contract after the end of her internship, moving into the role of Production Coordinator, and having additional responsibilities such as line management.  Further to this Aysha is part of a city-wide campaign to create safer environments for everyone to enjoy nightlife in the city.

Trinity believes strongly that investment in staff is one of the most effective ways to democratise employment in the arts industry.

We are working in partnership with South Bristol Youth (SBY) to provide opportunities for KS4 students to experience insights into working in the creative sectors as part of their 'insight into apprenticeship' initiative.

We also became an accredited Living Wage organisation and have created opportunities for young people to develop skills in the creative sector. Through the Kickstarter scheme we offered entry-level roles to nine individuals including CPD, training and mentorship for young people to gain paid experience in the cultural sector including in event production, marketing and communications and operations.

Over ¼ of employees who start at Trinity on internships go on to stay as permanent members of staff. By offering both secure and meaningful employment alongside opportunities to progress and develop a career in the sector, Trinity can help ensure that careers in the creative industry are a viable option for everyone.

Peachin' Day Festival. Photo credit Khali Ackford

In our commitment to platform emerging talent and provide access to quality facilities for the community, we’re excited to announce a summer season of live music and spoken word events in our outdoor space, ‘The Den’.

Between July-September 2022, we will be showcasing some of the best breakthrough artist from Bristol and the South West alongside a wider programme of family friendly arts activities and events.

“Trinity have always been there providing a space for us and many other artists to do what we do best and always put creativity and community first” Ishmael Ensemble

We’ve joined forces with collectives who are making waves in the region including Bristol poetry collective Raise The Bar, who are bringing Youtuber Leena Norms to perform, 31 July and multi-disciplinary Arts organisation Beyond Face, who will take over The Den to showcase spoken word artists from the global majority.

Head over to our What's On section to find out more about events and activities at The Den.

About The Den

Our vision for The Den is to increase our presentation of creative and performing arts, and alongside this provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure for community groups and local residents.

Funded by Power to Change, Bristol City Council, Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund and match funders, our revamped outdoor space feels like a secret, magical corner of a festival. The space - including bar, kitchen, outdoor seating and stretch-tent – is set within our beautiful garden and heritage grounds.

The works form part of Trinity’s phased capital works programme, that paused in 2020 when the impacts of COVID19 and Brexit caused delays to planned construction of a larger scheme of work, including a two-story kitchen/bar with offices and outdoor area.

Venue Director, Jamell Ackford said; “Like many music venues, we began to get creative with our outdoor space in response to pandemic restrictions, launching the ‘Garden Sessions’ in 2020.

Following support in 2021 from the Architectural Heritage Fund to to revisit and revise our Feasibility Study, a detailed community consultation helped us to find out what the community wanted from us in a post-pandemic environment. From this, we updated our original plans and the idea for ‘The Den’ was born.

With this new bespoke setup, The Den will provide wider opportunities including supporting local food and community activities, as well as giving audiences a unique experience.”

As part of Trinity’s post-pandemic responses, a Community Activities Coordinator has been appointed to support ‘Community Kickstart’ activity – working with local residents, grassroots groups and charities to establish new activities from the space.

If you are a local resident or group and would like to run an activity for the local community, get in touch with stefan@trinitybristol.org.uk to find out more.

Ashton Court Future Ville Launch. Photo credit Caroline Thake

Bristol City Council has announced The Community Resilience Fund to be made available to community groups delivering provision in some of Bristol’s most deprived areas. The announcement of the grant follows the publication of Trinity’s 100 Beacons Report that we submitted to the City Council.

The report, created in partnership with other venues and the Council, shines a light on Bristol's community and cultural assets, including the critical role they played in providing local services as part of the COVID19 response.

"Huge thanks to Trinity for advocating for other community buildings in some of Bristol’s most neglected areas and to Bristol City Council for engaging and responding to this need” Katherine Chiswell Jones, Art Space Life Space

We created the report with the intention of building a collective case for capital investment in the city’s youth, community and cultural assets and we are pleased that Bristol City Council has now announced the commitment to funding these much-needed spaces.

The one-off pot of £4 million is also available for city-wide self-organised equality groups and is intended to help groups invest in costs, such as works to improve access, upgrading ICT infrastructure or works to a community building.

Our 100 Beacons report was part of our continued commitment to advocating for shared community and cultural spaces. We are members of Locality, support a ’Community Power Act’ and, have invested in Stokes Croft Land Trust.

Find out more about the funding and how to apply here

Students from City Academy at Trinity

We are working in partnership with South Bristol Youth (SBY) to provide opportunities for KS4 students to experience insights into working in the creative sectors as part of their 'insight into apprenticeship' initiative.

Connecting with local comprehensive and community schools we have programmed experiences for students, who may be historically excluded from the arts, that aim to provide insights into the various careers available in the cultural sector.

"Dave and his creative team hosted a high energy, interactive and informative day ... providing a fascinating insight in the creative arts industry in all its many wild and wonderful forms." Mark Nixon, Project Coordinator, South Bristol Youth Consortium for Young People

Recently we hosted students from City Academy, a local school that is situated in Lawrence Hill, one of the most deprived wards in the city whose cohort of over 1000 students have higher-than-average EAL/SEND.

During the visit students were taken on a guided tour of Trinity, detailing aspects of the grade II* listed buildings historic and cultural significance, highlighting the impact Trinity has had on the local community and wider music and arts scene within the city over the years.

They also took part in a series of music workshops, including, DJ, drumming and live performance. Trinity’s Youth Music Activities Manager Dave then led a masterclass session on music events promotion and podcasting.

This exciting partnership will help young people to reach their potential in work and in life, by building the skills, knowledge and confidence to better understand the pathways to apprenticeships, higher education and suitable employment. We will be hosting more schools over the coming months as well as our free-to-access Masterclasses this summer for young people who are interested in working in the music industry.

Forest School in Trinity's Community Garden

As part of our commitment to creating opportunities for children and families to connect with nature and learn through play we deliver regular free-to-access Forest School sessions in our Community Garden, funded by Children in Need.

“Thank you so much, we have loved coming here. We enjoy having a space to run around in as we do not have a garden at home. It is important for the children to have a space to run around in and spend time outside. They love digging and watering”. Parent of child attending Forest School

The sessions are aimed at children who attend local primary schools as well as families who are signposted through our partnerships with community organisations and outdoor play providers. The sessions provide a much-needed outdoor space for children, many of whom do not have access to outdoor spaces or gardens at home. So far 357 children, families and carers have taken part in the provision since Sep 2021.

Our work with children focuses on improving confidence and well-being through nature based-education. Children work in small groups, led by experienced facilitators, take part in activities such as campfire cooking, lighting fires and organic gardening.

Many children who come to the sessions may struggle to engage with mainstream education, due to the impact of Lockdown or an additional educational need. 97% of the children who have attended Forest School have shown increased confidence in outdoor spaces and many have shown significant progress in their confidence and team working skills. For example one child presented initially as disruptive and disengaged however, following regular attendance they became an active and engaged participant working successfully with peers.

Due to the success of the project we are able to extend Forest School sessions and will continue working with schools and partners to continue to offer this much-needed provision. This includes our free Summer Holiday provision.

Take part in carnival style dance at this years Harbour Festival

Trinity have curated a two-day programme of dance as part of this years Harbour Festival (16/17 July).

Following on from the success of 2019’s Bristol Dances stage we have reached out across the city to give audiences a taste of the wide-ranging professional, community and cultural dance Bristol has to offer.

Over two days audiences will experience the breadth of dance in the city from Irish Dancing to Bharathnatyam Dance to Voguing. Highlights include DMAC's Afrikan Dance, Drumming, Indigenous Storytelling & Capoeira Angola, performances from award-winning dance troupes, HYPE and Miss Daisy’s and Decolonising Memory: Digital Bodies In Movement.

D_wild Fitness will get people  moving with their dance fitness classes featuring afrobeats, soca and dancehall music. Enjoy samba-inspired drumming and dance troupe, Bristol Samba and acoustic performances from Aisha Ali, Bemudian folk artist Anna Colette and Portuguese neo-soul singer Luna Kali.

This year we also continue our commitment to collaborating with collectives and organisations who are working to amplify grassroots voices. This showcase will feature KIOTA collective, Bristol’s Got Talent and musicians from Lorraine Ayensu Refugee Arts organisation. The Art of Resistance showcase, inspired by the rich history of creative protest in Bristol, will feature some of Bristol’s best and up-and-coming arts activists working across poetry, performance and movement.

Don’t miss out - catch all this at Bristol Dance Stage, curated by Trinity, at Millennium Square 16/17 July 2022.

Full lineup

• Bristol's Got Talent • D_wild fitness • Miss Daisy Dance Team • Anna Colette • Bristol Ballroom Presents • Kiota Showcas • Gerry's Attic • Hype • L.A Dance • Aisha Ali • Feel Fit Studio • Luna Kali • Bristol Samba • IAM13E • Carnival Fitness by PILOXERCISE • Movema Community Dance - World Fusion • Musicians from Lorraine Ayensu Refugee Arts • Decolonising Memory Digital Bodies In Movement • Sublime Dance Troupe • StreetCred • McClennan Academy of Irish Dance• Rise • Bharathnatyam Dance Piece from traditional Margam • DMAC UK Presents: Afrikan Dance, Drumming, Indigenous Storytelling and Capoeira Angola

Don’t miss a rare chance to see Black Roots live at Trinity on 02 July as part of The Mid Summer Reggae Festival – hosted by Dub Legacy and one of Bristol’s top radio stations Ujima. Black Roots will be joined by some of the best soundsystems in the scene including Green King and Indica Dubs.

The history of Black Roots is intertwined with Bristol’s relationship with reggae and the reggae scene as a whole. Formed in St Paul’s in 1979, the group were an integral part of the early sound system culture in the late 1970s/early 1980s that defined Bristol’s music scene at the time. Set against a backdrop of rising racial tensions in the city, seen most clearly through the St Paul’s Riot in 1980, the emerging sound system culture was a way for young Black people in the city to carve their own space within the local music scene.

While discriminatory entry policy barred entry for many young Black people in a number of Bristol’s venues, Trinity opened its doors and soon became renowned for hosting reggae and sound system events.

Sound system culture was part of a wider DIY scene that still exists in Bristol today and the grassroots approach to music allows for local people to define their city’s music scene from the ground up. After garnering international acclaim for their raw, honest approach to roots reggae, Black Roots went quiet until 2004 when they went on to drop 4 new albums ‘On the ground’, ‘Ghetto Feel’, ‘Son of Man’ and ‘Take it’. Their newest release was in 2021 ‘Take it Easy’.

This event is not to be missed - click here below to check out the full line-up and get your tickets.

In Dec 2019, Trinity received funding from Power to Change, Bristol City Council, Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund and match funders for the Trinity Digs Project; to invest in the Trinity Centre as a key cultural and community asset, and to build a varied and sustainable participatory community arts programme that reflects the interests of Bristol’s diverse communities and cultures.

We secured planning consent (Ref. No: 19/02611/F) for installation of shipping containers, to provide accommodation for desk spaces and kitchen/coffee bar, with outdoor seating for outdoor events.

“Trinity have always been there providing a space for us and many other artists to do what we do best and always put creativity and community first”

Ishmeal Ensemble

Since receiving permission and commencing the ‘Community Kickstart’ activity to launch new community-led projects and groups, the delivery of the project was severely delayed and impacted by both COVID19 and Brexit. This not only caused delay to construction but also rapidly inflated the pricing of the units which meant we weren’t able to proceed with the installation of the planned two-story units, due to the costs of works exceeding committed grant funds.

Whilst we navigated these challenges, like many music venues, we began to get creative with our outdoor event space, launching the Trinity Garden Sessions in Sep 2020, hosting an array of emerging Bristol artists in a magical outdoor stretch-tent.

We went on to secure £45k from Architectural Heritage Fund to revisit and revise our Feasibility Study over the next year, in light of the impact of COVID19 on long-term business plan and delivery. This included detailed community consultation to find out what the community wanted from us in a post-pandemic environment.

This culminated in a revised plan for a smaller, single-story kitchen-bar unit setup, with a stretch-tent in semi-permanent setup throughout the Spring/Summer, to build on the ‘Trinity Presents’ Garden sessions established during restrictions, to continue to provide an alternative events offer (ref: 21/05771/F).

Trinity appointed an Activities Coordinator to support continued ‘Community Kickstart’ activity, supporting local residents and grassroots groups and charities to establish new activities from the Centre including the new pop-up space. If you have an activity to 'Kickstart' get in touch with Stefan@trinitybristol.org.uk.

Our seasonable outdoor venue 'The Den' was launched between July 2022-Sep 2022. The space will be open during Spring-Autumn each year and will host an array of live music, performance and family arts activities. Click here to find out more.

We're Right Here (subtitled) from We're Right Here on Vimeo.

National Community organisations have gathered together to launch ‘We’re Right Here’ a campaign that aims to shift power to communities through the creation of a ‘Community Power Act’.

This act, if successful, will fundamentally change where power and decision-making lie by ’ establishing three new community rights:

A Community Right to Buy - giving communities the right of first refusal once buildings and spaces with significant community value come up for sale.

A Community Right to Shape Public Services - Encouraging greater collaboration between communities and public institutions when designing, commissioning and delivering local services.

A Community Right to Control Investment - Increasing community control over the key spending decisions which affect local neighbourhoods.

‘We’re Right Here’ is supported by nine national organisations committed to ‘community power’ – these are Power to Change, The Cares Family, New Local, Locality, the Young Foundation, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Local Trust, People’s Health Trust and Friends Provident Foundation.

Here's how you can support this work:

Find out more about We’re Right here

Share your story of the Power of Community

Sign the letter to Michael Gove

Trinity are committed to advocating for shared community and cultural spaces. We are members of Locality and have invested in Stokes Croft Land Trust. Read our 100 Beacons report that shines a light on the importance of – and understand the risks posed to – Bristol's community and cultural assets.

Fun Palaces 2022

We have joined forces the Fun Palaces Network as part of a three year project that aims to give power to communities so they can re-think, re-claim or re-purpose civic and community spaces. Fun Palaces is a UK-wide organisation that supports volunteers, grassroots communities and organisations to programme events or create projects that celebrates community and everyday creativity.

Trinity's Community Activities Coordinator, Stefan Boakye, is the Fun Palaces Ambassador for Bristol and is responsible for leading the initiative in the city.

Stefan will support local residents to take part in the project and to create their own 'Fun Palaces'. This will include advice and guidance on developing ideas into realities, support with funding applications and event management support.

There will be events in and around Trinity where people can come along and find out more about Fun Palaces which will lead up to a 'Fun Palace Weekender' in Oct 2023.

If you would like to find out more about Fun Palaces, please email Stefan on stefan@trinitybristol.org.uk

Bristol City Poet Caleb Parkin, innovative performers Desperate Men and award-winning Youth Dance Company Hype Dance are set to perform in front of UK politicians and policy makers as part of this year’s Big Tent Ideas Festival on 11 June 2022, Queens Square.

‘Our artistic selves are the part of us that gives us freedom, expression and happiness. A society that denies us access to the Arts also denies us opportunity for change and celebration" Angie Belcher, Comedian

They join a packed programme that includes political debates, arts, a Speaker’s Corner, Community Fayre and a Dragon’s Den-style pitching competition and will feature Government ministers, the Head of the UN Refugee Programme in the UK, Twitter’s former most senior executive in Europe and the Chair of the No Place Left Behind Commission of political debates.

As part of the festival we have joined forces with Bristol DIY Arts Network to shine a light on Bristol’s diverse and rich cultural offering and have invited cultural leaders in the city to take part in keynotes and panel discussions that will explore the role of culture in driving change in the city and what ‘City of Culture’ means for an independently creative city like Bristol.

Guests include director of Knowle West Media Centre Carolyn Hassan, CEO of Quartet Foundation Suzanne Rolt, Executive Director of St Pauls Carnival LaToyah McAllister-Jones and Melanie Rodrigues, founder and CEO of Gritty Talent as well as comedian and writer, Angie Belcher, who hit UK headlines recently after successfully gaining funding for ‘comedy on prescription’.

Trinity’s involvement in coordinating this is part of our Heritage Lottery Funded Art of Resistance, a two-year project that seeks to platform art from social movements throughout Bristol’s history.

Ticketholders will have the opportunity to communicate with leading politicians, including the Mayor of Bristol, local councillors and Bristol’s MPs, and shape the discussion. In a constructive and non-partisan environment, more akin to a music festival than a political conference, ticket holders will be able to:

• Tell the Science, Research and Innovation Minister, George Freeman MP, what businesses really need to thrive

• Ask Shadow Leader of the Commons, Thangam Debbonaire MP, how policy-making can be made more inclusive

• Talk about Ukraine with Lib Dem Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Layla Moran MP, and Chief Executive UNHCR (UK), Emma Cherniavsky.

• Enjoy performances from some of Bristol’s best artists

Book your tickets for the Big Tent Programme now at www.bigtent.org.uk

Max Cooper - Image Credit: Eljaybriss

Duty Managers are an integral role at Trinity, helping manage the delivery of our live-music and club programme alongside our community and combined arts offer.

As we continue to grown our programme of events we are now seeking to appoint a Lead Duty Manager who will oversee, lead and support the Duty Manager team.

This is an internal vacancy and we encourage existing Duty Managers and Bar Staff are encouraged to put themselves forward for the role.

How to apply

• Download the job description

• To apply please write a brief personal statement (no more than 2 sides of A4) covering how you feel you cover the characteristics set out in the job description and person specification and email toinfo@trinitybristol.org.ukwith ‘DM Team Leader’ in the subject.

• Complete our anonymous Equal Opportunities form

Deadline: 9am, 26 May 2023

Interviews w/c: 30 May 2023

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

Photo credit Zack Henry

Photo credit Zack Henry

Photo credit Khali Ackford

Dr Edson Burton, curator of Art of Resistance, reflects on curating weekend of activity exploring creative and activism

The Final Frontier was a two-day festival, programmed as part of Art of Resistance, that celebrated the rich history of activism that has happened in Bristol. The festival, and the wider project, explored creative expression in relationship to political movements, ideologies and philosophies.

As the festival curator I have a conceptual oversight of the project and work closely with the wonderful team at Trinity to help build the relationships and coordinate the activities and also problem-solve the things that don’t go according to plan.

"...artefacts, they’re not just Benin Bronzes, they’re simple manifestations of a time"

Dr Edson Burton on 'Art of Resistance'

For the Final Frontier we wanted to curate a 'conference style' event to explore how creative outputs have been integral to particular protest movements. We invited contemporary artists and activists who use creativity as a form of protest to take part in Keynotes addresses, panel discussions and lead workshops. Guests included environmental activist Mikaela Loach, Bristol ‘artists and activists’ Doug Francis (Invisible Circus) Chris Chalkley (PRCS) and Michelle Curtis, plus comedian, programmer and tutor Angie Belcher (Aftermirth) whose recent calls for ‘comedy on prescription’ made headlines, and many, many more.

As part of the weekend, we curated a 'pop-up' mini exhibition that pulled together artworks that used different forms, textures and mediums that celebrated the different kinds of protest that have happened in Bristol. These drew upon the key themes of the wider project including workers' rights, anti-racism, anti-fascism, women’s equality and counter-culture (people breaking out of the mainstream, expressions of living that counter the societal norm). We picked those movements because what was key with a project like this is trying to look at a broader span of mass participation.

We were able to display pull-out banners from The Central Library that charted the history of the suffragette’s movement in Bristol alongside a number of placards from the Black Lives Matter March of 2020 that the Mshed had collected following the protests of 2020. These are simple wood and cardboard placards on posts - that’s the irony of artefacts, they’re not just Benin Bronzes, they’re simple manifestations of a time and when put together with other kinds of sources tell us about what we were thinking and the immediacy of what we were expressing.

People’s Republic of Stokes Croft has been a wonderful ally throughout the project, and it was through them we were introduced to Jamie Gillman who was the artist behind the Bristol Bear, that sat in the Bear Pit and was the herald of the City, the soul of the city. As it was so large, we were only able to display the head and arms!

We had some provocative work by Tamatha-Ann Harris, whose an artist who looks at women’s bodies, sexuality. There was some really evocative work there but I think at the same time for many of us who are looking at these issues it's celebratory rather than offensive.

Through Final Frontier, we’re really keen to, and what I hope we did, honour and acknowledge other communities, and other forms of protest that haven’t had mass participatory scope but nonetheless have been a critical part of activism in the last 20-30 years. We also want to celebrate and engage and honour the activism of movements that are to some extent outside of our chronology, hence we had the banners by Vince Laws hung from a wonderful rope structure that allowed us to display various kinds of disability rights banners charting the history of the disability movement and some of the awful, shocking cases of exclusion that have happened over the years.

Click here to watch a (very) quick tour of the Final Frontier 'pop-up' exhibition

About Art of Resistance

Art of Resistance is a two-year, National Heritage Lottery Funded project charting 100 years of protest in Bristol.

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.

Click play to watch Stokes Croft Lands Trust's campaign video

As part of our continued commitment to advocating for shared community and cultural spaces, we have pledged £1,000 to become a shareholder in the Stokes Croft Land Trust, matching the pledges of grassroots arts groups, The Invisible Circus and Artspace Lifespace.

“PRSC is a contemporary example of radical art in Bristol that represents the themes we’re exploring in our heritage project. Though this pledge, we hope to strengthen our ability more closely with PRSC and create shared outcomes for communities in relation to the art of resistance theme.” Rhiannon Jones, Programme Director

In early 2022, Trinity published the ‘100 Beacons’ report: A Community Canvas - building the case for community infrastructure, to shine a light on the importance of – and understand the risks posed to – Bristol's community and cultural assets. This report identified sustained underinvestment in civic assets coupled with the city’s rapid regeneration, poses a risk to Bristol’s unique identity that has led to it regularly topping the list of the "best places to live in Britain."

Bristol is a city renowned for its cultural offer and its activist spirit. However, parts of the city such as Stokes Croft that have historically shaped this identity have seen a huge growth in private development, which has already impacted on the cultural offer of this locality, with artists leaving Hamilton House in 2018, due to increased rents.

In response to this, the Stokes Croft Land Trust (SCLT) has been created to purchase 17-25 Jamaica St, Stokes Croft, which is home to the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft HQ (PRSC), in order to protect one of the area’s remaining cultural landmarks. Through a community shares offer, members of the community and like-minded organisations are able to come together to help ensure the building stays in the hands and ownership of artists, protecting its use for the benefit of the community. This is a model much like the Cube Cinema, which secured its building back in 2012 through community fundraising.

“Stokes Croft is a significant artistic destination in Bristol. With the scale of redevelopment happening and in the interests of social welfare, Trinity wants to help ensure our city’s cultural spirit and radical identity is nurtured. We’re working with the PRSC team to celebrate Bristol’s history of art in protest and we want to pledge our support for the Stokes Croft Land Trust so future generations of misfits have a space to call home.” Emma Harvey, CEO, Trinity Community Arts.

The Fundsurfer set up to help the SCLT purchase its first building and bring it into community ownership is already over 50% of the way towards their minimum target of £272,000.

Trinity’s commitment also supports our current work to document and celebrate 100 years of art and activism in Bristol through the National Lottery Heritage funded project, Art of Resistance.

Click here to pledge your support to Stokes Croft Land Trust today

Joy Crookes. Credit: Khali Ackford

Kokoroko. Credit: Luke Macpherson

Ezra Collective. Credit: Ash Harnett

With Self Esteem’s recent sold-out gig and Wet Leg coming up (21 Apr), we thought we'd take a moment to reflect on some of the best acts who've played at Trinity on their breakthrough tours in the last few years.

Alt J (2012)

Indie pop makers Alt-J came to perform live to a sell-out crowd the day after they won the Mercury Prize for what was to be one of their last intimate gigs.

Ezra Collective (2019)

London jazz collective Ezra Collective fuse Afrobeat, Hip-Hop and Soul to create a distinct sound. Known for “pioneering the new-wave of UK jazz music” (Boilerroom) their sell-out gig was yet another sell-out in 2019.

Freddie Gibbs (2019)

American rapper Freddie Gibbs is known for his technical proficiency and provocative lyrics as well has two collaborations with critically acclaimed Madlib.

Loyle Carner (2019)

One of the most popular rappers to come out of the UK in recent years, Loyle Carner played here following the release of his second album ‘Not Waving, But Drowning’.

Mick Jenkins (2019)

American rapper Mick Jenkins had released two far reaching albums, The Healing Component (2016) and Pieces of a Man (2018) prior to playing to a very ecstatic hip-hop loving audience.

Kokoroko (2020)

London-based eight-piece musical group Kokoroko play a fusion of Jazz and Afrobeat and came to us just before Lockdown restrictions in Mar 2020. Despite this, they are making waves in the UK Nu-Jazz scene.

Joy Crookes (2021)

An essential new voice in the burgeoning UK Neo-Soul scene, Joy Crookes played an incredible sold-out show in November last year.

Self-Esteem (2022)

Hot off the press, we knew Self Esteem was going to be popular by early requests for press passes and how quickly it sold out. The crowd jumped to the performance of I Do This All The Time and we think this will be a gig that forges itself in many memories. We are sure this will be one of her last gigs playing to smaller crowds.

Not-to-miss breakthrough gigs coming up:

Bakar (03 Apr)

A melting pot of indie, rap, rock, and punk, Bakar's music bridges the gap between genres, drawing influence from a wide range of artists such as Madlib and Foals.

Wet Leg (21 Apr)

The Isle Of White two-piece drew international acclaim with their breakout single Chaise Lounge, which went viral last year.

Yard Act (11 May)

Spearheaded by James Smith (vocals) and Ryan Needham (bass), the four-piece have built a sound that explores observations from all walks of modern British life.

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.

As part of Art of Resistance Rider Shafique sat down with Edson Burton to discuss his multi-faceted career and his thoughts on the activist community in Bristol.

Rider is a lyricist, spoken word and recording artist and a prolific and versatile MC at both live events on record.

Rider creates visual and performance art to educate and inspire for his project I-DENTITY, including photography exhibitions, films, interviews, workshops and a radio interview series for Noods Radio called I-MC.

Want to find out more about Art of Resistance? Click here to find out more about the project and upcoming events or keep up to date with events and news at Trinity by signing up to our mailing list.

Art of Resistance is a two-year, National Heritage Lottery Funded project charting 100 years of protest in Bristol.

Soundtrack by Grove