Women Who Make & Do Craft Market

Trinity is proud to celebrate the creativity and resilience of our communities with these recent highlights...

Women Who Make & Do Craft Market

A really lovely group of women and lots of networking - stall holder

On 9 March, we opened our doors for International Women’s Day to host a vibrant craft market, spotlighting female and non-binary makers and creators. Delivered in partnership with Eastside Community Trust and Somali Kitchen, with support from Fun Palaces, the market supported local traders, makers, and artists, providing opportunities for free workshops, demonstrations, and creative activities.

The event welcomed 500 people thoughout the day, celebrating local talent including potters, authors, illustrators, crocheters, cake-makers, artists, herbalists, gardeners, woodcarvers, and weavers. Bristol-based female music artists provided a steady soundtrack to the afternoon, adding to the event’s vibrant atmosphere.

Hosting events like these in partnership with creative communities is at the heart of what we do. If you have an idea for a partnership event or activity, we’d love to hear from you!

Trinity & Bristol Drugs Project: Creative Communities

We are pleased to announce a new partnership with Bristol Drugs Project (BDP) launching in April 2025. As part of Trinity’s vision of Creative Expression for All, we will be working with BDP’s Creative Communities programme; a thriving ten-year initiative that delivers weekly creative groups and events within BDP services.

Creative Communities uses arts practice to build positive relationships, break stigma, develop work and social skills, and foster a vital and life-affirming sense of community. Many of its long-running groups, including Bristol Recovery Orchestra and Beginners Music, will now be based at Trinity. Additionally, we are proud to become one of BDP’s Sober Spaces venues, reinforcing our commitment to accessible and inclusive creative opportunities.

Together, we will also explore new bespoke creative programmes that respond directly to local needs and interests, enhancing Trinity’s year-round adult programme to support inclusion, health and wellbeing, and skills development.

Garden Party Origin Story

Looking back to the roots of Trinity and its connection to the free party and festival scene, we are reminded of the importance of spaces where people can come together to create and celebrate. Our annual Free Garden Party is a staple in Bristol's cultural calendar that embodies the city's spirit. Originating as a community-focused event rooted in the legacy of Bristol’s underground free parties and DIY festivals, the Garden Party continues to provide a space for creativity, music, and shared experiences.

Check out the details of this year's event here and get in touch if you're interested in performing, having a stall or volunteering.

From craft makers and community arts to the heritage of free festivals, Trinity remains a place where communities shape the art of what's possible and curate new ways of being each and every day.

We're what you make us, so get involved!

Image by Alistair Brookes

Are you aged 14-18 and of Black heritage? Join us and become part of this exciting programme...

Following an initial two-year investment from WeMove, Trinity has secured further funding to amplify the voices of young people through The Speak Out Collective.

“I was a part of the Speak Out Trinity session where we were able to explore and enhance our creativity, speak and express our thoughts on topics such as culture and creativity, and then develop a project or an idea afterward!”

This next phase will embed social action through creative practice, supporting young people to share their stories and learn from peers. We're welcoming back young people from previous Speak Out cohorts alongside a call out for young people in the community, primarily aged 14-18 and from Black heritage backgrounds to join this next part of the programme, which includes:

• Monthly collective sessions: Young people will co-create and, where appropriate, lead these sessions, shaping the content to meet their creative needs. These will be facilitated by Moyah and Sukina.
• One-to-one mentoring: Participants will receive monthly 1hr mentoring sessions with industry specialists to develop their creative practice and support personal growth.
• Creative commissions: Commissions to create a final piece, linked to their participation, which will be shared with their peers and an invited audience at the end of the year-long programme.

Key info

Collective sessions will be held on the second Monday of each month launching on 14th April.

Future dates: 12th May; June (TBC); 14th July; (August off); 8th September; 13th October; 10th November; 8th December; (January off); 9th February; 9th March; 13th April (Final Sharing Event).

Contact info@trinitybristol.org.uk to sign up.

The story so far...

Over the past two years, Speak Out has engaged young people in three cohorts, exploring themes of Home, Neurodiversity, and Future Proofing. This work has provided participants with a platform to develop their creative voices while gaining confidence and skills. Thanks to the exceptional work of previous cohorts, we have been fortunate to receive extension funding to continue and expand the project.

Speak Out has made a real difference in young people’s confidence and skills. Over the last two years:

The Speak Out Collective is a direct response to this consultation, ensuring young people continue to have a platform to express themselves creatively and shape their own narratives.

For more information, visit: Speak Out at Trinity

Understory, credit: Alastair Brookes

We are working in collaboration with Bristol School of Art to offer adult learning courses for adults living within Trinity's locality. The courses are an opportunity for adults to learn and build upon creative, employment and job related skills.

The first of these course focusses on Arts & Crafts and life skills will take place over 15-weeks and will lead to a competency-based qualification - all designed to promote progression into education and employability. This will be through by exploring core transferable skills including speaking and listening, ESOL and digital skills.

"We're looking forward to working with Trinity to bring creative educational opportunities to the local community where we hope to inspire and support learners in our friendly, inclusive environment". Lynette Evans, Bristol School of Art, Art Lecturer

The idea for the courses were first developed during the Spring of 2024 where we collaborated with Bristol School of Art to deliver a ten-week Creativity in Nature for Wellbeing course in our community garden. We shared the opportunity with local groups, partners and through out Community Connectors.  People who took part in the sessions fed back that they built confidence, met new people and felt at ease in exploring creativity in a familiar environment.

Following the success of this  Bristol School of Art offered a 10-week art course, providing taster sessions in a range of art forms, for participants to build confidence and understanding in different approaches, and the opportunities to develop and follow their interests as the course progresses.

Through this research and development we have now created a regular programme of adult learning and education to meet local need and addresses health, wellbeing and educational inequalities. Working with cross-sector partners we will strengthen recruitment and progression opportunities and co-design a new employability framework - identifying key competencies to further progression.

Find out more about our community programme and explore upcoming events here.

An animated history of the Trinity Centre, Heart & Soul

As part of this years National Lottery Heritage Fund's, Heritage Treasure Day we are taking a look back to some of the heritage projects at Trinity over the years.

Art of Resistance 2020-2022

Art of Resistance was a two-year project exploring 100 years of social activism, protest and civil disobedience in Bristol and the art that underpinned each movement. In this project we explored how key movements and their messages have been amplified by different art forms such as poetry, textiles, posters, banners, music and performing arts. We also charted the lived stories of inner-city Bristolians and, explores the city's history of grass-roots artistic, community and cultural movements.

Heart & Soul 2017-2018

In Heart & Soul we explored the different uses of the Trinity Centre as a place for celebration. We explored the history of the building as a place for weddings and civil ceremonies and explored it’s journey from church to music and community centre.

Vice and Virtue 2013-2015

Vice & Virtue took a look beneath the area's reputation to explore the many cultures that have lived here, its national significance as an area of architectural conservation and key moments of historical interest. Themes included: the riots of 1932, the British and GI experience, business, trade and leisure in Old Market, the sex industry, the Gay quarter and new communities in Old Market.

What’s your Trinity Story? 2010-2012

Funded by Heritage Lottery Fund Your Heritage Grant - featured an an oral history and archiving project about Trinity from 1960-today, with specific reference to its role as a music and community venue.

The Bristol Sound Project: 2008-2010

As part of our heritage project exploring Trinity’s role in the development of the Bristol Sound we collaborated with The Wonder Club to produce a spectacular site specific promenade theatre performance At Tether's End. The show was inspired by the true story of a local young man William Pullin who tragically stabbed a police man, PC Richard Hill, to death. The show was part of the Bristol Sound Project and featured artwork, set and performances from a large number of young people working alongside professional artists from Bristol.

Explore more:

• The history of the Holy Trinity Church
• The Bristol Sound project
• The Art of Resistance
• Community at Trinity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Autumn 2024 we celebrated the rich creativity in Old Market through a programme of free creative happenings throughout the inner city suburb.

Amplifying the wide-ranging grassroots musicians in Bristol we took over shops and restaurants transforming them into pop-up DIY music venues hosting the likes of d Young Echo, TLK, EJ:AKIN and Rider Shafique and Sarahsson.

Audiences also explored Old Markets history through a promenade performance devised by writer Edson Burton and artist Tom Marshman. The performance uncovered the hidden stories of residents from Old Market’s past as well as exploring the sites and sounds of the area.

In addition to celebrating the rich cultural offerings in Old Market the programme of work intended to help encourage new audiences to Old Market – an often overlooked suburb of Bristol. Over 90% of audiences who came along to one of the free events shared that they were visiting the area specifically for the show or performance – and 55% shared that having come along to an event meant they were more likely to visit Old Market in the future.

In total over 700 audience members attended one or more of the events as part of Destination Old Market. As part of the programme we created paid opportunities for 48 musicians, 5 actors and 15 creative practitioners.

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.

Paul Stephenson - Image Credit: Khali Ackford

Sir Paul Stephenson has left a profound legacy that reverberates across recent decades.

Few individuals have been so widely regarded across their lifetime as Civil Rights activist Sir Paul Stephenson.  Paul is best known for his leadership of the Bristol Bus Boycott. As some of you may know a colour bar was in operation across Britain, including Bristol. The colour bar restricted Black and Asian migrants' access to housing, employment and services. Unlike apartheid South Africa, Britain’s discrimination was not codified in law. Instead, in the absence of legislation preventing discrimination, landlords, employers, service providers of all kinds were at liberty to deny services to whomever they chose.  'No Blacks, No Dogs no Irish' typified who was vilified.  Regardless of skill levels migrants were relegated to the least desirable jobs, that is if they could find employment at all.  The colour bar in housing meant that migrants were concentrated in the less desirable parts of Britain’s towns and cities.

Sir Paul, a former service man, had moved to Bristol to take up a post as youth worker when he joined a group of West Indian activists who wanted to bring attention to the colour bar in Bristol. They chose The Bristol Omnibus Bus Company as their cause Celebre.

The Bus Company’s refusal to employ Black drivers was widely known in the city. It was all the more glaring given the numbers of Black staff employed elsewhere in the country across the transport sector. Inspired by the US civil rights movement Paul and fellow activists Roy Hackett, Owen Henry, Audrey Evans, Guy Bailey, led a boycott of the Bristol Omnibus company from April-August 1963. The boycott was supported by students, liberal Christians, and of course members of the Bristol’s Black community. Crucially, the boycott attracted the attention of the national press at a time when Britain was entering a new relationship with the Commonwealth. Moving away from its dominant role, Britain wanted to signal it could be the head of a multilateral Commonwealth of Nations. News of racism in Britain was then a stain on Britain’s reputation among the newly independent nations.

A charismatic, handsome, orator and to all intents and purposes an Englishman, Paul was the perfect spokesmen for the movement. Under pressure from the Wilson Government, the national Trade Unions the Bristol Bus Company capitulated two months after the start of the boycott.

Various commentators argue that the boycott was an important catalyst for Britain’s first anti-discrimination act. Introduced into law in December 1965 the Act made it illegal to incite racial hatred and to refuse access to public spaces.  The Act was strengthened in years to come but was at least the first step in a long legal journey towards equality.

The Bus Boycott was only the start, albeit a dramatic start to Paul’s activist career. He was once again in the public eye the following year when he was arrested and charged for causing a public nuisance. Paul had refused to leave the pub after the manager refused to serve him on account of his colour. The case went to court, an eyewitness corroborated Paul’s version of events he was acquitted, and the manager was later dismissed but as with the bus boycott, Paul’s actions exposed a persistence of racism to the wider public.

Paul used his friendship with celebrities, such as Mohammed Ali, to raise money for various youth charities He joined the Sports Council England but resigned in protest over the Thatcher Government’s refusal to criticize a British cricket tour of South Africa at a time when many in the sporting and entertainment world actively boycotted the apartheid regime.

Despite his national profile Paul continued his grassroots activism. Amongst many other roles he was chair of the West Indian Parents and Friends Association. He and his fellow activists were particularly concerned by the challenges facing the second generation of Black Britons. All too often, they experienced new forms of discrimination whilst also feeling marginalized from Bristol’s cultural mainstream. It was for this reason that members of the Association took on the management of the Trinity Centre.

Trinity had been purchased from the Church by a previous community organization in 1977.  During this period Trinity offered a range of vocational courses, artistic development and an entertainment space. Despite its popularity, Trinity faced financial hardship and went into receivership in 1984. Owned by the Council, the building underwent a substantial overhaul and was put out to tender in 1991.

The tender was competitive but Paul’s influence as well as that of West Indian Parents and Friends was key to securing the building’s future as a community venue.

Trinity owes a debt of gratitude to Paul Stephenson for its continued existence. But wider than Trinity, Bristol and the country at large is indebted to his example of unflinching public service.

Tribute written by Dr Edson Burton

Wild Goose Choir - Image Credits: Alastair Brookes

As part of our Community and Neighbourhoods programme, we connected with local charity, Wild Goose, to run the Wild Goose Choir - weekly singing sessions within a cafe space on Stapleton Road.

“This is a fun socially interactive group that tackles many of the difficult issues faced by service users, enabling people from all cultures, different language barriers to cohesively join together.” - Mick Connolly, Drop-in Manager, Wild Goose Cafe

The sessions took place throughout July – October 2024 and were delivered by experienced choir leaders Sophie Wilsden and Holly Jacks with support from Wild Goose Cafe staff. The sessions included a warm-up, check in, refreshments and a check-out. Participants learned songs from all across the world, in different languages, and from different cultures.

Wild Goose offer support to people to help them rebuild their lives. The cafe offers a lifeline for many people who attend drop in services to access hot meals and support services. During the sessions, the Wild Goose team and the project facilitators shared that the sessions encouraged people to spend time together, build confidence, resilience and connections.

Throughout the project, 14 people took part in Wild Goose Choir, with participants returning for regular weekly sessions. Due to the success of the project, we will be expanding the programme and working with partners to host a weekly choir for people accessing services within Trinity’s locality.

The Choir has been developed through our 'Community Connector' roles, where we are working with people living within Trinity’s locality to create a creative programme of activity. You can find out more about events and projects coming up click here to find out more

Mya is part of Mandala Theatre Company. Credit Seed Guardians/Mandala Theatre Company

We are committed to creating ways in which citizens can take an active role in shaping arts and culture, through projects such as Citizens for Culture. This Autumn we are inviting creatives and activists in the West of England to respond to the Black History Month 2024 theme ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ through the lens of Citizens For Culture’s core principles of inclusion, and voice and influence. In the second of this content series, writer and actress Mya Fraser shares her poem Justice.

Reclaiming the Narrative: Mya Fraser and Justice

Justice

Think of a boomerang, an object which is designed to return

back to that throws forcer. What happens if it doesn’t come back?. History. Left behind whilst they dare to live without them. I believe in clarity. what i would like to clarify is the detachment clarify the sadness the hurt the wonders. I believe in comfort. something you can’t breathe properly without. your beats no longer stating the same rhythms. that irregulation speaks volumes. the very same songs the luth sings isolated. As if there’s a complete loss of control. where lies the control when the one creator's captured fix stays lost. You've Left the hand waiting behind whilst finding that paternal break. The originator plucks the air it once sat. pondering in what it’s doing. Where are you? Hopeful you’re homesick. do theirs caress better?  do theirs care for more?. Remaining wishful of tracing those invisible tracks in which the sand once led for you. Fulfilling the void that formed in your absence. To hear your sound once more would be an extraordinary pleasure in the figure and in the residential care of your beloved. Bring them home. Because again, I believe. and what i believe in most is a happy ending. rewriting a story doesn’t change the idea of the first plot, it manipulates the initial honesty. Here’s to history.

About Mya Fraser

Mya Fraser is a 20-year-old actress and writer, brought up in Oxford. At the age of 15 she decided to begin her acting career by joining young theatre companies based in her hometown. She later went on to receive her acting diploma in 2022 on a two year A-level equivalent diploma course at Bristol School of Acting. Fraser has been on multiple international tours with Mandala Theatre Company and is currently in their show Seed Guardians.

Follow Mya on Instagram

Interested in finding out more?

• Read the first part of this series, an exploration of NGAIO's music video Goddess
• Email Imogen@trinitybristol.org.uk to join our Citizens For Culture mailing list
• Find out more about what a Citizens’ Assembly for Culture is in this Q&A
• Become a Citizens for Culture Associate

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).

During the summer Community Connector, Shanti Pant hosted 'Nature in Newtown' -a free project exploring the natural environment in local neighbourhood, Newtown.

Following this project the ten-group members took part in a series of workshops to create short films inspired by 'nature'. The film making sessions were facilitated by Bristol-based filmmaker and Shanti Sherson and film-maker Jon Aitkin.

"It’s been lovely to build a nice friendly and inclusive group. It’s given me confidence. I’ve been told ‘you can’t do that’ so much. It’s so good to be around people who say ‘go for it!'"

Across the sessions the group learned simple techniques using mobile phones to create short films and explored different ways of creative expression, for example Haiku's, poetry and painting. The project culminated with a film screening at Trinity and a communal lunch.

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 Trinity can support grassroots creative activity.

Click here to find out more about our Community and Neighbourhoods programme

We are committed to creating ways in which citizens can take an active role in shaping arts and culture, through projects such as Citizens’ for Culture. This Autumn we are inviting creatives and activists in the West of England to respond to this year’s Black History Month theme ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ through the lens of Citizens For Culture’s core principles: inclusion, voice and influence. In the first of this content series DJ, vocalist and songwriter NGAIO discusses her music video Goddess.

Reclaiming the Narrative: NGAIO and Goddess

The creation of this music video was so important to me, to tell my story of what it’s been like to find myself and my beauty in a Western world as a mixed-race woman. The beginning scenes were filmed on the streets of St Pauls, where my topless billboard was put up as part of the Censored campaign, which was put together to raise awareness about the sexualisation of women's nipples and the persecution received when seen in public.

"Goddess is about saying we're all Goddesses - no matter what anybody tells us, we are exactly what we need to be. We don't need to starve ourselves. We don't need to have the same face and body. Our uniqueness is what makes us individuals."

Men can go topless at any time, but women can’t, why is that still the case? It folds into a wider discussion about how heavily women’s bodies are policed when we look at reproduction and beauty standards - it all comes back to what external people think women should do with their bodies and how they should look (which changes all the time). These consistent messages of scrutiny in society through the media, and comments made and overheard, led me to feel deep shame, embarrassment, and fear.

I have been on a journey of loving my curves and accepting - some days even appreciating - my lumps and bumps. Never in a million years when I was young did I think I would feel steady enough to not only be pictured without a top on, but to let that be shown to the world on a street five minutes from where I grew up.

Goddess is about saying we're all Goddesses - no matter what anybody tells us, we are exactly what we need to be. We don't need to starve ourselves. We don't need to have the same face and body. Our uniqueness is what makes us individuals. Whatever the shape, size, colour, or gender; you are a Goddess in every sense of the word. People try to tell us that we should look a certain way or act a certain way. We're consistently being told who we should be, but how we feel about ourselves shouldn’t be dependent on the external world. We are more expansive than that.

Goddess is about understanding that we are connected to more than this moment we're in right now on this planet. It is about the connection that we have with our spirituality and our ancestors which is why in the middle scenes I’m surrounded by foliage outside with my natural hair picked into an afro. These scenes were to symbolise the necessity of connecting with nature and the Earth from which we are all born and will all return. Some see the Earth as a rock we live on that serves us, and that is so sad. This living, breathing, organism has given us and our ancestors life - it continues to connect us in space, spanning time we can’t even fathom.

The breakdown in the song is a celebration of that realisation that we are our past and our future and if we are ever feeling lost or unsure, we can tap into the Goddesses inside us to find our way. Through connection to nature or connection to ourselves - knowledge and love are always there, inside us. It ends on a scene which was a nod to a duo who have inspired this new chapter of my musical journey - Ibeyi and their first release, River.

It was filmed by Charlotte Sawyer, a long-term collaborator and lover of nature who’s just won an award for her incredible documentary Rave on for the Avon to raise awareness about the dangerously unsanitary state of our water in East Bristol.

This song - for me at least - was made for moments when I’m feeling unsure, to calm me with melody and stillness, to shake me up with love, before releasing me back into the world. I hope it can do the same for you.

About NGAIO

NGAIO, the versatile artist renowned for her vocals, songwriting, and DJing prowess, seamlessly blends these talents to craft electrifying live performances. This year, she will debut her first self-produced EP 'Four Quarters' and accompanying live show, featuring live vocals and recreations of her productions delivered through Ableton Push. Soundscaping trip hop, jazz, bass and global music in a multigenre sound reflecting her travels - there's something for everyone. As a mixed-race woman, NGAIO infuses her artistry with personal experiences, enriching her music with poignant storytelling told through spoken word and jazz-infused vocals delivered with passion.

Transitioning from band and DJ gigs to curating a solo show, NGAIO intricately weaves jazz and underground bass influences, earning comparisons to the eclectic iBeyi and Greentea Peng. Beyond music, NGAIO advocates for cultural understanding, bridging divides between races and classes.

Check out NGAIO’s website or socials @ngaioamusic

Videographer - Charlotte Sawyer

Photographer - Charley Williams

Interested in finding out more?

• Email Imogen@trinitybristol.org.uk to join our Citizens For Culture mailing list
• Find out more about what a Citizens’ Assembly for Culture is in this Q&A
• Become a Citizens for Culture Associate

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).

Seedling Sessions - Image Credit: Claudia Rojas Nunez

In September 2024, we welcomed 'Seedling Sessions' as part of our in-house programme, Trinity Presents. The event is dedicated to showcasing early-career musicians with the goal of fostering a more inclusive music industry in Bristol. Beyond performances, people are able to access work experience opportunities in areas like artist liaison, stage management, and sound engineering.

The event is the brain-child of Bristol-based artist MĀDŁY (aka Cassie Madly) who curates diverse lineups, showcasing various genres which allows audiences to connect with artists they might not have discovered otherwise.

“Seedling Sessions felt more like a curated art experience than a gig. Each act took me on a journey, and the night flowed beautifully from start to finish. I can imagine it becoming a mainstay of Bristol’s nightlife.” - Audience Member

During September's event, Madly programmed Experiment x O.B, a fusion of Deems Experiment and Solomon OB; Jausmė, a Lithuanian artist known for her innovative use of the kanklės and Immy, a Bristol-based musician programmed through a partnership with music college BIMM.

For the event the Fyfe Hall featured decor designed to evoke the ambiance of an old-school jazz club, with cabaret-style seating, candles, and a cocktail menu. With over 110 attendees, the night was a resounding success.

On bringing sessions to Trinity Cassie shared that “Trinity is an iconic venue in Bristol that a lot of musicians dream of playing at. When I mentioned bringing my concept there, they were immediately supportive. The upstairs room, with its historic features and stunning stained-glass window, was perfect for the vibe I had in mind,”

Seedling Sessions were originally founded in 2016 by Cassie Madly (aka Madly), the event began as a monthly showcase, providing artists with the opportunity to perform live, while also receiving professional photos and videos to help promote future gigs.

Click here to see what's coming up on Trinity Presents

Speak Out is our arts and activism creative programme that empowers young people  to use creativity to take action about the issues they care about.

Running throughout 2024 Speak Out was created in consultation with over 150 Bristol based young people who helped shape the delivery and themes explored throughout the programme.

In the first series of workshops students from City of Bristol College joined textile designer Carene Leslie in exploring the theme of ‘Future Proofing’. This included collectively exploring what a shared sustainable future looks like through designing and 'upcycling' sustainable clothes.

Young people then joined Kabbo Ferdinand – an African Indigenous storyteller and Natasha Gatward - Eco designer to explore their personal experiences of Neurodiversity through freeform movement, performance and storytelling

"My son has had a renewed interest in leaving the house. Whereas before he was always late for school, he was often arriving early to sessions showing eagerness to take part in project activities.” Feedback, Parent

The final series of workshops were hosted by hip-hop artist MoYah and Bristol City Poet Sukina Noor who supported young people to use writing and music-making skills to explore the theme of ‘Home’.

Many of the 22 young people who took part in Speak Out attended the end-of project celebration at Trinity – bringing along friends and family to enjoy a show of upcycled textiles, music and spoken word performances.

Get involved

We are inviting 16yr-18yr olds to take part in a consultation to help shape the future of Speak Out on 30/31 Oct 2024. Click here to find out more

About Speak Out

Speak Out is supported by the We Move Fund: Youth Social Action aims to empower Black children and young people through Youth Social Action. Speak Out was developed following an indepth consultation with over 150 young people that took place across in person events; performances and within education settings.

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.

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.