Experience the magic of sand animation as Oksana creates breathtaking pictures in real time from sparkling grains of sand, all accompanied to beautiful musical compositions. With a simple wave of her hands, she transforms the sand into enchanting worlds conveying her soul and artistry

In the first act, you'll be mesmerized by a sand animation that brings to life the story of Oscar Wilde's The Star-Child, with audio narration in both Ukrainian and English.

Finally, in the second act, the sand animation will present a Prayer for Ukraine, which is the artist's interpretations of current events aimed to raise awareness about the war in Ukraine.

All funds raised at the event will go to support Ukraine.

For inquiries, please contact here.

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.

Sacred Harp singing is an unbroken 175-year-old tradition of powerful a capella music from the USA. The Convention is the biggest event of the year as a chance for people from around the country (and the world!) to join together in (extremely loud) song. Everyone is welcome to watch, listen and sing – no experience necessary. 

If you've never tried Sacred Harp before they are holding singing schools on the 3rd and 10th September at Faithspace 7-9pm so that people can learn the basics ahead of the convention.

Please pre-register before attending. For more information on this event see here.

Any questions? Please email co-chairs Kate Kirwan and Sam Cole at ukshcbristol@gmail.com

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.

FRUITEA is an “Open to All” Kiki function where members of the ballroom community walk various categories for a panel of judges in the style of a ball.

Ballroom is a community created by and for trans women of colour as well as the QTBIPOC* community as a whole. Please respect the space and the walkers.

Trinity Community Arts and Easton Community Centre have teamed up to host a day of activity called a Fun Palace, where you can make, create and learn with others as part of a national movement to highlight everyday culture!

This Fun Palace was created with our community by sharing and celebrating the skills of everyone. Over at Easton Community Centre, master new skills from your neighbours, share hobbies with friends old and new, and celebrate the passion of creativity.

Fun Palaces is an ongoing national and international campaign, nurturing and supporting the potential and positivity of sharing people’s enthusiasms, passions and skills with their own local community. Fun Palaces has an annual weekend of events each October, although Fun Palaces can also happen at any time of year.

During the weekend of celebration, check out what’s happening elsewhere:
Twitter/Instagram:  #FunPalaces | @FunPalaces

This Fun Palace is a collaboration between Trinity, Eastside Community Trust and Somali Kitchen.

She is a living link between Billie Holiday and Amy Winehouse, according to Uncut Magazine, and is often described as the greatest female vocalist that Ireland has ever produced, standing alongside some of the world’s most iconic jazz singers.

She is unique in blending whisky-blurred, smoke-seared, husky notes with the laconic wit of Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee. She draws the line of deep, down and dirty blues singers back to Bessie Smith with the sardonic, bitter-sweet defiance and despair of Edith Piaf. Yet Mary Coughlan delivers it all in a delicious and unapologetic Irish drawl: sceptical, rueful, mournful and melting and ardent for love.

+ support: ULTAN COLON

An AGMP Concerts presentation.

19:00: Doors

20:30: Last entry

23:00: Curfew

Please note this is a standing event

Venue levy: Trinity has introduced a £1 Restoration Levy on every event ticket sold. This income will be used to create a dedicated fund for critical building works that will protect and maintain the Trinity Centre building and grounds.

This October, we celebrate 10 fine years of the iconic and unrivalled Sinai Soundsystem, with a special showcase.

• Ben UFO
• Nate Ka$h
• Rishi

Please note this is a standing event, accessible seating is available.

Last entry: 2 hours before curfew

Venue levy: Trinity has introduced a £1 Restoration Levy on every event ticket sold. This income will be used to create a dedicated fund for critical building works that will protect and maintain the Trinity Centre building and grounds.

More details to follow.

Please note this is a standing event, accessible seating is available.

Last entry: 2am

Venue levy: Trinity has introduced a £1 Restoration Levy on every event ticket sold. This income will be used to create a dedicated fund for critical building works that will protect and maintain the Trinity Centre building and grounds.

Accidental Meetings is a label and party operating between bristol & London in the UK. They push the boundaries of experimental, Dub, Jazz and Techno.

Nyege Nyege is a collective in Kampala, Uganda that promotes outsider music, primarily electronic, by African artists.

Please note this is a standing event, accessible seating is available.

Last entry: 2 hours before curfew

Venue levy: Trinity has introduced a £1 Restoration Levy on every event ticket sold. This income will be used to create a dedicated fund for critical building works that will protect and maintain the Trinity Centre building and grounds.

They are turning 3, and they are putting on their biggest event yet. BNSC are very excited to bring a huge line up of some of the best northern soul DJs. Everyone is welcome to this event to experience that cool Northern soul vibe, which is unmissable.

Please note this is a standing event, accessible seating is available.

Last entry: 2 hours before curfew

Venue levy: Trinity has introduced a £1 Restoration Levy on every event ticket sold. This income will be used to create a dedicated fund for critical building works that will protect and maintain the Trinity Centre building and grounds.

Their music, performances and entire aesthetic have been immensely influential across nearly the entire genre of industrual music.

19:00: Doors

20:00: Laibach

23:00: Curfew

Please note this is a standing event, accessible seating is available.

Last entry: 2 hours before curfew

Venue levy: Trinity has a £1 Restoration Levy on every event ticket sold. This income will be used to create a dedicated fund for critical building works that will protect and maintain the Trinity Centre building and grounds.

There is enough nastiness in the world and whilst sometimes it feels like there's not much we can do to combat that, we can still get together in a room, move our body's as freely as they will allow us to and enjoy each others company for a night of dancing and making friends and that feels like something to celebrate.

We want this to be a space where people can feel held, throw their limbs about and enjoy each other. 
We hope this party gives you a twinkle in your eye and a place to forget about the things that may weigh you down on a day to day basis.

Line up to be announced

Expect: Cumbia, Salsa, Highlife, Congotronics, lovers rock, New Orleans jazz, Bhangra, Calypso, Soca, Gospel, Merengue and so much more.

Please note this is a standing event, accessible seating is available

Epilepsy friendly

Last entry: 2 hours before curfew

Join us for three workshops exploring creative ways to enjoy nature around us.

Take pictures and share thoughts as we create simple films together with Shanti Sherson (Wellspring Settlement) and Jon Aitken (Watershed), our facilitators for these sessions.

We will be working from the beautiful garden at the Lawrence Hill Health Centre, Hassell Drive, BS2.

This will be a chance for us to share time together, enjoy and capture our surroundings.

Dates: Wednesday 4th, 11^th & 18^th September 10am - midday (arrive from 9.45am for refreshments and to meet everyone).

Places are limited. To find out more or to sign up, contact Jen on jen@trinitybristol.org.uk or call 0117 935 1200