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DIASPORA! Festival Flag Making Workshop

DIASPORA! Festival is a vibrant celebration of people, arts, culture, film, and more, taking place at host venues across the city on Early May Bank Holiday weekend 03 - 06 May. Brought to the South West by Diverse Artists Network, the festival aims to reflect the rich variety of talent within the south west’s global communities, with an emphasis on the creative arts that reside within these communities. Trinity is very proud to be partnering with Diverse Artist Network to bring Diaspora to Trinity, through a programme of workshops, music events and arts.

“Brilliant people, really welcoming and great level of diversity and lovely to talk to people from different backgrounds” - Diaspora! Flag Making Workshop Participant

As part of Diaspora’s engagement fringe programme in the lead up to their festival weekend, Trinity partnered up with them to deliver their programme of free creative workshops named ‘Flag Up Your Identity’. These workshops were open to all and served to unleash the creativity of the workshop participants to make a unique flag that embodied their identity and heritage. Participants were encouraged to create unique flags influenced by their cultural roots and their personal journey. Over the Easter period, Trinity welcomed over 30 participants who made wonderful flags which will be showcased at Trinity and other locations around the city.

DIASPORA! Festival continues throughout the May bank holiday weekend, kicking off with the official opening ceremony for the festival taking place on Friday 03 May 4pm – 7pm. Expect an evening of dance, music, poetry, food, and folklore, showcasing the extraordinary talents of our local community while fostering meaningful cross-cultural connections. Tickets are free, find out more here.

After the opening ceremony on 03 May, we will be hosting Pangea at Trinity. Pangea is a club night which celebrates sound system music from around the globe, bringing together a diverse range of genres including Samba, Bhangra, highlife, gospel, dancehall and much more. Click here to get tickets.

Closing out proceedings, on Sunday 05 May we have Alkebulan, African Storytelling Village, a day of African arts and culture featuring captivating storytelling to vibrant dance performances. Featuring local artists from the likes of Kabbo Hue Ferdinand, MoYah, Ian Solomon-Kawall, Penny Avery, and Mohammed Errebba, this event promises an unforgettable cultural showcase. Find out more here.

We are very proud to be partnering with Diverse Artists Network for DIASPORA! Festival, highlighting our commitment to providing accessible cultural events for the community, and a space to learn arts and crafts as well as opportunities for participants to skill share.

Photo Credit: Sam Howard

For the last 15 years, Teachings in Dub has been a staple of the Bristol dub scene and has become one of the longest running club nights in Bristol. Formed by Stryda (Dubkasm) and Pinch at Clockwork Nightclub on Stokes Croft until 2008 when Teachings found its new home here at Trinity.

Dub and soundystem cultures have been an integral part of Bristol’s music scene. During the 1970s and 1980's a DIY culture of soundsystems sprung up, particularly around East Bristol, allowing young people in Bristol to participate in the city’s music scene from the ground up.

Teachings in Dub has allowed for a new generation to participate in Bristol’s history of dub music. Teachings co-founder Stryda writes that the event has “always been about bridging the gap between the older generation and the new and ensuring the culture is maintained and respected but the vibes are passed on”.

"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

Stryda attributes Teachings’ long-standing popularity to providing “an authentic space to experience real undiluted soundsystem vibrations. The Bristol music scene is respected worldwide but is built on Reggae and soundsystem. 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”.

Teachings has hosted some of the biggest names in dub and roots reggae, including Jah Shakka, Iration Steppas, Channel One Soundystem and Aba Shanti-I, and will host celebrations for 50 Years of Jah Tubby this month on 17 Sep, before celebrating 15 Years of Teachings in Dub on 25 Nov.

Volunteers sort through clothes in the Graffiti Room. Photo @Khali Ackford

A big thanks to everyone for their support during the Caring at Christmas day shelter at Trinity.

Across the project a total of 2307 hot meals and 2400 sandwiches where served to around 100 guests a day in the Day Centre at Trinity. We have been really delighted to team up and with Caring at Christmas for this much needed ambitious project,  during the crucial Christmas period when provisions become scarce in Bristol for those experiencing homelessness.

Thank you everyone for helping to make it happen!

Regular Trinity users donated Christmas trees to decorate the main hall. Photo @Khali Ackford

Trinity became a day shelter with support, food and social activities. Photo @Khali Ackford

Dinner awaits. Photo @Khali Ackford

Caring in Bristol team members outside Trinity. Photo @Khali Ackford

More upcoming gig highlights include Drenge - successfully relying on the heavily distorted guitar riffs of the grunge era; Babes in Toyland - original late 80s post punk band whose raw live show "captured a musical and cultural moment; angry, talented and unfettered by societal norms"; Dunkelbunt + The Secret Swing Society - " labelled “a wizard of tone colours“ and “specialist for exquisite music & spice blends" are also new to the listings.

This month we still have Honeyfeet, Bombs, Simon Panrucker, Count Bobo,Eva Lazarus & Snareophobe + more all playing live Saturday 14th February and Teachings in Dub finally announce their line up for Deep Medi including Commodo, Kaiju, Kahn, Gantz and Compa. This goes on sale Thursday so get in quick as guaranteed to sell out.

For those interested in performance check out Get Lucky - fantastic triple bill from Julia Thorneycroft dance or SOLO Forum Showcase - two evenings of new shows including four premiers from artists Alice Human, Ale Marzotto, Bella Fortune, Hannah Sullivan and Jo Hellier all happening in March.

We have plenty more up on the events pages so check them out.

Support will come from the ever incredible Bellatrix; beatboxer and collaborator with Dizraeli, and vocal improviser Maggie Nichols who has worked with improvisers from all over the world - this is going to be a night of incredible collaboration with even a chance to get involved in an audience choir!

Coming up we can also announce two new shows to complete the line up for this year's Mayfest here at Trinity, introducing  The Secret Slowness of Movement and Stand which along side Dance Marathon create a week of innovative performances.

For those keen to get political we have plenty going on from the Anarchist Bookfair, bringing you stalls from local campaigns and groups to national anarchist distros and publishers; workshops and meetings to discuss and debate the key issues and much more. For a chance to ask your questions to local candidates check out Whyvotebristol and Thirst for Knowlegde.

If you want to get outdoors get involved with our project Grow it Cook it Eat it which kicks off this month with a Holiday Lunch Club and Seasonal Foraging Walk.

Check out lots more new events including Ariel Pink and Teachings in Dub.

Portishead legend and Bristol-Sound pioneer Adrian Utley, together with world-renowned musician and guitarist John Parish, describe why they support Trinity's Notes for Notes Appeal in an interview, now available on You Tube

During the interview, John and Adrian explained why they are supporting the Trinity Centre by creating the "Trinity Anthem" for the Appeal, and Adrian goes on to remember his time performing with Portishead at Trinity back in the '90s.

For every £5 received in donation to the Appeal, Trinity will exchange a virtual musical note, and once 4,000 notes have been exchanged (£20,000), Adrian and John will release the Trinity Anthem - a unique piece of music that reflects and celebrates Trinity's rich 40 year musical heritage.

To support the Appeal, donate on our Just Giving page or by text to ROOF31 £5 to 70070

With thanks to Charlie Tothill, Chris Price (film & edition), Memotone (music).

“I try not to tink about she too much, 'cause de pain dem thoughts bring it like a herd of buffalo runnin wild in a field, an I beneath dem foot.”

Meet Evangeline Gardner - a homeless, 70 year old African-Caribbean woman, who finds herself living on the streets and searching for her estranged daughter Shirley.

She Called Me Mother stars BAFTA and Golden Globe nominee Cathy Tyson, best known for her stage work with the RSC and the Liverpool Everyman and on film in Mona Lisa (1986)

She called me Mother is written in poetic Trindadian vernacular rarely heard on British stages.

"I believe She Called Me Mother has the potential to be a modern classic. We are going into territory that hasn't been explored on our stages before. The emotional potential of the play is boundless. I hope this play will be a rewarding experience for our audience and all those with creative involvement." (Cathy Tyson actor/producer)

This debut show from Pitch Lake Productions, founded by actor Cathy Tyson, writer Michelle Inniss and director Cara Nolan will be the second show to tour for the Black Theatre Live consortium, dedicated to bringing inventive BAME theatre to venues across the country. It follows the recently concluded tour of Tara Arts new version of Macbeth.

“I’m delighted that our consortium have selected such an exciting prospect for our first commission. The poetry of the script blew me away” (Sarah Brigham, Artistic Director Derby)

Nine Lives Saturday 17th October

Fleeing from his home in Zimbabwe where homophobia threatens his life, Ishmael has sought sanctuary in the UK. He waits to hear his fate, and for a new life to begin amongst strangers.…can he find a place to call home again?

The strangers are brilliantly brought to life by Lladel Bryant..you care as much about them as you do about Ishmael.

Performed by Lladel Bryant and directed by Alex Chisholm, the play threads together humour and humanity to tell the human stories behind the “negative reports in the public domain regarding refugees, asylum seekers and the word, immigration. (writer Zodwa Nyoni)

Nine Lives, written by Zodwa Nyoni as part of her residency as West Yorkshire Playhouse / Channel Four Writer in residence 2014, was first performed as part of West Yorkshire Playhouse ‘s A Play, A Pie and a Pint’ season.

“a cracking piece of theatre that offers a glimpse into an issue that’s present in the country and around the world today” (Adam Bruce from a A Younger Theatre)

Theatre at Trinity

These shows follow on from several successful solo shows over the last year including Chanje Kunda's Amsterdam last October and Solo Showcase in March which brought Bella Fortune, Alice Human, Hannah Sullivan and Ale Marzotto to the Centre. Fyfe Hall has the ability to create an intimate warmth, despite its grand size, making it the perfect space to get close up to the performance.

- an affordable in-house programme of theatre, dance and music, that represents and engages diverse communities and user groups
- a targeted artist residency programme, supporting artists based within the Centre to develop new work
workshops, talks and social events, and activities, that help to build links between resident artists and other and community centre users.

We will be offering commissioning opportunities for local artists to enhance our existing programme as well as providing improved technical capabilities for community arts delivery, thanks to £15K already secured from the Garfield Weston Weston Foundation.

There will be a number of new part-time posts and contract opportunities created to help us deliver these exciting new projects. Please keep an eye on the Recruitment area of our website for more information.

Emma Harvey, Centre Manager said; "This is a fantastic opportunity for Trinity to realise some of our ambitions to become a more sustainable organisation and help support the development and delivery of arts at a grassroots level"

To register your interest in the Ignite Programme, contact rhiannon@3ca.org.uk to sign up to our mailing list.