As part of the Saving Jacobs Wells Baths development phase, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, heritage engagement specialists Local Learning have been working with 5 MArch Students from University of the West of England (UWE), City of Bristol College students on the Pathways to Independent Living course, Children from Willow Park Primary and accessibility practitioners Daisy Holder and David Ellington, to understand how accessibility in heritage spaces is not a nice to have but fundamental to how the building will function as a civic space.

With Phase 1 capital repairs live, plans for Phase 2 renovations will attempt to address some of the issues that have long held the building back. The former Victorian bathhouse suffers from being largely inaccessible with no lift provision and a complex arrangement of split levels and changes in floor height, meaning there is no level access throughout the building. This has historically limited who can use the space also limiting its viability. The inability for some participants to physically access the building as part of the design works limited their ability to engage fully in the design process, reinforcing that without full accessibility, the building cannot support meaningful participation or co-creation as a civic and cultural hub.

Through co-design sessions, disabled young people worked with the architecture students from UWE to develop proposals for a fully accessible youth space within the Baths. Their insights, grounded in lived experience of navigating the city, directly informed spatial design, circulation, and the social use of the building.

Many participants had no prior experience of youth spaces, reflecting the sustained closure of youth provision and limited access to dedicated, inclusive spaces within the immediate locality. This underscores both a critical infrastructure gap and the importance of designing environments that are genuinely accessible from the outset.

The student’s work also begun to articulate a unifying creative vision for the Baths that will underpin the building’s reimagining as a cultural powerhouse for Central Bristol Drawing on the building’s layered histories and future potential, UWE architecture student Nghi developed a framework that distilled these diverse narratives into five overarching themes: Resistance, Rhythm, Reflection, Flow and Imprint.

These themes capture the Baths’ evolution, from civic infrastructure to dance space to future cultural hub and provide a conceptual foundation for how the building could be experienced, programmed and interpreted.

The students work is informing technical designs being created by Architects PH3 Design. As part of the design consultation PH3 have also worked with accessibility specialists WECIL to refine and improved accessibility of the site, as part of Phase 2 capital work plans. A full accessibility audit can be seen here.

Sean Redmond, Architect from Ph3 Design said:

“Ensuring we weave accessibility throughout ever changing floor levels of this complex, listed building, has been a significant challenge that has benefitted hugely from the consultation and engagement events that the team has organised. We’re determined to ensure that when we’re finished, everyone – irrespective of their access needs - will be able to access all areas of the building and we can’t wait to welcome people of all access abilities into this magnificent new community and cultural hub.”

Through this process, children shared their experiences of the public realm, what feels welcoming, unfamiliar or out of reach, showing that accessibility is not just physical, but also about permission, ownership and cultural connection.

The work developed through this programme was presented publicly at a Reflection & Sharing session on 23 April 2026, bringing together partners, artists, students and community participants to reflect on learning to date and explore the building’s future potential.

UWE students talked through their design proposals demonstrating how early-stage architectural thinking can be meaningfully informed by people with lived experience, embedding accessibility, inclusion and social use at the heart of the design process. The event also created space for reflection, linking past and present learning to future work.

An interactive workshop led by Colourful Minds formed part of this wider engagement. It invited attendees to explore heritage, place and belonging, building on earlier work with children and young people including the Bristol–Bordeaux twinning exchange, funded by Bristol City Council, where children from after-school clubs at Evergreen, Hannah More, Easton and St Nicks primaries (with Willow Park to follow) created cardboard models of landmark buildings in both cities - such as La Rocher de Palmer, La Cité du Vin, Bristol Museum and Easton Jamia Masjid. Also facilitated by Laura from Colourful Minds, these sessions encouraged creativity, observation and a deeper connection to heritage.

The event presented a series of site activations created as part of Art of the Possible, a pilot activation programme exploring how artists can work within the Baths during its restoration. To date, 11 Bristol-based artists have responded to the space across disciplines including music, spoken word and dance, helping to test how the building might function as a future cultural hub.

This work demonstrates the value of embedding creative, community-led thinking within the development process, ensuring the restored Baths are not only physically accessible, but also culturally meaningful and legible to those who use them. It shows that investment in accessibility goes beyond compliance, enabling Jacobs Wells Baths to function as inclusive social infrastructure shaped by and for the communities it serves. It reinforces the role of heritage spaces as welcoming and relevant to those historically excluded from cultural and civic life, and highlights accessibility as a collective process, strengthened through ongoing collaboration and knowledge-sharing between practitioners, participants and future users.

Photos by Shamphat Productions

Echo, a new one-day international music and cultural exchange festival, takes over Trinity in Bristol on 30th May with a free, all‑day programme of live music. Celebrating nearly 80 years of cultural exchange between Bristol and Bordeaux, the festival brings together grassroots artists from both cities, Binbag Wisdom, DJ Koyla, Josephine Gyasi, MĀDŁY, Okali and t l k, in a genre‑spanning celebration of shared creative practice.

Taking place on Friday 30th May at Trinity, he free one‑day festival marks the first chapter of this new cross‑border cultural exchange between Bristol and Bordeaux, developed in partnership with Le Rocher de Palmer and Twin Cities Fest, and delivered during Trinity Community Arts’ 50th anniversary year.

At its core, the programme brings together a diverse range of artists whose work spans hip‑hop, DJ culture, neo‑soul, alt‑theatre, spoken word, and immersive live performance.

As part of the event, we will have Binbag Wisdom, a boundary‑pushing hip‑hop trio blending sharp lyricism, theatrical comedy, and live turntablism to redefine what a hip‑hop performance can be. Fresh from a sell‑out run of their new show The Ballad of Wee Willy Winky, Binbag Wisdom’s live sets balance humour and honesty, creating performances that are as emotionally resonant as they are entertaining.

The line‑up also features DJ Koyla, a French‑Burkinabè multidisciplinary artist whose high‑energy sets draw from 90s house, afrobeats, funk, and disco, alongside Bristol‑based DJ and cultural connector Josephine Gyasi, known for instinct‑led sets rooted in embodiment, rhythm, and connection with the room.

MĀDŁY, a Paris‑born, Bristol‑based multilingual singer, rapper, and poet, brings a powerful live project combining neo‑soul, nu‑jazz, and hip‑hop, supported by an acclaimed band of Bristol musicians. Alongside Okali, a multidisciplinary music project blending spiritual African influences with neo‑trip‑hop, performing songs across English, Eton, Zulu, and French.

“Echo is about building real connections through shared creativity, across borders, cultures, and communities.” - MĀDŁY

Alongside music, audiences can expect food and drinks from local traders. A family‑friendly and relaxed garden‑party atmosphere, making Echo an accessible, welcoming day out for all ages.

Background

Echo is a new international cultural exchange programme connecting Bristol and Bordeaux, two cities officially twinned since 1947. The project is designed to strengthen long‑standing cultural links by supporting grassroots artists and creating accessible opportunities for audiences to engage with international creative work.

The first edition of Echo takes place in Bristol at Trinity. The programme reflects Trinity’s long‑standing commitment to lowering barriers to participation, amplifying underrepresented voices, and creating inclusive arts spaces where culture is shared rather than consumed.

Echo is delivered in partnership with Le Rocher de Palmer, a leading cultural venue in Bordeaux, with a strong focus on global music and community engagement, and Twin Cities Fest, a project celebrating cultural exchange through music and international collaboration.

Following the Bristol event, the festival will continue its journey to France, with the second chapter of Echo taking place at Le Rocher de Palmer in Bordeaux on 19 September, ensuring the exchange flows in both directions.

Welcome UWE professor and researcher, Dr Fidel Meraz and Canadian artist, Jonathan Luckhurst, whilst they explore architecture as not only a built space, but as an arena for reimagining more sustainable and inclusive futures.

Jonathan Luckhurst will present Proposals for Reimagined Futures, his current body of work that draws on deep time ecological strategies to suggest how both humans and the Earth might respond to the current environmental crisis. Whilst, Dr Fidel Meraz, will highlight Bristol's local architectural context through his photography and research surrounding the Trinity Art Centre's new location to be housed in the historic Jacob Wells Baths building.

For full artist bios, please click here

Two 20-minute artist presentations will be followed by a live Q&A. The evening concludes with an opportunity to exchange ideas and make new connections.

About Phylum:
Phylum Artist Talks presents artists and designers working at the intersection of ecology, sustainability and social practice. Creatives today play a vital role in bridging the gap between research and positive action. Taking place in Bristol, their programme brings together established and emerging artists to share future-facing projects and explore the most pressing issues of our time.

Submissions:
Phylum is dedicated to including perspectives from as many diverse voices as possible. To register your interest in participating in a future talk, please email Alison here.

Trinity is proud to present Echo, an international cross-city celebration of sound, creativity and community. Developed in partnership with Le Rocher de Palmer (Bordeaux), and Twin Cities Fest, Echo marks a remarkable 79-year relationship between the two officially twinned cities, bringing together grassroots artists, cultural practitioners and local communities through a free one-day festival at Trinity on 30 May.

This first chapter of Echo takes place in Bristol, with the celebration continuing in France as the programme travels to Le Rocher de Palmer on 19 September for the second half of this unique cultural exchange.

Audiences at Trinity can expect a day of music performances, food, and refreshments available from local vendors and community engagement for all ages as Bristol’s grassroots talent meets exciting artists from Bordeaux. With Trinity Garden‑party vibes, Echo offers a feel‑good day out for the whole family.

Line-up:

• Binbag Wisdom

• DJ Koyla (Bordeaux)

• Josephine Gyasi

• MĀDŁY

• Okali (Bordeaux)

• T L K

Alongside the main programme, pupils from Hannah More Primary School, St Nicholas of Tolentine Primary School, Evergreen Primary Academy and Easton CE Academy have been taking part in after‑school sessions led by artist Laura Clifford, the CEO of Colourful Minds. Using recycled materials, each KS2 group created detailed skyline artworks combining iconic landmarks from both Bristol and Bordeaux. These collaborative pieces will be displayed at Trinity during the festival, inviting children, families and the wider community to celebrate their work.

Bristol City Council  visited each participating school to deliver assemblies and staff sessions, introducing an accompanying classroom activity pack.

“We were approached by Bristol City Council’s International Twinning Manager, to introduce the team to the local primary schools we work closely with through the PHF‑funded Cultural Alliance Programme. Our strong relationships with these schools have enabled us to support them with creative projects and to strengthen communication and delivery.” - Sarah Franke, Children's Programme Manager, Trinity Community Arts

The festival is free to attend, with a suggested £3 donation per person on the door to help Trinity continue delivering inclusive, community‑focused events.

.

“We were approached by Bristol City Council’s International Twinning Manager, to introduce the team to the local primary schools we work closely with through the PHF‑funded Cultural Alliance Programme. Our strong relationships with these schools have enabled us to support them with creative projects and to strengthen communication and delivery.” - Sarah Franke, Children's Programme Manager, Trinity Community Arts

The festival is free to attend, with a suggested £3 donation per person on the door to help Trinity continue delivering inclusive, community‑focused events.

Listing Information

Echo Festival at Trinity 
Date: 30 May 
Location: Trinity Centre, Bristol 
Admission: Free (suggested £3 donation)

About Trinity Presents – Celebrating 50 Years of Music

Echo forms part of Trinity Presents, our in‑house programme spotlighting outstanding artists and fresh new voices, rooted in the communities at the heart of the city.

About Le Rocher de Palmer

Le Rocher de Palmer is a contemporary music venue (SMAC) in the Bordeaux metropolitan area. The 6700m2 venue includes 3 concert halls, a documentary resource centre on world music, a digital studio, a coworking space, a cultural business incubator, and a digital museum with the Micro-Folie label.

https://billetterie.lerocherdepalmer.fr/

About Twin Cities Fest

Through its programme, Twin Cities Fest aims to celebrates the unique cultural identity of each city - spotlighting its music, food, art and wider creative communities. It provides emerging artists with opportunities to perform for international audiences, while building lasting connections with artists and venues in partner cities

Makaani means 'my place' in Arabic. Or, ‘I belong here’. Makaani Arts are inviting performers and practitioners with shared regional heritage to celebrate their art. Bridging cultures in a day of family-friendly community joy.

Expect dance workshops, live music, film, food and DJs. In collaboration with Chalguh Chengi, Vilk Collective and the Diverse Artists Network. Suitable for all ages.

FEATURING

Chalguh Chengi, meaning the spirit of live music and dance in Turkish, is a collective of artists who celebrate the deep-rooted folk music and dance of Anatolia and the Mediterranean. Showcasing the inherent diversity and fluidity of the region, this group brings live performance and fun, interactive family workshops.

Vilk Collective is a musical collaboration between Roxana Vilk and Peter Vilk, whose work is rooted in migration, memory and collective voice. With heritage spanning Iran, the former Czechoslovakia, and the UK, their music weaves Persian folk, jazz, dub and funk into a unique global sound.

@makaaniarts | @chalguhchengi | @vilkcollective

For more information about DIASPORA! 26's Programme, click here

“Some of my favourite times making music, sharing music has been in grassroots venues. Getting it really right, getting it really wrong, getting it all shades of in between and through that, learning so much about not only myself, but learning about the people around me, learning what a sense of community feels like.

Grassroots venues are essential and so much love to Trinity for what this space is going to be." - Grove

Trinity Community Arts has launched Art of the Possible, new pilot programme exploring how creativity can thrive inside Jacobs Wells Baths while the historic building continues to undergo restoration. The programme offers a rare chance to experience the site in its current transitional state, test creative ideas and imagine future uses for the space for both communities and artists. The series invites Bristol artists to respond to the building as it is now, capturing the energy, atmosphere and potential held in an unfinished space.

As part of this pilot programme, Trinity is releasing a series of short videos created on site with Bristol artists, including Grove and Muneera Pilgrim. The series will feature a broad mix of artistic disciplines - from spoken word and live music to dance and electronic music, with more contributors to be announced as the programme unfolds.

As Trinity Community Arts works to restore the Grade II listed bathhouse, Art of the Possible acts as a living research and development process.

Emma Harvey, CEO of Trinity Community Arts, said:

“The history of Jacobs Wells Baths is rooted in everyday people making that which seemed impossible into a reality. And we know artists are the best people at bringing our imaginations and dreams to life.” -Emma Harvey

These early responses demonstrate how different art forms can inhabit the building even as repair work continues, offering audiences a glimpse into how the Baths might operate as a creative hub once restoration is complete.

“Grassroots venues are not just important they are vital they are the life blood to what we do as artists, as communities. If we don’t have grassroots venues we don’t have venues.

In spaces that are grassroots you get to cultivate music, art, truth, create community and create change”- Muneera Pilgrim

Muneera Pilgrim by Khali Ackford Photography

A continuation of heritage learning and participation offer for residents, schools and community groups already involved in this phase of the project, will run alongside the artistic research and development programme, helping people connect with the building’s social history and understand the traditional skills involved in its conservation.

This work is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible thanks to National Lottery players, and is part of Trinity’s wider programme to bring Jacobs Wells Baths back into everyday community use. The Art of the Possible pilot also complements active restoration funded by the Architectural Heritage Fund and other partners.

Trinity continues active fundraising to support the next stage of restoration, with the aim of safely reopening the building as soon as possible. Continued support from local people, funders and partners will determine how quickly the Baths can return to public use.

Art of the Possible marks an important moment in the journey to bring Jacobs Wells Baths back into everyday community use, offering a glimpse of its future potential while celebrating its past alongside this important renovation phase.

Trinity’s wider renovation and engagement programme is supported by a range of funders and partners including the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, The Nisbet Trust, John James Foundation, Society of Merchant Venturers, Historic England, Pilgrim Trust, Bristol City Council, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Centrica Energy and Trinity’s individual donors and sponsors.

Join us at Trinity for an evening led by the Speak Out team, bringing together the voices and creative work of the young people involved in the project.

Join us at Trinity for an evening led by the Speak Out team, bringing together the voices and creative work of the young people involved in the project.

Opinion piece by Emma Harvey, CEO

Since the launch of the Citizens for Culture cultural delivery plan on 15 Jan 2026, we’ve seen a level of collaboration, energy and shared ambition in Bristol and the region that shows what’s possible when we come together around a common endeavour.

Though we've not been longlisted for UK City of Culture this time round, Bristol can still build our collective response to our citizen-led cultural plan with the same level of passion, openness and effort that went into making it.

Bristol's cultural identity is defined by what we choose to do collectively and the measure of us is not as a one-off moment, but in our ongoing way of being.

Citizens told us seeing one thing delivered from their plan would be amazing, and that's starting to happen. Responding to the call for greater openness and accountability, the sector is working together to build a more connected Bristol Culture Network, with clearer entry points and a more transparent, mapped approach so people can see where they fit and how to get involved. Bristol City Council’s commitment to protect cultural investment over the next three years, despite significant budget pressure is another clear sign that citizens' voices have been heard.

Bristol is, in many ways, a microcosm of the UK and as such we're the best place to test and build how culture can better include all of us. The Citizens’ Assembly showed what that can look like in practice: people coming together to shape decisions that reflect the city they live in. This city is what we make it, so get involved and let's do this Brizzle.

The vision we put forward

Our year of culture is our city’s response to a regional citizen-led cultural delivery plan, which sets out how, “Culture here should represent all of us, our stories, our voices and our future.” Bristol’s identity is defined by civic energy and radical history, and culture is a key mechanism for connecting the diverse stories and perspectives of the city and wider region. From Brunel and balloons to Banksy, Bristol is known for industrial heritage, rebellion and innovation. From the Bristol Bus Boycott, which helped pave the way for the Race Relations Act, to our City of Sanctuary status, the city has played a defining role in the UK’s civil rights history. From the Quaker abolition movement and Methodism to the toppling of the Colston statue, Bristol’s cultural life is deeply rooted in social change. Alongside this, our fiercely independent, community-driven cultural scene, from Bristol Old Vic, Aardman and St Paul’s Carnival to Massive Attack and IDLES, makes Bristol a distinctive and internationally recognised cultural destination.

This bid has been shaped as a collaborative, sector-led proposal using the Advice Process. Our vision is ambitious and unique, informed by the UK’s first citizen-led Cultural Delivery Plan for the West of England Combined Authority, created through the 2025 Citizens’ Assembly for Culture. The Plan articulates a shared ambition for “a fair, creative and connected region where culture brings people together, belongs to everyone and strengthens our communities.” Our bid aligns with Bristol City Council’s Corporate Strategy’s vision to “work together for a sustainable and equitable Bristol that enables everyone to be safe and well and thrive”. As major developments such as Temple Quarter and Creative Growth reshape the city, our year of culture anchors change in inclusion, weaving together history, creativity and civic life in ways that strengthen communities and enhance our profile.

At a time of global uncertainty, this UK City of Culture journey allows Bristol to tell our story of Radical Inclusion and a local-to-global city, rooted in justice and fairness, amplifying the voices we hear from least. Themes have been defined in response to the citizens’ cultural delivery plan, and reflect themes shared across the UK’s four nations; belonging, migration, climate justice and creative resistance. Building on the Assembly insights, our programme will invest in everyday cultural and civic infrastructure, skills development, and local creativity, alongside ambitious institutional work, to weave together the combination of stories, interventions and approaches that makes Bristol a very exciting place to live and visit.

Bristol’s cultural ecosystem extends beyond the city into the wider West of England, and our City of Culture year will connect festivals, heritage, creative industries and networks across the region and UK, using shared corridors and connectors - from rivers and music to digital innovation and emerging talent - to bring communities and sectors together and create a shared moment to imagine a better future through culture.

Trinity Community Arts has secured a significant boost for the restoration of Jacobs Wells Baths through a £350,000 Capital Grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF). The award will support essential repair works now underway on the Grade II listed former bathhouse, forming part of a wider programme to bring the building back into safe public use.

The new investment builds on AHF’s earlier £78,000 Development Grant, which helped shape future plans for the site. Together, these grants form a critical foundation for Trinity’s phased approach to conserving the building, preparing for public reopening, and enabling new cultural and community uses. Both grants were awarded through the AHF's Heritage Revival Fund, which is delivered in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Historic England.

Recent progress on the restoration has included bringing the historic Pump Room into public use for the first time in its history. Further works underway will stabilise key structural elements, address long‑term maintenance issues and support the development of Trinity’s Phase 2 delivery plan, which has also received match funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Alongside the physical repair works, Trinity has begun activating previously inaccessible areas of the site, including the old pool boiler room, through artist‑led interventions as part of the new Art of the Possible pilot program. This creative activity is helping shape and envision future plans for how the building might be used once restoration is complete.

The AHF’s continued support is a major step toward Trinity’s goal of safely reopening Jacobs Wells Baths for community use.

Trinity’s wider renovation and engagement programme is supported by a range of funders and partners including the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, The Nisbet Trust, John James Foundation, Society of Merchant Venturers, Historic England, Pilgrim Trust, Bristol City Council, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Centrica Energy and Trinity’s individual donors and sponsors.

To follow news about the Jacobs Wells Baths project, email info@trintiybristol.org.uk to join our mailing list.

As we look ahead to March and prepare to celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re spotlighting Veronica, a member of our Art for Wellbeing group who first connected with Trinity last year. Her story reflects the power of creative community spaces to shift perceptions, build confidence, and reconnect people with long‑forgotten passions.

For a long time, Veronica didn’t pay much attention to what was happening at Trinity. She had heard negative stories in the past, and those early impressions lingered. “I didn’t take any notice before,” she admits. “But now I see what is happening.”

When she joined one of our arts and craft sessions last year, she discovered a completely different Trinity to the one she had imagined.

“I’ve learnt so much and met such lovely people … that’s not how I imagined it would be.”

What surprised her most was the warmth of the people she met and the sheer amount of activity taking place behind our doors. “There are friendly people,” she says, “but that’s not how I imagined it would be.”

Reconnecting With Creativity

Creativity isn’t new to Veronica. Her mother was a skilled artist, and Veronica has vivid childhood memories of watching her work, learning alongside her. But as life unfolded, first her nursing training and exam commitments, then raising a family, art gradually slipped out of view.

Now retired, Veronica is determined not to sit at home.

“There’s no way I’m going to sit down at home.”

Instead, she seeks out opportunities to be active, social, and creative. That’s what drew her to Trinity’s Art for Wellbeing programme.

Even though Trinity is outside her neighbourhood, Veronica chooses to travel here because she enjoys meeting new people in a fresh environment.

“I am just happy to get up in the morning and come over.”

For her, the social aspect is just as valuable as the creative one. Being surrounded by others inspires new ideas:

“You get ideas from people.”

Her daughter was initially surprised she was attending the programme, “I can’t believe you are going to this!” but after seeing her artwork, her family understands the joy it brings her.

Veronica vividly remembers her first visit:

“I was shocked!”

She now realises how much she had missed out on by not coming sooner, but is grateful to have found the group when she did.

About Art for Wellbeing

Launched in October last year, Trinity’s Art for Wellbeing programme is delivered in partnership with the Bristol School of Art. This free course invites adults of all abilities to explore art in a relaxed, supportive setting.

Participants experiment with a wide variety of mediums, including lino print, acrylics, clay, and collage, to build confidence, develop personal artistic expression, and support overall well-being.

No previous art experience is required. All materials, light refreshments, and bus travel support are provided, and participants simply need to be able to commit to the full course duration.

Finding Connection Through Creativity

Veronica’s journey is a reminder of how creative spaces can change perceptions, support wellbeing, and bring people together. Her experience shows how stepping into something new, even unexpectedly, has the power to lead to new friendships, rediscovered passions, and a renewed sense of purpose.

“I’ve learnt so much and met such lovely people.”

As part of Trinity’s Cultural Alliance programme, this month has been full of workshops and rich reflective practice sessions with both students and teachers from our four partner schools. What follows is a reflection on what we learned, observed and experienced, and how these moments are helping us understand the growing impact of the programme.

A Month Immersed in Creativity and Reflection

This month I was able to fully immerse myself in the joy and real-time creative production that emerged from our feedback and reflective practice sessions. Working closely with Dr Harriet Hand, our Resident Researcher from the University of Bristol, we planned interactive and creative sessions designed to gather meaningful insight. We were also supported by Laura from Colourful Minds, who facilitated the artistic elements as we toured each school site.

These sessions gave us a valuable opportunity to understand how the programme is landing across the four schools, not only through structured feedback, but through candid, honest conversations and creative expression.

Reflective Practice with Teaching Staff

Our reflective practice sessions with teaching staff and SLT Leads invited them to spend dedicated time revisiting specific memories from recent dance and drama lessons. They shared poignant stories about individual young people as well as observations about broader group dynamics.

We held these sessions during the weekly staff meeting, arriving with muffins and fruit to help everyone over the final push of a long day.

Discussions went deep into what it "feels" like to be a teacher navigating ever changing days, shifting class groups and complex social pressures. It was inspiring to hear how passionately staff spoke about the experiences they try to create for their pupils, and how much they value creative input as a way to nurture confidence, imagination and blue sky thinking.

Challenges Around Creativity and Engagement

A common theme was recognition of how screen-heavy home environments and limited access to resources can restrict children’s creative development. Many children share the same narrow set of interests such as online games or YouTube personalities, which has become their default space for downtime and play.

Teachers reflected that when the project began in September 2024, most KS2 children did not understand the arts as a form of active learning. Many had missed out on creative experiences earlier in childhood and struggled to see the value of drama or movement. This often led to low confidence, awkwardness and social pressure preventing them from fully engaging.

“It is really lovely to see just how intentional, resourceful and creative the team at Trinity are within their Cultural Alliance work. I have pointed out to the team that so many community workers and researchers would benefit from replicating the Cultural Alliance’s creative methodologies.

This project continues to be a success largely because it has been held with such care and commitment, and I specifically want to name Sarah and Adam here, and praise their efforts. I have done a lot of work across monitoring and evaluating various projects, and this is one of those I find myself telling people about aspirationally.”

— Dr Furaha Asani, PHF Consultant supporting Trinity’s Cultural Alliance

Breakthroughs and Growing Confidence

With clear relief and pride, staff shared how embedding weekly Cultural Alliance sessions into the curriculum has given children a sense of safety, continuity and permission to engage. Over time, they have begun to imagine more freely and loosen the grip of self-consciousness.

We heard moving accounts of breakthrough moments where children found their voices, overcame fears of performing, collaborated more confidently, formed new friendships and softened a previously entrenched gender divide in class. These stories are powerful markers of the programme’s growing impact.

Children’s Voices at the Heart of the Evaluation

Additional insight came from sessions we facilitated during the schools’ creative after-school clubs. Here, children built their own TV screens and microphones from cardboard and paint sticks, crafting interview questions to ask one another about their experiences of the programme.

This activity gave them freedom to shape the conversation in ways that felt personal and relevant. Hearing directly from the children has been essential in measuring engagement and understanding how the programme is supporting their self-efficacy and comfort with new ways of learning.

The Role of Our Creative Partners

Our partners, acta and Movema, continue to design bespoke termly lesson plans that align with each class’s curriculum themes. Their thoughtful preparation ensures that sessions feel relevant, inclusive and closely connected to classroom values. This preparation is key to making the work feel meaningful and accessible to every child.

What Comes Next?

Once all of this analysis has been brought together, we will be able to share detailed findings alongside some of the most moving and insightful vignettes collected so far. Together, they will paint a fuller picture of the programme’s impact and its long term potential.

Eleri is one of Trinity’s part-time music tutors, working closely with young people to help them explore, experiment, and grow through music. Her one-to-one sessions cover a wide range of skills, from singing and music production to learning instruments like drums, always with a focus on building confidence, creativity, and technical ability in a supportive, nurturing environment.

Alongside her individual tuition, Eleri co-runs Move On Music in partnership with Bristol Drugs Project. This weekly group is a progression from BDP’s Beginners Music programme and offers a space for participants to build on existing skills, connect with others with shared experiences, and enjoy making music in a relaxed, judgment-free setting.

And there’s more to come. Beginning in March 2026, Eleri will lead brand new after-school music sessions with Year 6 children at Easton CE Primary School. This marks an exciting next step in strengthening our partnerships with local schools and expanding opportunities for children and young people to get creative through music.

Earlier this month, we caught up with Eleri. Here's what she had to say:

Hey Eleri, what do you enjoy most about teaching music in our community?

I love connecting with people of all ages from all walks of life through the universal language of music. Everyone has something to say, and providing my community with the means to express themselves in their own way, as well as the chance to be heard, is the best part of my job.

What projects are you involved with at Trinity Community Arts?

I have fingers in many pies here at Trinity! I run a weekly session in partnership with BDP's Creative Communities called Move on Music, aimed at anyone with a lived experience of drug and alcohol who would like to build on skills already learnt at BDP's beginner music groups. I also regularly help out with Next Gen, our open-access music group for 14-25 year olds, where young people can do anything from taking part in live instrumental jams to DJing and recording beats. When I'm not taking part in these groups, then I'm facilitating 1:1 music sessions in our studios or working live gigs and events as a sound engineer.

What things are you involved with coming up in 2026 that we can look out for?

Trinity will now be putting on after-school music clubs for primary and secondary schools in the area, taking in some equipment such as our new Ableton Push and teaching children how to make music in a fun and interactive way. We also plan on hosting a school holiday club over the summer, which would be building on the same skills. I will also be involved in various BDP Creative Communities Concerts that will be happening throughout the year at Trinity Centre, as well as a couple more projects that we're still developing. It's looking like an exciting year for our music department

Let there be light! Carrek Ltd work to reveal lantern roof at Jacobs Wells Baths. Photos: Elliot Thingston

"Have you forgotten about Jacobs Wells?”

This was my partner, chatting to me last week because January’s been all systems go and all I've been chatting about of late is Citizens for Culture and deliberative democracy and City of Culture and creativity for everyone and Solar Opposites and Pokémon etc etc...

Like him, some of you may have walked past Jacobs Wells Baths and seen scaffolding shooting up and started wondering what on earth is going on inside. Has Emma forgotten about her building babies? Has she finally lost the plot?!

Perhaps.

But behind the boards and beneath the dust, something extraordinary is happening. And we let photographer Elliot Thingston (with his PPE on) inside to take a sneaky peak. As work continues overhead, the transformation may not yet be fully visible from the street. But believe me when I say, the Baths are beginning to breathe again.

As part of the ongoing restoration works to save this building and restore it for the community, heritage contractors Carrek Ltd have been working to remove the internal roof fabric. The old, damaged acoustic foam left behind from its time as a dance centre has revealed for the first time since 1984 the building's original glass lantern roof. When the foam started coming down, we began to see the outline of the lantern structure. To watch the main hall flood with daylight. That was special. You could suddenly understand the architect’s original intention.

What’s Happening Now
The team is removing damaged internal acoustic foam and carefully exposing the historic lantern structure. Original timber and ironwork are being assessed and restored, new glazing is being installed, solar panels added, and external masonry repaired. Phase 1 costs £2.2m and is scheduled to be completed Autumn 2026

Contractors can at times seem faceless, but not this crew. Keith Hoskins, Director of Carrek Ltd is one of the many true passionate folk involved in this recovery effort. I’ve been involved in a few capital projects over the years with my other building baby, the Trinity Centre (don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten her either), and this is the first time I’ve seen someone so utterly determined to climb eight tiers of scaffolding just to witness a moment of restoration. But that’s what a project like this does. It pulls people upward.

A passion project for spirited souls just like Keith. When I was chatting to him up there in the roof heavens he spoke excitedly about the original timber roof noting that, while some areas of the structure have deteriorated over time, the overall quality and craftsmanship of the materials and original build is remarkable.

The team’s priority is to conserve and repair as much of the historic fabric as possible. The existing timber frame will be carefully restored, with a new glass roof introduced above it; one that honours the original design while ensuring the structure performs to contemporary building and environmental standards.

What’s Happening Next
Phase 2 will focus on the restoration of internal fabric and adaptation of the space in response to community consultation. This will include renovation of the interior, a new entrance, WCs, and lift, as well as interpretation and signage, plus a heritage learning and participation programme. Phase 2 costs are estimated at £5.5m and are expected to begin in Spring 2027 (subject to funding)

There’s something deeply symbolic about light returning to this building. Jacobs Wells Baths has always been a place of public gathering and shared experience. Seeing the lantern revealed I hope will serve as a reminder that this isn’t just restoration. It’s a revival.

This is why I am so in love with old buildings. Because, at the beginning, there’s a surge of excitement in that moment of possibility. Then the hard graft begins and it’s all scaffolding, dust, rubble and drilling and pulling things apart and board meetings and spreadsheets and budgets and cost rationalising and more meetings and and and.

And for a while, hope vanishes behind hoardings. And we find it hard to hold onto that end goal of a reimagined space for us. But it’s precisely in these messy, unseen stages that something extraordinary starts to happen. The foundations are laid and that art of the possible truly begins, nudging us steadily closer to that magical moment when the space opens once again and the vision becomes a reality for everyone.

It’s not always easy to create moments inside the building to connect with supporters while major works like this are underway. So, I hope these images offer a glimpse into that window of possibility. A way to see the craftsmanship and care that hides behind the scaffolding and for you all to continue to have faith in us.

I share this to give love and thanks to my dedicated professional team and so people can feel part of the journey. We’re deeply grateful to our community, funders and partners for sticking with us through the complex stages of restoration, and we’re hopeful about what this moment of light signals: the start of the future of this extraordinarily handsome building.

Phase 3 to be continued...?

Because this is not a building story. It’s a flippin’ love story. And all the best love stories come in three parts.

By Emma Harvey, CEO

Thanks to our funders: We’re incredibly grateful for the continued support of our funders and supporters, including MHCLG (Community Ownership Fund), Architectural Heritage Fund, Historic England, The Nisbet Trust, John James Foundation, Merchant Venturers Charitable Trust, Centrica: Energy for Tomorrow, The Pilgrim Trust, Bristol City Council, Sylvia Waddilove and all our individual donors and sponsors. We could not do this without you x

Explore a vibrant selection of stalls from local organisations, makers, and artists who support, uplift, and advocate for the trans community.

Throughout the day, you can take part in a programme of workshops and talks designed to educate, empower, and bring people together.

Trans Pride Bristol celebrates the diversity of transgender, non-binary, intersex, and gender‑non-conforming people in our city. The Community Day is an open, welcoming space for connection, learning, and celebration, a chance to stand together, share experiences, and highlight the strength and brilliance of Bristol’s trans communities.

For more information about the day visit Trans Pride Bristol's website here.