Festus Celebrations 2023 - Image Credit: Francisco Vicaria

This December we are hosting Festus - a fun packed festive themed all-day market celebrating African Caribbean and Black British culture.

Taking place on Saturday 07 December, Festus market will host stalls from local traders selling African/ Caribbean and Black British goods. There will also be craft activities for kids, food from the resident kitchen the Jamaican Hideaway, and feature a great soundtrack throughout the day.

"I had wicked fun. When are you doing it again?" Feedback, Festus

This years celebrations building upon last year's market and evening party hosted at Trinity following the culmination of a year-long celebrations of the 75th anniversary of Windrush. Across the two events, a day market and evening performances we welcomed over 200 people. Stalls included traditional textiles, artisans and craft stalls and information stands from community organisations.

We’re keen to provide a wide range of stalls with original gifts and ethical products so are looking for a wide variety of traders. Slots are also available for demos or for traders to present and talk a little about your work. Let us know if you'd be keen to take up this offer. Please contact info@trinitybristol.org.uk with any questions.

Sign up to be a stall holder

• Fill in our online form here to request a stall
• The deadline to apply is 9am Monday 25 Nov 2024

Coexist Community Kitchen Sessions - Image Credit: Francisco Vicaria

During the summer we offered a series of gardening and cooking sessions in our Community Garden. These sessions are delivered in partnership with Coexist Community Kitchen and are designed to combine Coexist’s culinary skills with Trinity’s gardening knowledge, drawing on the rich variety of produce available in our garden.

“Some people don’t really know anyone in Bristol, and I think that gentleness that gardening and cooking offers of socialising but whilst having your hands busy allows you to connect through more than just words, through a shared activity. I feel like there is more of a sense of community with some people who come along” - Fleur Handley, Trinity Garden Project Facilitator

The sessions area space for people to connect with nature, develop cooking and gardening skills and meet new people. Many participants have lived experience of the asylum-system and live in temporary accommodation with little access to cooking facilities or green spaces.

During the sessions participants explored the outdoor spaces; picked and selected food from the community garden to cook with during the project.  Other activities included outdoor cooking over an open fire, harvesting seasonal produce, tending to the garden, and coming together to share a meal that participants create as a group.

These garden sessions where developed in response to addressing increasing isolation felt by many during the pandemic in 2020/2021 when outdoor activities were still permitted under lockdown restrictions. Since then, we have continued to offer two six-week blocks of these sessions every year. Click here to find out more.

We hope to continue this valuable partnership with Coexist in spring 2025 when our garden comes back into bloom and the first bits of produce start appearing. Click here to find out more about our regular gardening opportunities at Trinity.

'Citizens for Culture' is bringing together citizens - people living, working or staying across the West of England - to explore how creative opportunities can be inclusive and accessible for everyone in the region.

Taking place in 2025 this ambitious project aims to co-create a Cultural Plan for the three areas in the West of England Combined Authority.

As part of the successful delivery of the assembly, we are calling out for freelancers, artists, individuals, cultural workers and organisations to sign up to be ‘Assembly Associates’.

Associates will be advocates for citizens-led culture and will support the campaign by:

• Shaping the design of the assembly and associated activities

• Sharing Citizens for Culture opportunities within their networks and communication channels

• Submitting evidence to be presented to citizens in the assembly

• Publicly advocating for the outcomes of the assembly in their own practice, work or organisation

Why sign up?

Becoming an associate of Citizens for Culture offers an opportunity to actively shape the future of citizen-led culture for the region.

By joining Citizens for Culture, you can connect with audiences and others in the sector from across the region more directly. By signing up as an Associate you will have the opportunity to influence cultural policy, expand your networks and advocate for meaningful change in your own communities and sectors.

Find out more:

If you are interested in becoming an associate of Citizens for Culture and would like out find out more please get in touch with Citizens for Culture Producer Anjali at anjali@trinitybristol.org.uk

New water refill stations across the venue thanks to the ticket levy and One Stop grant

At the Trinity Centre, we’re constantly striving to enhance our space, ensuring it remains accessible, inclusive, and sustainable for all. This year, we’ve undertaken several crucial capital works aimed at modernising the venue, thanks in part to your support through our ticket levy.

What's the levy for?

The ticket levy is a fee applied to all event tickets, intended to fund essential improvements to the building. These funds help us match contributions from sponsors and grant funders, allowing us to undertake mid-scale capital projects to enhance the venue for all users.

The levy is just one of the many ways we raise vital funds to maintain and improve the centre, ensuring it remains a hub for creativity and culture for communities of East Bristol and beyond.

Works so far

In 2024 we have already made significant strides to upgrade and enhance the venue to ensure it remains a vibrant, accessible and sustainable space for all who use it.

One of our key achievements has been the installation of water refill stations throughout the building and its gardens, made possible with additional match grant support from One Stop. This initiative is part of our commitment to sustainability, encouraging visitors to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics by carrying refillable water bottles. Not only does this reduce waste, but it also promotes healthier hydration habits for everyone who steps through our doors.

In addition to the water refill stations, we have upgraded our boiler system, ensuring a more energy-efficient way of heating the building. This improvement brings us a step closer to reducing our overall carbon footprint, in line with our sustainability goals. We have also carried out essential upgrades to our fire alarm systems, in addition to our general repairs and maintenance of the venue carried out each year.

What's next?

We're in the process of modernising our lift, which was originally installed in 2007. As a key part of our mission to ensure accessibility, this upgrade is vital to maintaining the reliability of the lift, which benefits an est 2,000 people with mobility needs who use the centre annually. The modernisation involves replacing outdated electrical components with modern, locally manufactured parts, reducing the frequent faults that have recently caused disruptions to various activities. This work is also being funded by the Bruce Wake Charitable Trust.

Looking further ahead, we are seeking to raise funds to impliment plans to deliver other mid-scale renovation projects to be supported by the ticket levy and match funds include:

Main hall upgrades; commissioning new technical lighting array to enhance the quality of performances and events held at the centre and carrying out improvements to internal doors to further improve fire and sound compartmentalisation.

Creation of a new multi-use meeting/dressing room; transforming our downstairs office, including roof repairs and internal works to provide a more flexible, multi-use space for staff and visitors alike, including providing additional back-stage space for artists and performers, upgrading the furnishings and fittings to create a more functional and versatile environment.

New garden eco-unit; replacement of the old outdoor mud-hut kitchen, built in 2012 thanks to an Awards for All grant, with a new unit to support the delivery of our children's nature play and wider learning and well-being activities.

Emma Harvey, CEO of Trinity, said:

"Trinity was built almost 200 years ago, and those who designed it could never have imagined the incredible variety of ways the space is used today. As proud guardians of this fantastic building, our work to maintain and modernise it for contemporary use is a continual effort.

"By contributing through the ticket levy, our audiences enable us to carry out much-needed upgrades while preserving the unique character and authenticity of the building. This support is crucial in demonstrating the match funds needed to secure wider grant funding and sponsorship needed to deliver against our ambitions for an accessible, inclusive and sustainable centre for the people.

"Thank you for being part of this journey with us and for helping us create a better Trinity for everyone."

Trinity Community Arts is a registered charity number 1144770

Garden Party: A Community Celebration - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

On Sunday 22 September 2024, we opened our gates for our end of summer community celebration. This event featured community arts workshops,  activities for children and families and performances.

In collaboration with our Community Connectors we connected with facilitators and artists from the local area who we invited to deliver activities on the day. We also offered businesses the opportunity to trade during the event and local traders came along to sell crafts, jewellery, vintage goods, and more at Garden Party.

On the music side of things, we programmed a diverse lineup of artists, including traditional Arabic music from Soufian Saihi, New Orleans style Brass music from Bigfoot Brass Band, Afrofusion from duo Sisanda and Ru, and an amazing blend of Bhangra and UK sounds from our headliner Indian Man.

We also offered attendees the chance to find out more about what we do at Trinity, with talks throughout the day about our Citizen’s Assembly project and our children, young people and families programme.

“An amazing day out – community, music and lots of activities for the kids” – Participant Feedback

We had a good turn out on the day, with 297 attendees and over £400 donated to Trinity to allow us to put on more community-focused events like Garden party. We wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who braved the rain and made this Garden Party so special, from the talented artists, workshop facilitators, stall-holders, local food vendors, the dedicated sound and lighting team behind the scenes, our hardworking bar staff, the entire Team Trinity, and, of course, all of you who joined us on the day.

Thank you for coming down to support what we do and celebrate our amazing local community.

If you'd like to continue to support Trinity, click here to make a donation.

Citizens for Culture is ground-breaking initiative bringing together people from across the region to meet with creative practitioners, cultural providers and decision-makers to create a Cultural Plan for the region.

Delivered in with St Pauls Carnival, Citizens In Power and the West of England Combined Authority, the project will host the first region wide Citizens’ Assembly for Culture in 2025.

We caught up with Producer, Anjali Prashar-Savoie and  Project Manager, David Jubb, to ask some key questions about the project - what is it, why we’re running it and what we hope to achieve.

David and Anjali - what is a Citizens Assembly for Culture all about?

A Citizens' Assembly brings people together to learn about and deliberate issues and together, reach conclusions about what they think should happen.

Our project, Citizens for Culture, will invite citizens from areas in the West of England to create a set recommendations for a Cultural Plan for the West of England Combined Authority Region.

Taking place across multiple sessions citizens will explore how creative opportunities can be inclusive, accessible and representative of the many people living across the region. They will immerse themselves in creative and cultural activities, hear from experts who will share their knowledge about creativity and culture and then, working together, develop recommendations for a Cultural Plan to be delivered across three regions in the West of England.

Following the Assembly, citizens will oversee the implementation of the Cultural Plan with support from funders, local authorities, organisations and individuals, all working together to deliver these citizen-led recommendations.

What is the story so far?

"By using this democratic approach we will hope to inform future cultural policies and priorities for the West of England, creating a legacy that will serve as a model for the UK's continually evolving arts and cultural landscape."

The project was created in response to the partners wanting to explore how using a Citizens Assembly model - a deliberative, democratic and people-centred approach - could reimagine what a cultural offer could look like in the South West.

Each partner brings their own skills to the project - St Pauls' Carnival CEO, LaToyah Mcallister-Jones brings her wealth of expertise and experience in leading and facilitating Assemblies.

Using their expertise in citizen-led decision making, Citizens In Power have been securing support for each stage of the project, from the initial research phase in 2022 to the delivery of the final Assembly in 2025 and Trinity's CEO, Emma Harvey, brings over 20yrs of expertise of using arts and culture as a tool for civic participation.

Together, we delivered a research phase for the Assembly, where the principles for the design were shaped by a group of people from across the region, chosen through a random selection process.

Based on these design principles, the Assembly was further developed by people working in the cultural sector. The research phase provided the building blocks for the framework for the planned 2025 Assembly.

Why are you running Citizens for Culture?

The Assembly aims to help shape a regional cultural offer that is relevant, accessible and reflective of diverse voices and perspectives. By co-creating cultural leadership and decision-making with the people who live, work and stay in our region, we hope to build a more democratic approach that will help shape the future direction of culture in the West of England.

What do you mean by “citizens” and “culture”?

When we say citizens, we simply mean the people who live, work or stay in a place.

We feel that the Assembly is best placed to arrive at its practical definition of culture - one that best serves the creation of the regional Cultural Plans.  We want to ensure the people taking part can participate fully and that thoughtful conversations happen that aid in guiding this. By allowing the Assembly process to refine this definition, we hope to ensure that the Cultural Plan has a clear focus and achievable goals, while still acknowledging the richness of cultural diversity across the regions.

"By using this (a Citizens' Assembly model) democratic approach we hope to inform future cultural policies and priorities for the West of England, creating a legacy that will serve as a model for the UK's continually evolving arts and cultural landscape."

How do people get involved?

Citizens will be invited to participate in the Assembly through a sortition process, or democratic lottery, rather than by election or appointment. This ensures that the selection is impartial and includes a wide representation of community voices from across the region.

We're continuing to invite people and organisations working in the cultural sector to help shape plans for the 2025 Assembly.

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to get in touch with the Citizens’ Assembly producer, Anjali Prashar-Savoie, at anjali@trinitybristol.org.uk to arrange a chat.

Find out more about Citizens for Culture:

• Read LaToyah McAllister-Jones opinion piece on her experiences of facilitating democratic decision-making in the second part of this series about civic participation

• Read Edson Burton’s opinion piece of why voting matters in the second part of this series about civic participation

• Email Imogen@trinitybristol.org.uk to join our Citizens For Culture mailing list

Citizens for Culture is an initiative from St Paul Carnival CIC, Trinity Community Arts, Citizens in Power and West of England Combined Authority and is supported through funding by Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch).

Old Market is set to undergo a vibrant take-over this Autumn as the city-centre location becomes host to, Destination Old Market, a programme of public events showcasing the area's cultural and creative scene.

Taking place throughout October to November 2024 we have created a programme that will feature pop-up gigs and performances in secret locations in the area - shining a spotlight on the many artisans, makers and independent businesses based in the area.

"Living in Old Market for nearly a decade has made it feel like a part of me. I love the blend of its buildings, the unique characters, and the deep historical significance it holds for Bristol. My goal is to share with audiences a side of the city that’s often overlooked or taken for granted." - Tom Marshman, Artist

Businesses and shops will transform into DIY venues and will host pop-up performances from some of Bristol's finest live music, experimental sonics sounds & DJs. Line up so far includes Bristol's t l k, Copper Sounds + Sarahsson, Josephine Gyasi and James Storm. Pop up venues so far include pubs, hairdressers and retail shops.

Audiences can delve deep into Old Market's rich contemporary history through a new theatrical promenade performance devised by writer and artist, Edson Burton, in collaboration with artist Tom Marshman. Taking place in locations throughout Old Market, the audiences will uncover the captivating lives and stories that have shaped Bristol's Old Market into one of the city’s most memorable streets.

People can book Destination Old Market events through our website. A £5 deposit is required when booking. This deposit can either be refunded or exchanged for a voucher that can be spent in Old Market business taking part in the Destination Old Market.

Destination Old Market will take place on the following dates:

A Sound Odyssey:

Saturday 12 Oct

Saturday 02 Nov

A Theatrical Promenade

Sunday 13 Oct

Sunday 20 Oct

Sunday 27 Oct

Sunday 03 Nov

About Destination Old Market

Destination Old Market is produced by Trinity Community Arts and is part of the City Centre and High Streets Culture and Events Programme, funded by Bristol City Council and the West of England Combined Authority. The initiative aims to attract more visitors to the City Centre, boosting local businesses and the economy.

Speak Out Workshop - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

Speak Out was a free creative development programme for young people made possible through funding from the We Move Fund, created by Children in Need and BBC 1XTRA.

As part of the programme rapper/activist MoYah and poet and spoken word artist Sukina Noor delivered a series of workshops for young musicians and poets, offering support with writing and developing music-making skills.  These workshops where primarily aimed for young people who have lived-experience of the refugee and asylum-seeker system.

"As the Speak Out project unfolded, we saw how transformational this was to the participants. I think for me that was one of the most impactful experiences I’ve had working with young people" - Sukina Noor, Speak Out Facilitator

During the workshops the team offered tailored support and one-on-one mentorship to the young people who attended. We connected with translators to work with young people who wished to express themselves through Arabic -and  as a result they where able to use traditional Arabic poetic techniques during the workshops.

The young people involved in the project reflected on how the sessions offered them a safe space where they were able to fully express their identities and be themselves, and channel this into their art. For example, a participant from Brazil who spoke Portuguese was able to express himself better thanks to MoYah's ability to speak Portuguese, something that the young person had not been able to do since arriving in Bristol. Sukina observed the personal growth of the young Brazilian participant due to being able to speak his first language in the sessions, noting, "He could really experiment and let his story be told".

Facilitators, MoYah and Sukina both reflected on the confidence that the young people demonstrated by taking part and performing at Speak Out events, highlighting their creative and personal development throughout the project.

The young people who took part in these Speak Out workshops were given the opportunity to showcase their talents as part of the Bristol Refugee Festival.

In total six young people aged 16-18 took part in eight workshops, facilitated by MoYah and Sukina.

Click here to find out more about Trinity’s programme of events and activities for young people.

Me, way back when

Emma Harvey, Trinity CEO, shares her opinions on the underrepresentation of people from working class backgrounds in the arts

The cultural sector in the UK falls short on various measures of diversity and, starkly, fewer than one in 10 arts workers come from working-class backgrounds.

Being one of those one in 10, I can testify that people who sound and behave like me, or who share my cultural references are a rare species, particularly in leadership roles. One key reason for this is that success in the arts is often determined by access to established networks and the ability to leverage those connections to progress ideas, secure paid work and obtain funding.

One of my first funding applications for Trinity way back when was met with a rapturous response from the funder, who said they were excited to include us in their portfolio, but they wouldn’t be giving us any actual money. It was my first lesson in a long series of lessons: for Trinity – and me – to succeed, I would have to think differently about the game I was playing.

Over my time at Trinity, we’ve had to build trust with funders, proving that we are a ‘safe pair of hands’. This isn’t easy when you’re an uncompromising Essex bird who didn’t go to finishing school and (as my friend’s daughter once remarked), "looks like a teenager and talks like a young adult." While I took this as a compliment, it’s challenging when people expect leaders to look, sound and behave in a certain way. Like some wheeler-dealer Del Boy of the Bristol arts scene, it may sound sus to some when I say it's all cushty.

One way to build that credibility is by ensuring match funding is already on the table. It’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation: many funders only want to join the party once it’s in full swing – few want to be the first to risk bringing the vibes. Match funding from independent funders is critical to securing larger investment, particularly capital. The journey to raise all the funds needed to deliver community arts programmes or ambitious capital plans often feels like a convoluted, muddled process that relies as much on luck, sheer hard work and stubborn persistence as it does on strategy – it’s like a form of alchemy with plenty of nos along the way.

Uncredibles have to build our reputation and networks over a considerable number of years, seeing through many political cycles where officers and leaders change, meaning you have to start the conversation all over again. This at least is slightly more straight-forward in “Bristol village”, where the arts sector is relatively static. So, if like me you have the staying power then, over time, you can build trust and a track record. To this end, we’ve been hugely helped by independent funders who have placed their faith in our grand designs. Local funders like Nisbet Trust, a family charity that has been instrumental in advancing our programmes for children and young people, as well as our bold if not daunting work to save Jacobs Wells Baths. Also national funders like Historic England, who have also supported us with repairs on both of our publicly owned buildings, helping us build the match funds needed to unlock larger grant support from Lottery and other public bodies.

Despite the wins for the city, the narrative is so often negative. Instead of celebrating that Jacobs Wells Baths as a publicly owned building has been saved from commercial disposal it’s, "How did they get given that building?". Instead of joy in the building a cultural alliance that brings arts into three primary schools, the question is, “Why are they getting that funding?" And me? Well, I’m often described to my face as “a force of nature”, “someone who gets things done” and “a blunt tool”. It makes one wonder what people say when I’m not in the room. Maybe that’s why, even after all this time, I still find myself as the gatecrasher at one culture sector network event or the other.

This stuff only reinforces the purpose of Trinity’s work to democratise the arts and level our cultural worth. When we ask questions or make statements like these, what we’re really saying that the efforts of working-class people don’t matter because – whether by intent, complacency, or design – ultimately, we’re playing a game that we were never supposed to be on the board for, let alone have a chance of winning at.

That’s why people need to sit at the heart of cultural decision-making. Decisions about who gets what and where shouldn’t be made through closed-door deals by politicians, officers, cultural leaders and CEOs. Groups of people who may not live or work in the area, who don’t have real skin in the game or who like me (shock horror) will never ever ever be a real Bristolian.

Power like this should be placed with citizens.

Because when we talk about culture, what we’re really talking about who gets to express themselves freely, whose voices get heard and whose stories get told. That’s why I do what I do at Trinity. I want more voices, more diversity and more perspectives to bubble to the surface. And that means not just a room full of people who look different and all nod in agreement. I want people who challenge one other, who hold diametrically opposing views, from different faiths and conflicting political leanings. A bunch of folk who can come together and find common ground through shared values, like freedom of expression, respect and that culture, when done right, can be good for all of us – for our health, socially and economically. If we’re able to that, then we might just find a way to build a collective UK cultural identity that speaks of all of us.

So, that’s my story. Tell it, or tell someone else's. It’s up to you, not me after all.

This is an opinon piece by Emma Harvey, CEO

Summer Family Sessions - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

Are you a maker? Want to share your skills, interests or hobbies with your community?

On the 05 October we are teaming up with Eastside Community Trust and Somali Kitchen to host a free celebration of community creativity. This free event will take place at Easton Community Centre from 10am –4pm as part of the UK-wide Fun Palaces weekend.

During the day, there will be community volunteers offering a range of skill swaps – from a Fix It cafe to craft activities. Alongside this we are looking for other community makers to host their own skill swaps. This could be anything from a crocheting workshop to a keynote on stamp collecting – the day is all about sharing your skills with your neighbours!

We are offering each maker £50 towards materials/costs of your choice

How to get involved:

• Fill out this form, letting us know what skill you want to share.
• Deadline is midnight on Sunday 15th September.
• If you have any questions, please contact esther@trinitybristol.org.uk

Event information

• Fun Palace, 05 October 2024
• Easton Community Centre, Kilburn Street BS5 6AW
• Cost – free no registration required – just turn up
• Click here to find out more

Storytelling Sessions - Image Credit: Francisco Vicaria

Over the summer, as part of our Communities and Neighbourhood's programme, we hosted a series of free storytelling and movements session for parent/carers living in or around local neighbourhood, Stapleton Road.

The sessions where developed by Hibaq and Suad, who have recently joined the Trinity Team as Community Connectors. Community Connectors activate conversations with residents living within Trinity's locality which in turn help shape activities at Trinity.

Keen to encourage local families to spend creative time together during the summer break from school, Hibaq and Suad devised a four week programme of free-to-access activities that used storytelling and movement to explore and share stories of culture and heritage. Hibaq and Suad then invited families whose children attend local primary school, Easton CE Academy (one of three schools in the Cultural Alliance) to come along.

"I’ve had a lot of things on my mind this week, but here I forget everything, I relax" - Feedback, Participant, Storytelling Sessions

During the sessions parents and children took part in singing traditional songs, creating movement and dances. Hester Welch, the lead artist during the sessions, observed that during the sessions "families explored different ways of uncovering and sharing stories, building confidence in themselves and their surroundings, and celebrating these skills".

As well as using storytelling and movement to create connections between mothers and children, the sessions allowed space for women to have 'focus time' - a space to connect and express themselves in a calm, quiet environment while their children happily worked together elsewhere, creating dances and artwork to share back to them.

Across the four week project, we welcomed 45 participants from 12 families - all of whom live within a 20min walk of the Trinity Centre.

Read more about our commitment to celebrating, platforming and developing community creativity or find out what events are coming up as part of our Community & Neighbourhoods programme, including storytelling, singing, craft and drama drop-in workshops at our September Garden Party.

Bethany Ley - Image Credit: Giulia Spadafora

As part of our in-house programme, Trinity Presents, we are pleased to be bringing Bristol-based Bethany Ley to Strange Brew on 13 Sep.  Bethany will be performing their new EP, Sundial as part of a new Audio-Visual live show in collaboration with visual artist Alfie Dwyer, who recently worked with Aphex Twin creating the visuals for their 2023 tour.

We sat down with Bethany for an in-depth conversation about Sundial, exploring their creative process and what's next on their journey.

Hi! Please introduce yourself

B: Hello! I am Bethany Ley (FKA. STANLAEY), an independent producer, vocalist, and sound designer based in Bristol. I write music that explores the cross section of my background as a classical musician, with electronic production, improvisation and sound design.

"Trinity is such a big part of the tapestry of the Bristol music scene and I am grateful for the continuous support. If I step back, it’s nice to see the musical evolution in myself and the city – and that Trinity has been a constant force in that throughout the years" - Bethany Ley

You previously released music under the name STANLÆY - can you tell us the thought process behind changing your name as an artist, and how this has been reflected in your music?

B: Changing the name has felt like a natural progression of stepping into myself as an artist. I wanted to release music under a ubiquitous name that can constellate the hue of what I do in a way that makes sense to me. Stripping it back has given me a different type of excitement to explore production within my recorded and live work.

Your debut EP ‘Sundial’ was released a couple of months ago – can you tell us a little about the inspirations behind the project, the process of creating the EP and what the response has been like so far?

B: Sundial stemmed from a love and exploration of acousmatic sound design, and the visualisation of sound. The project actually started off as an imaginary OST to a sort of visual landscape, or generative video game. It then mutated and merged with structure and song-writing. Other topical inspiration was Internal Family Systems (IFS), a therapeutic model which thinks of each person having several modes of self within themselves. The response has been heart-warming. I feel grateful for Lo Recordings for taking it on to a label that it feels very at home at! Also very grateful to my friends and new people I have met and chatted to when performing these songs live!

This project has seen you working with AV artist Alfie Dwyer to create animations for Sundial, what was that process like and what do you think the visuals add to the overall experience of the EP?

B: I experience and make music really visually and recently have been writing my music alongside creating visual scores, so working with a visual artist has felt really natural; especially someone I am so close with. Alfie and I have overlaps in our interests and art, so I think our work compliments each-other well and we both get inspired by each-other when talking about ideas. I feel like visuals and sound give each-other so much, and together create something bigger than each part individually. It’s Alchemy. Putting them together in this way for my debut EP ‘Sundial’ has felt like we are able to invite people into the universe of the music in a more physical way.

You’ve been on our radar for a while now – performing at Trinity several times including at our Garden Party – what has this journey been like for you as an artist?

B: I played at The Garden Party in 2021 (Post-Covid) and we absolutely loved that show! I also played with Ishmael Ensemble as part of their ‘Visions of Light’ tour at Trinity in 2022, and most recently supporting Waldo’s Gift at Strange Brew back in March. Trinity is such a big part of the tapestry of the Bristol music scene and I am grateful for the continuous support. If I step back, it’s nice to see the musical evolution in myself and the city – and that Trinity has been a constant force in that throughout the years.

What can audiences expect from your show at Strange Brew on 13 Sep?

B: You can expect sonic and visual gemstones and crystals being gently hurled about the room. I will be playing electric harp, electronics and singing alongside a band on stage with me, whilst Alfie Dwyer performs his live bespoke visuals alongside Matteo Amadio on lights. I am so excited to be joined by musical angels James Storm (sax, synth & voice), Isla Greenwood (voice), Laura Wilson (violin) to bring to life the songs in a new and expansive way just for the Bristol show.

What’s next for Bethany Ley?

B: I am slowly working on an album or new body of work which I am excited about. I am saving up to go to Indonesia & plan to deep dive into the sound of bells, harmonics, and hopefully learn more about soundwaves in the process.

Bethany Ley will be performing at Strange Brew on Friday 13 Sep 2024 - click here to get your tickets.

St Pauls Carnival Panel Discussion at Glastonbury Festival 2024 - Image Credit: Khali Ackford

Trinity is committed to creating ways in which citizens can take an active role in shaping arts and culture. As part of this commitment we are connecting with leading voices in the cultural sector to ask them to share their thoughts on the different civic and democratic tools that we as citizens can access. In the second in our series of opinion pieces exploring civic participation LaToyah McAllister-Jones, Executive Director of St Pauls Carnival, reflects on her experiences of using various tools to facilitate democratic decision-making.

Opinion: Voices in Decision-Making, LaToyah McAllister-Jones

I have always been attracted to work and play that enables people to have a voice. To be heard. After years of working with marginalised groups, from managing accommodation services for street homeless people to community organising in Hackney, I have developed an interest in the right to influence decisions being made about our lives.

One of the most interesting things about leading a community arts organisation is just how integral the community is to our work. St Pauls Carnival CIC is merely a custodian for the iconic event; we provide a stage and the community fills those spaces. Carnival celebrates African Caribbean talent in St Pauls and beyond as well as our culture and heritage. Our communities continue the traditions of our ancestors using music, dance and storytelling to share lived experiences and connect to our heritage. This is one of the most important things about our event: it allows us to tell our own stories, in our own words, using our voices.

In 2021, I was asked by Involve to facilitate   Bristol City Council's Citizens’ Assembly supporting policy development in housing, health inequalities and transport as the city emerged from Covid. The process was new to me, and I loved the way it cut through many of the challenges that we often come up against when engaging communities:

• Participants are randomly selected, and usually aren’t experts in the central assembly topic. There is a process to ensure that all participants are able to meaningfully contribute to the discussions, and this is critical to the success of an assembly.
• The process seeks to facilitate consensus, rather than debate which tends to have a winner and a loser.
• Participants are encouraged to explore what their real priorities are and what they might be prepared to forego for those priorities.
• Assemblies bring together a diverse range of people who you wouldn’t necessarily find together in a traditional social setting. This creates an opportunity for vastly differing viewpoints to be heard and influence how others participants might think about a topic.

St Pauls Carnival are currently delivering a Citizens’ Assembly for Culture in partnership with Trinity Community Arts, Citizens In Power and West Of England Combined Authority. The idea developed just as we were coming out of the pandemic and thinking about the lessons learnt; particularly the role of community. Together, we were curious about what it would look like to use the assembly process - democratic, person-centred and thinking about strengths of a place, its people and its assets - to reimagine what the cultural offer could look like in the South West region.

Democratic decision-making allows citizens to actively contribute to the discourse that shapes their communities. We also believe culture is experienced by everyone, in many different ways, and everyone should be able to access the culture that represents them. If this is to be the ambition, it is vital that we put people at the centre of that process. This means understanding how people experience culture, what it means to them and, as cultural leaders, asking ‘how can we reflect this in our approach and programming?’

The new Labour Government expressed an interest in the use of Citizens’ Assemblies earlier this year, and the format has been used to unpack challenging issues like abortion in Ireland. The South West region is already embedding this approach into how we speak to our communities, and we are at the forefront of using assemblies to understand how we deliver for everyone, and not just those who can afford it or who have easy access to culture.

Our Citizens’ Assembly for Culture project offers an exciting opportunity to create a new approach to engaging people in the cultural life of a place. The Assembly will take place in Spring 2025 as a central programme within Culture West, funded by the West of England Combined Authority and Arts Council South West. The recommendations coming from this Assembly will become part of the regional approach to delivering a citizen-led cultural offer.

Find out more about the Citizens' Assembly for Culture project:

• Read the first piece in this series about civic participation: Edson Burton’s exploration of why voting matters
• Sign up to an online information session with the Citizens' Assembly team
• Email Imogen@trinitybristol.org.uk to join our Citizens For Culture mailing list
• Read our blogs to find out more about the Citizens' Assembly project

Film by Latent Pictures

In September 2024 we will launch the ‘Cultural Alliance’, a two-year tailored arts-based learning programme delivered in partnership with three inner-city primary schools, Easton CE Primary, St Nicholas of Tolentine and Hannah More Primary. This new programme, funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation, is a first of its kind in the local area and has been co-designed to meet the needs of each school.

The primary schools in the Alliance are based within a half-mile radius of the Trinity Centre with many of the children who attend facing challenges due to health, learning needs, and socioeconomic factors.

Aligning with Trinity’s long-term commitment to combat inequality through the arts, the Alliance will utilise a tailored arts-based curriculum focused on dance and drama in partnership with locally rooted creative partners ACTA and Movema. By addressing the detrimental effects of limited arts-education, the ambition is to support children's overall development and empower them to thrive in their learning journey. Alongside the programme, teachers will be offered ongoing support in their practice, offering them the creative tools and resources to provide the best opportunities for each student to flourish within their unique situations and learning environments.

“The Cultural Alliance will allow children across our local community to connect and learn through creativity. We are looking forward to working with our partner primary schools to inspire creative thinking and allowing each child who participates to thrive” Jenny Bodnarchuk, Youth Service Manager

The Alliance has been shaped through extensive consultation with primary school pupils, teachers, governors and community organisations, conducted by Trinity since 2021. These consultations highlighted the urgency of embracing alternative measures of academic success - considering their pupils’ diverse linguistic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds - and reported the need for new tools and practices to build trust and foster inclusivity.

The Alliance takes an investigative approach, incorporating tailored collaboration with each school, responsive to their unique needs. By integrating arts-based learning, teacher support, and initiatives addressing inclusion, the Alliance will create a transformative educational experience for educators and pupils, fostering a more inclusive and equitable learning environment.

The Alliance has been developed via initial seed funding from Van Neste Foundation and Nisbet Trust secured in 2023 to test and refine the programme through free-to-access arts-based provision for primary-aged children that included Forest School activities as well as embedding a dance programme, World in a Box, in partner schools.

Building on learning from these pilot activities, the launch of the Cultural Alliance in September 2024 has now been made possible through a two-year grant from Paul Hamlyn Foundation marking a significant step forward in local investment in children's access to arts and culture.

Find out more about our Children and Young People's programme here.

Garden Party September 2023 - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

We are looking for friendly, reliable and attentive individuals to help out at Garden Party: A Community Celebration on Sunday 22 Sep. This event is the sister event of our May Garden Party, and is a free, day celebration of the local community featuring arts, dance, music and much more. Volunteering offers you the chance to make a positive impact in your local community, make the site welcoming to guests, help visitors navigate the site, and help raise funds for Trinity's charitable activities. If you'd like to read more about Trinity's charitable mission, click here to read our annual report.

Whether you are on or off site, you must be alert to health and safety issues, enjoy communicating with different people and ensure a great experience for all involved.

Grounds Stewards: General checking of grounds, reporting of issues, meeting and greeting public, sign-posting.

Fundraisers: Collecting donations at main gates as people enter and leave, providing children with wristbands. Handing out information and sign-positing.

We are asking people to volunteer for two or more two hour shifts:

12pm - 2pm
2pm - 4pm
4pm - 6pm
6pm - 7pm

What’s in it for me?

Volunteering is a great way to make new friends and contacts, develop skills, get experience and increase self-confidence, plus you know you are helping to make Trinity the rich, vibrant place that it is.

Click here to read an interview with one of our regular volunteers, Rob, about the benefits of volunteering at Trinity.

Lunch will be provided on the day for volunteers.

Who can apply?

Applicants need to be 18 plus. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and aim to be as inclusive as possible, working to accommodate access requirements, including covering travel to and from the venue as required.

How can I apply?

• If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the volunteer form and select the ‘Volunteer Steward’ option.
• Let us know the times you can do in the ‘Give a brief description about yourself’ section of the form.
• After the application please complete our anonymous online equal opportunities form.
• The closing date for volunteer applications is Mon 22 April 2024, 9am.

We will get back to applicants on this closing week.

Please contact info@trinitybristol.org.uk if you have any questions, or would like more information about volunteering at Garden Party.

Old Market Protest 07/08/24

The past few weeks have been deeply distressing, particularly for our Global Majority staff and Centre users and it was disheartening to see Old Market boarded up out of fear of hate.

After careful consideration our staff, security, event organisers and community reps made a difficult last-minute decision to close during the protest. This was a tough call, as we had to balance our collective desire to stand defiantly against racism with the need to protect those who might be targeted by the threats of violence.

It has been reaffirming to see the people of Bristol come together to stand up against racism. The cross-sector effort that quickly created the conditions for a safe counter-demonstration to take place has personally given me hope to keep move forward with purpose in pursuit of our charitable mission and values.

In this time of heightened emotion, please make space for complicated feelings to be processed in imperfect ways, and be kind and forgiving to yourselves and one another.

Emma, CEO

Make space to process...

There are a number of agencies across the city that can offer resources, support and advice:

Bristol Somali Resource Centre provides free and impartial information, advice and guidance 0117 907 7994

Nilaari Agency Black-led charity dedicated to providing mental health assistance, particularly to adults from Black, Asian, and Minoritized Communities - call 0117 952 5742

Samaritans offer support 24 hours a day, seven days a week - freephone 116 123

Avon & Wiltshire mental health partnership offer mental health support, advice and guidance

Shout offers confidential text support 24/7 - text SHOUT to 85258

Staying safe & vigilant

SARI - Stand Against Racism & Inequality have prepared some resources on what you can do if you encounter or witness a hate crime.

Connect & celebrate...

Although Dionne's Speakeasy couldn't go ahead this week, we’ll be out to show our support next week. All are welcome—please spread the word!

At Trinity, families from across our surrounding neighbourhoods come together. Children create paintings reflecting their diverse heritages. They sing nursery rhymes in different languages. The UK I see each day is not the divided one that manifested this weekend. It’s a place where people connect and foster relationships, bridging our diverse pasts within our shared present.

To suggest multiculturalism is something we tried and can simply undo is a particular form of dishonesty. Whether you like it or not, our towns and cities will only become more diverse so we must find ways to rub up against each other in less painful ways.

Multiculturalism isn’t a problem, but it’s also not a Benetton ad. Trinity’s charitable purpose is to promote racial harmony by encouraging equality of opportunity and good relations between people of different racial and cultural identities, and by facilitating multicultural activities. This isn’t just because it’s great fun, but because cohesion isn’t incidental. It requires work, spaces and resources, which are in short supply as counties, councils and communities go broke.

As the world changes around us in quicker and bolder ways, demographic profiles will continue to shift. Connecting online or in spaces with those who only nod in agreement makes seeing the world through a different lens all the harder.

Anchor hubs, community halls, neighbourhood pubs, historical sites and cultural institutions can offer an antidote; providing a familiar backdrop for existing communities while welcoming new ones. But rapid redevelopment, rising costs and pressures on sustaining statutory services are placing pressures on councils – often the legacy owners of a portfolio of our civic, cultural and heritage assets – to sell off the spaces that underpin our social fabric. Meanwhile, the decline of high streets has slowed growth and depleted local offerings that were once the foundation of an area’s cultural identity. If we no longer have places to drink tea and eat biscuits together, this creates a feeling of loss and defensiveness of 'us' that compounds fears of 'them'.

The sleight of hand being played is, while attention is diverted to small boats, the real threat – unregulated speculative land investment and inadequate community land control – continues to rob us of what’s ours. The response is a growing movement of local and national networks battling to save our spaces. While there are success stories, many of these campaigns struggle due to a lack of resources, experience and long-term support. Cash talks meaning it can be difficult to compete against the pressure on local authorities to dispose of assets at a commercial rate to balance budgets. Unlocking decisions and funding to protect these assets often hinges on political cycles, party policies and slogans that feel beyond our influence. This means, for every success story, we’re still losing more than we’re saving.

If we want to make things better for everyone, we must find a way to value societal well-being and sustainable development as much as, if not more than, the economic value of the ground under our feet. We can call in the army, increase police resources and regulate online spaces. But, if we want to see less of what happened this weekend, we must engage in the national conversation about the systemic issues behind such events and address how we provide vital civic infrastructure for a population that will only continue to grow in density and diversity.

The decisions we make now shape the story we tell about ourselves to future generations. At Trinity, we push the boundaries of a building constructed by people who could never have imagined the ways we use the space today. This space, built without us in mind, requires us to find ways to resource it for the future while accepting that we can’t predict what tomorrow holds or control who gets to be part of that.

Communities, times and places change. Once disparate cultural threads intertwine, shaping the ancestors we become. The fringe becomes the ordinary, the dinosaur, the dust. In a world of polarisation, fear, and uncertainty, these are the spaces (as our Edson says) that allow us to curate a different way of being, resonating with our shared past and shaping a more resilient and culturally vibrant future.

Right now, these spaces are more vital than ever.

#RadicalInclusion

This is an opinion piece by Emma Harvey

Mungo's Hi Fi performing at Sequences Festival with Eva Lazarus and Charlie Hands

We are working with Bristol-based external promoters and artists to platform local grassroots artists alongside internationally renowned musicians. Teachings in Dub have been a staple of Trinity's programme for the last 15 years, honouring Trinity's legacy as a soundsystem venue by bringing some of the best Dub soundsystem operators and MCs to Trinity with monthly events at The Trinity Centre.

Ahead of our Day Party with Teachings in Dub and Mungo's Hi Fi on Sunday 18 August, we sat down with Mungo's to chat soundsystems, summer plans, up-and-coming artists and much more.

Q: Hi! Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about how Mungo’s Hi Fi formed?

A: Hello - we are Mungo's Hi Fi, a Soundsystem based in Glasgow and named after Glasgow's founder, St Mungo. We started collecting vinyl, playing out, organising club nights, free parties and protests in the 90s. We saw the music as part of a social movement, and developed a DIY culture around what we did, starting to build our own soundsystem at the time.

"Bristol is the capital for UK soundsystem culture at the moment, fed by the deep enthusiasm for the festival and party scene, far enough away from London to have it's own scene, but still close enough to be involved with what's going on there" - Mungo's Hi Fi

Q: Your soundsystem is pretty legendary – can you tell us how it was developed?

A: We helped out with other people's sounds to begin with, and then found some old speaker boxes discarded in a skip. We bought an old amp, fixed them up and started building from there. We had a monthly gig in a bar which we took the sound to and played music at, as well as our own promotions in an old working man's club. We used the money from these events to pump back into buying more and better speakers and amps, as well as building speakers ourselves, some of which we are still using nearly 20 years on. It has improved over the years, and we have become more experienced in every aspect of using it.

Q: How did you first link up with Stryda and Teachings in Dub?

A: I am ashamed to say I can't remember. We used to listen to their radio show and they helped promote the releases we were putting out since we founded Scotch Bonnet in 2005...so we have been in touch for around 20 years. They have always been supportive of what we do, and vice versa.

Q: You’ve been a staple of Bristol lineups for some time now – is there anything about Bristol that sets it out from other cities in terms of Soundsystem culture?

A: Bristol is the capital for UK soundsystem culture at the moment, fed by the deep enthusiasm for the festival and party scene, far enough away from London to have it's own scene, but still close enough to be involved with what's going on there.

Q: What else does the summer have in store for Mungo’s?

A: This summer is pretty crazy for gigs. It started off with tours in Australia, New Zealand, America and Canada, and since then has been a whirlwind of festivals in the UK and Europe, from Latvia and Croatia, to the depths of the Scottish countryside. It is such a privilege to be invited to these sacred gatherings of various tribes. Got to say Boomtown will be a highlight this year with our first ever soundclash with David Rodigan.

Q: Who are some reggae and dub artists you think more people should know about?

A: Tough question, which depends on how much your ear is already to the ground. Coming from Jamaica right now you have to rate Samori I and Lila Ike as bringing something fresh and exciting. I'm a big fan of Johnny Go Figure from New York who I met for the first time a couple of weeks ago. As for the UK, I love what Joe Yorke is doing right now.

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

A: I'm really keen to find out what the next generation will bring, and to see if there are ways that those of us who have been through it all can support them, cos I know it's harder than ever to make a name for yourself, let alone a career in the music industry. We help run a project in Scotland called The Soundsystem Project where we share some of the skills we have learned in building speakers, DJing, song writing, production and everything around that with young people. It really feeds my soul to see fresh faces getting involved, feeling inspired and growing as individuals and groups through the joyful act of making music together.

Mungo's Hi Fi will be playing at our Day Party with Teachings in Dub on Sunday 18 Aug alongside Solo Banton, Housewife's Choice and more - click here to get your tickets.

Nature in Newtown - Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

Throughout the summer, we’ve been working with our Community Connectors to programme activities for the local community. Working with Shanti Pant, our Community Connector for Newtown, we devised a programme that encouraged residents local to Newtown to spend time together, enjoying and learning about local green spaces through gentle exercise and nature walks.

“You just don’t know what is on your doorstep” - Feedback, Nature in Newtown Participant

Newtown is one of three local neighbourhoods that Trinity is working closely with over the course of this year, to develop a greater understanding of residents’ interests and experiences, and how we can offer support to share creative activity. As a Newtown resident, and nature-lover, Shanti was keen to share her experience of how spending time in nature can provide a simple way to support wellbeing and connect with others, so we worked with her to create this project.

Nature in Newtown ran for ten weeks from June - August, led by Subitha Baghirathan, and supported by Shanti. With Lawrence Hill Health Centre as the groups’ meeting point, Subitha shared a range of wellbeing exercises and activities for participants to experience including; tai chi, vagus nerve breathing, mindfulness activities and listening walks. Through rain and shine, we welcomed ten local people over the weeks, enthusiastically sharing their knowledge of the area, and learning new things from each other.

We found out that there is plenty of nature surrounding Newtown, and new places to discover too. A walk through some tunnels - shared by one member of the group - contained beautiful tiles documenting ‘The Industries and Crafts of Bristol’s Rich Industrial Heritage’, a walk along the railway path encouraged group members to use Subitha’s tree book to identify different species by their leaves, and a visit to Trinity’s garden enabled the group to meet Fleur, our garden project facilitator, who showed them around the space and talked about our volunteer programme.

Over the weeks, participants reported an increased feeling of connectedness to their local community, confidence to explore the local area, and confidence to engage with others.

For the second part of this project, we’re inviting practitioners Shanti Sherson (Wellbeing at Wellspring Settlement) and Jon Aitken (filmmaker at Watershed) to join us at Lawrence Hill Health Centre’s community garden, for Filmmaking in Newtown.

Over three sessions in September, Shanti and Jon will lead nature-based activities and help participants create simple short films together that document our connection to nature.

The hand-crafted guitar built by young people who attend Novalis Trust, a Stroud-based learning academy

Young people from Novalis Trust have generously donated a handmade guitar to Trinity's music-making program. This guitar was created as part of the Workbench Project, an initiative delivered in partnership with Pi Guitars.

"We are honoured to donate this guitar to Trinity Community Arts. May it inspire creativity, foster community, and bring the joy of music to all who play it. Thank you for the incredible work you do in Bristol, nurturing the arts and empowering individuals." - James Mountjoy, Novalis Trust

The guitar will be available for young people who attend music making sessions at Trinity to access and play as part of 1-2-1 sessions or the weekly drop in music-making sessions Next Gen Sounds.

The Workbench Project involves young people at the Stroud-based college, who visited Trinity last week to present the guitar to the Music Team. In addition to the donation, the young people enjoyed a tour of Trinity's facilities, including the Recording Studio and the Live Room. Novalis Trust is a Stroud based charity who operate multiple residential facilities in aid of people with learning difficulties from the age of 7 all the way up to 65.

James Mountjoy - a Senior Occupational Therapist from Novalis - said that the group wanted to donate their guitar to Trinity as they love the work we do with Young People in the Creative Arts, reaching so many people to bring them opportunities to explore their creativity, much like the work done at Novalis and Pi Guitars.

Click here to find out more about Trinity's programme of events and activities for Children, Young People and Families.