Teachings In Dub has been a Trinity mainstay since 2008. As arguably Bristol's most famous dub night, Teachings is a core part of Trinity's club programme, continuing our heritage of dub and soundystem focused events. Teachings has hosted some of the most influential figures in dub, including Jah Shaka, Aba Shanti-I, Channel One and many more. As Teachings in Dub prepare to return to Trinity on 05 May with Indica Sounds and King Original, we spoke to Teachings co-founder and one half of legendary dub outfit Dubkasm, DJ Stryda, about how Teachings started, their influence on the Bristol music scene, and big plans for the future.

How did Teachings in Dub start?

In 2007 we launched as the downstairs room of a two floored club (now bulldozed) called Clockwork on Stokes Croft. Dubstep legend Pinch ran his infamous event Subloaded in the upstairs room while we did Teachings in Dub downstairs. These events have gone down in history and are remembered by many as some of their most influential events of that time.

"We aim to give elders a space to enjoy the music and vibes they grew up on as well as a window for newcomers to enter a music scene they may have otherwise not even known existed” - Stryda, Teachings in Dub co-founder

When did Teachings move to Trinity Centre?

In 2008 Clockwork announced it was closing, Pinch and I looked into another two roomed venue but none seemed to exist that fitted the vibe so TID and Subloaded went their separate ways with TID moving to Trinity where we've remained ever since.

How do you think Teachings has maintained such a high level of popularity over 15 years?

I'm one half of the duo Dubkasm and have travelled the globe pushing Roots and Dub, in turn this has kept me in tune with what's going on in the scene and helped establish firm relationships in dub which all leads back to TID and the type of cutting edge lineups we offer.

What do you think Teachings in Dub offers to the Bristol music scene?

A space to come and experience the real deal in Reggae soundsystem. We pride ourselves on keeping the tradition alive and not only have two different sounds meeting in the arena but we also offer ital Caribbean food, Arts and Craft plus Record stalls for the full cultural experience.

What's next for Teachings in Dub? Any big plans for 2023?

We have some huge sound meetings scheduled this year, each one is going to be special including later in the year teaming up and celebrating 25 years of Leeds' renowned dub event SubDub.

Teachings in Dub returns to Trinity on 05 May with Indica Sounds and King Original, click here to get your tickets.

Brizzle Boyz will also be offering Drag Kings & Things workshops at Trinity Centre during the daytime - one with no experience required, one for those with an intermediate level of experience. You can find out more about how to sign up for those workshops by going here
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Joining hosts Oliver Assets and Fluxx Wyldly for our Pride show spectacular will be:

The majestic Manly Mannington
The delightful Dancing Queer
+ many more tba

Show only tickets are £13+ BF, or £8+BF for concessions of any reason. Tickets are £5+BF for People of Colour who are also Queer or Trans or Intersex (QTIPOC). There is no limit placed on how many tickets sold from each category individually.

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WHAT IS BRIZZLE BOYZ?

The South West's premier queer punk drag king cabaret night and one of the largest king nights in the UK, Brizzle Boyz is an electrifying LGBTQIAAP+ variety performance night. A true melting pot of local and national talent, Brizzle Boyz brings together a carefully curated line up of some of the best and boldest drag performers in the country. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll leave wanting a glittery moustache!

For more information about accessibility, please click here or go to Brizzle Boyz Facebook page.

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

Last entry 2 hours before curfew

2pm - 4am
The Den / Trinity Main Room / Lost Horizon Terrace / Lost Horizon Main Room

Artists include (A-Z):

ARLO
AMITY CLUB
BADGER
BITCH, PLEASE!
BOOGIE CAFE
BRUNO
BUBSKI
BUCKFAST BOYS CLUB
CONCRETE JUNGYALS
DANI WHYLIE
DAVE ANGEL
DELI-G
ELLIE STOKES
EMSKI
GALLEGOS
GOOD LIFE
IDIOTPROOF
K8
KINAJI
KRUST
LEWIS AUNG
MIA LILY
MILLY ON AIR
MR WEST
NATE KA$H
FONZO
DOM CARLO
NO STRINGS
OH MY ROSH (DAZED)
PLURALIST
PROZAK
PSYCHED
RED JASPER
JOE KOSHIN
ROYBAR
SISTDEM
SSSLIP
SOUL SHAKE
THE EMINENT BOYS
THE MILKSHAKE BOYS
THRILOGY
ZENZERO

Your day ticket gets you entry to The Trinity Centre, The Den / outdoor stage & Lost Horizon indoor and outdoor stages.

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

Last entry 2 hours before curfew

Drop in between 12-4pm for:

• A choral singing workshop with Pearl Love (1pm)
• Keynote from Art and Activism author Dr Edson Burton MBE (3pm)
• An inspiring discussion from protestors then and now (3:15pm)
• A drop-in protest printmaking workshop with Caroline Wilkins
• Photographs from Christine Bradshaw’s 'Greenham Portraits' series
• An opportunity to be interviewed for Greenham Women Everywhere’s oral history project about your experiences of Greenham and your experience of Bristol activism.

Sign up for a free ticket here.

About Common Ground

This event was made possible thanks to support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is part of a project created by Scary Little Girls in collaboration with Greenham Women Everywhere CIC to map the impact of the peace camp on the women who inhabited it and the communities they returned to. This event is in partnership with Art of Resistance, a two-year, National Heritage Lottery Funded project charting 100 years of protest in Bristol.

About Greenham Common Peace Camp

Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp was an enduring and iconic protest spanning 19 years from 1981 - 2000. Whilst the occupation of the common began with the aim of forcing out the US nuclear warheads from Berkshire, the protest became a focal point of feminist history and has left a legacy of women’s liberation around the world. As women travelled to Greenham from across the UK, local support hubs formed to 'Carry Greenham Home’.

Bringing the space back for the warmer months, The Den Socials give you a free space to enjoy great food and drinks and let some background music set the vibe.

The Dig Inn will be providing Southern and Tex-Mex, flavour-packed food from our outdoor kitchen.

No booking required, just rock up and enjoy!

May:

• Fri 26th
• Sun 28th

Please note there are tables available and room for dancing, accessible seating is available.

About Trinity Presents:

This series is part of Trinity Presents - our in-house programme, in our outdoor venue The Den

Image Credit: Alastair Brookes

Our Next-Gen Sounds program has wrapped up its first term on a high note. The weekly open access music session for young people has provided a supportive platform for budding musicians to hone their craft and showcase their talent. This term culminated in an impressive performance that highlighted the remarkable progress made by the young musicians.

"Though anxious in the beginning, I feel, after settling, that Next-Gen has become a star part of my weekly routine." - Next-Gen Sounds Participant

The end-of-term performance showcased the progress and achievements of the young musicians. In total, 17 young people engaged with Next-Gen Sounds over the term. During the showcase, the audience was impressed by the quality of the music and the energy and passion of the performers. It was clear that the young musicians had grown in confidence and skill, a testament to the program's effectiveness.

Next-Gen Sounds has proven to be a valuable resource for young musicians seeking a safe and inclusive space to express themselves, develop their skills, and meet other like-minded musicians. With 50% of regular participants being first timers at Trinity, the program has successfully attracted a diverse range of young musicians who may not have otherwise engaged with Trinity’s programme. Participants have expressed their appreciation for the programme, with one stating "I wanted to come back! It’s easy, no judgement, no pressure, it’s fun."

The success of Next-Gen Sounds reflects Trinity’s wider commitment to providing accessible opportunities for young people to engage with the arts. The programme has proven to be an invaluable resource for young musicians seeking a supportive environment to hone their craft. Trinity looks forward to continuing to support the musical aspirations of young people through this exciting programme.

Next-Gen Sounds continues every Thursday - click here to find out how you can get involved.

x-church in Gainsborough

As the push continues to #SaveJWB, we look back to Trinity's 2018 Heart & Soul project and our series of talks where both national and international speakers shared their knowledge and experience on the positives and pitfalls of re-imaging historic buildings. In this blog we invited Marcus Hammond, curator of x-church - a community space in Gainsborough, like no other - to come and share its story...

Over a million bricks hold together the love and forward-thinking acceptance of x-church. Marcus Hammond

Marcus Hammond bought a church building in 2006 and the night before he received the keys, the window got bricked. Therefore the first few days of his ownership were spent fixing the windows, and during this time he left the doors open. Children and young people walked right in and started playing in the space. This has lasted 12 years so far. ‘Now’, he said, ‘the building is almost incidental’.

It was interesting to learn that in the same way as the children wandering in, a lot of x-church’s journey happened almost accidentally: the building was described by someone as built in a slum-gothic way, and as well as enjoying the playful amalgamation of two words, Hammond and what was becoming a small team of volunteers decided it would be the name of a youth project.

x-church is host to many successful visual art installations

Physically building a place is hard but assembling the people is harder

They created a small dome structure for Slumgothic within the huge church space in which young people’s music and band practice can be contained. Immediately Hammond was building relationships with young people with total acceptance of who they are as individuals. Over time these relationships led to so much mutual respect that Marcus handed out keys to the front door. This helped with practical things such as not having to be there to unlock, but also gives the young people a sense of ownership of the building. With a mixture of surprise and pride, Hammond said, ‘So far, nothing bad has happened.’

The bare-brick architecture has become x-church’s strength and therefore not much has been added to make it more than a vast empty space. Marcus’s view is that physically building a place is hard but assembling the people is harder. For example, Mukhat Dar is open about his poignant story of how not all arts spaces end up in success as he reflects on The Drum Arts Centre (The Life & Death of an Arts Centre).

The x-church team like it when someone comes in and has a grand plan for an exhibition, show or event to hold there, and x-church is welcoming to almost all ideas. In a community like Gainsborough there is not an active interest in art or culture but x- church’s practice of ‘inconveniencing people with art’ proves that if you take it to the people they will engage.

From blocking out all the windows with card in order to turn x-church into a camera obscura to holding 24 hours of drumming for Syria, lots of events and exhibitions have taken place at x-church, some instigated by the young people and some by external artists. ‘Increasingly at x-church', according to Marcus, 'people don’t have a fear of making a fool of themselves.’ I agree wholeheartedly that there is a lot to be said for creating a space in which young people can take risks. In a time when young people are called upon to be available at all times via phones, it is increasingly important to allow freedom in other parts of their lives to benefit their wellbeing and independence.

Through loads of conversations and shared experiences, the lives of individuals and the Slumgothic community has been immeasurably touched. From what I heard at the talk, x-church is an inspiring example of what could be happening to benefit young people all over the world. Over a million bricks hold together the love and forward-thinking acceptance of x-church, but Marcus is not precious about what happens to the physical building, instead it is the people that matter. 'If the building collapsed we could just relocate somewhere else. Even to a field.'

This write up was by Tess Sieling, who was the project intern on the Heart & Soul heritage project. The talk was part of a series exploring the challenges and achievements of transforming and preserving historic buildings and was programmed in collaboration with Bristol's Architecture Centre and the University of West England (UWE).

How to get involved

Click here to sign the Hotwells and Cliftonwood petition to Save Jacobs Wells Baths

Further reading

Read more from our Heart & Soul talk series - Father Paul, Fidel Meraz and Dr Katie McClymont

Read more about the Save Jacobs Wells Campaign here.

More information to come...

The sessions are for families (parents/carers) inclusive of people of all ages and dance abilities.

We encourage people of all ages to join in with activities and welcome volunteers to help us make the group a warm and inclusive space.

As well as the weekly workshops, the project will involve a local performance.

Dates of sessions:

Tuesday 16th May

Tuesday 23rd May

Tuesday 6th June

Tuesday 20th June

Tuesday 27th June

Tuesday 04 July

Please note:

Children must be accompanied at all times, and the parent or guardian will be responsible for the children during their visit to The Trinity and during any performance events connected to this project.

Celebrating the launch of their debut album Origins, Hippo Sound System bring their explosive live show with some extra special guests!

Lead by DJ Hiphoppapotamus, they explore new fusions of world music with sound system culture with a particular love of Afro-Latin percussive rhythms and heavy bass music such as Jungle, House, Dub and D&B!

Regulars on the festival circuit across the UK since 2018 they have played most major festivals from Glastonbury to Boomtown. And they’re unique, explorative productions have been featured on BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra & Radio 6 by Jeremiah Asiamiah, Craig Charles and Don Letts!

So come with them on their psychedelic journey into the jungle, complete with live percussion, brass, vocals and big bad basslines! Supporting DJ sets are being provided by the band’s own DJ Hiphoppapotamus and DJ Mook playing mix of global grooves, reggae, and funky party beats!

Watch this space for special guest vocalists yet to be announced!

Check out the new album here: https://hippo-sound-system.lnk.to/Origins

Line Up:

- Hiphoppapotomus

- S.I.M.O Lagwani

- Franz Von

- Binbags

- Durbrain

- Mook

- Feline

- Beau Selecta

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

Last entry 2 hours before curfew

Image Credit: Sophia Stefelle

Trinity collaborated with the local community organisation Somali Kitchen and creative collective YESIDub to programme a series of free-to-access family cooking sessions for local families. The sessions aimed to create a space for connections by exploring Somali culture through food and play.

“I like going to school and coming here afterwards, playing with my mum and cooking”

Taking place over six sessions at Trinity, the team at Somali Kitchen led workshops in cooking traditional Somali food, including ‘Soor’, a dish that is accompanied by a tasty vegetable sauce. Children also had opportunities to get involved with their parents and they learned how to prepare and cook fresh vegetables. Alongside this, YESIDub facilitated the ‘arts corner’, a space for children and parent/carers to take part in craft, games and play activities. Trinity’s Community Producer was on hand throughout to help support the sessions.

The project was a great success, welcoming 11 children alongside their parents/carers. All the families told us that they really enjoyed taking part in cooking and facilitated play. They also shared how they have learned how to cook new dishes including vegetable curry and pancakes. Children shared that they really enjoyed experiencing new things such as chopping the ingredients and sharing their cooking with the group.

The sessions are delivered as part of the wider-inactive Eastside People and Places that is connecting people, reducing loneliness and isolation and helping people feel included and welcome through community-based activity.

Father Paul moved to Bristol in his 20's and is well loved in St Pauls @Khali Ackford

Before Father Paul’s talk I did not know much about him and his life in Bristol, but afterwards it was clear that he is regarded as family by the community in which he serves.

As the push continues to #SaveJWB, we look back to Trinity's 2018 Heart & Soul project and our series of talks where both national and international speakers shared their knowledge and experience on the positives and pitfalls of re-imaging historic buildings. In this blog we reflect on Father Paul's talk the re-purposing of churches as community spaces.

On the evening of Tuesday 29th May 2018, we were very grateful to Father Paul who stepped in to cover the planned speaker who was unfortunately unwell. He appeared an unconventional priest, wearing camouflage combat trousers and a shirt, very much living up to the talk title ‘Rebel Conformist’.

Before Father Paul’s talk I did not know much about him and his life in Bristol, but afterwards it was clear that he is regarded as family by the community in which he serves. He has touched the lives of a lot of people in Bristol, particularly the St Paul’s area where he has lived and worked most of his life.

Father Paul talked about the need for the church to respond to contemporary issues @Khali Ackford

Father Paul wants to be able to conduct these ceremonies and to celebrate love without judgement. He told many anecdotes about individuals from the community where he has worked, mostly to show that, "where there is life, there is hope".

Heart & Soul project coordinator, Dr Edson Burton, gave a warm introduction to Father Paul. Several audience members as well as Dr Burton clearly hold him in great affection, indicative of the widespread impact Father Paul has had over the years. In a childhood anecdote, Father Paul remembers growing up in Pontypridd, Wales, wishing he had a brother to play with as he only had one sister. Not until his twenties when he had moved to Bristol and settled in St Paul’s did he realise he was lucky enough to be surrounded by many many brothers and sisters now.

Father Paul started by talking about gay marriage, and the fact that in Wales and Scotland you can have a gay marriage in church, supported by the Church. However in England although you can have a civil partnership or gay marriage, you still cannot conduct these ceremonies as a vicar in a church. It saddens him that there is nothing in the wedding hymn book dedicated to LGBTQ marriage. Father Paul wants to be able to conduct these ceremonies and to celebrate love without judgement. He told many anecdotes about individuals from the community where he has worked, mostly to show that, "where there is life, there is hope".

On many occasions people have gone to Father Paul for help and he has been a huge support throughout the community. These pillars of the community that have not faded despite the move towards communities being started or maintained by technological means.

A lot of people fear that the sense of community relying on face to face contact is being lost due to societal changes- we all spend more time looking at screens. However, Father Paul is an example that where there are people living together in an area, there will always be community leaders and supporters, no matter the advances in technology. It is our human nature.

Many local residents attended Father Paul's talk @Khali Ackford

He says; "Things fit together in ways I don’t always understand but don’t object to." I enjoyed Father Paul’s talk because it shed light on the positive influence one person can have in a community. Tess Sieling, project intern

After Father Paul’s talk, he invited a friendly discussion within the group. We moved on to explore what is the role of the Church now? Is it to serve the spirit or to serve the law? There seems to be an openness particularly in Bristol and other large UK cities that is calling for the Church to serve the spirit. In contemporary society, issues that need addressing and the nature of human struggles have been changing, so there is a need for the Church to serve them in an equally contemporary way.

Perhaps a testament to Father Paul’s openness is the fact that at one stage, he was visiting a convicted murderer in prison in Cardiff while also planning the victim’s funeral in Bristol. He says; "Things fit together in ways I don’t always understand but don’t object to." I enjoyed Father Paul’s talk because it shed light on the positive influence one person can have in a community.

This write up was by Tess Sieling, who was the project intern on the Heart & Soul heritage project. The talk was part of a series exploring the challenges and achievements of transforming and preserving historic buildings and was programmed in collaboration with Bristol's Architecture Centre and the University of West England (UWE).

How to get involved

Click here to sign the Hotwells and Cliftonwood petition to Save Jacobs Wells Baths

Further reading

Read more from our Heart & Soul talk series - Dr Katie McClymont, Fidel Meraz and A Million Bricks of Love.

Read more about the Save Jacobs Wells Campaign here.

This event was booked at the venue by a third-party promoter. The show was originally booked at Bristol’s O2 Academy and Trinity took on the show as a last-minute capacity downgrade in good faith, with the hope that this would mean fans who had already purchased tickets would get to see the planned show.

On the night, Trinity staff slowly became aware that the headline act had not arrived at the venue. The promoter was unreachable, and they did not provide us with any indication that there had been this change to the line-up.

Though the event took place, we appreciate this wasn’t the event that people paid for. As such, Trinity will issue refunds automatically to any fans who purchased tickets through our own ticketing platform.

Unfortunately, we are unable to issue refunds to those who purchased tickets through third-party sites. We recommend fans contact their ticket provider directly if you wish to request a refund. We contacted Bristol’s O2 Academy who declined to offer a comment.

We are sorry that our due diligence to check promoter credentials fell short of what is expected of us and we will take greater care in future to ensure a greater degree of care for artists and fans.

We would like to give thanks to the talented support acts who did perform and will do what we can to ensure anyone who performed receives a fair payment We hope that the negative experiences of fans will not reflect badly, either on them as artists or us as a venue.

St Pauls Carnival is BACK! To celebrate we are bringing together some Bristol Legends and very special guests for a one night only fundraising event to get you warmed up and ready for the main Carnival day on 1 July.

Carnival is a celebration of Caribbean culture, music and dance and this year’s theme ‘Learning from Legends’ will be one to remember.

Support St Pauls Carnival at the Trinity Centre with this legendary line-up to raise funds towards Bristol’s iconic community street event:

LINE UP:

*Mr Benn + special guest*

*RuffNeck Ting*

*Roni Size*

*DJ Krust*

*Booty Bass*

*Queen Bee*

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

Last entry 2 hours before curfew