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.

Kabaka Pyramid performs at Trinity on 07 April

Ahead of his show at Trinity on 07 Apr as part of Trinity Presents, we spoke to Grammy award-winning Reggae artist Kabaka Pyramid about performing to UK audiences, the Reggae Revival movement, and much more.

Tell us a little about your musical journey up to this point, and any upcoming plans for 2023

My journey has been great with ups and downs of course, from sound system days to small home studios, starting an independent label, to working with Damian Marley, to winning a Grammy. It’s been amazing. This year we are touring worldwide and continuing to push my album The Kalling.

As a key pillar of the reggae revival movement, how do you feel the international recognition of new reggae artists has impacted the scene as a whole?

I think the international recognition has shone the light on our generation’s movement, and that helped to elevate our status and profile in Jamaica, so overall it’s been a very positive thing.

What have your experiences been like playing for a UK audience? Have you noticed any difference in the atmosphere and energy at UK shows compared to other international audiences?

It depends on where in UK, festivals like Boomtown are similar to other festivals around Europe and even the US, but a club show in South London is closer to the vibes in Jamaica. People react more to the popular songs so I usually have to change my setlist in the UK.

Are there any UK artists that you’d like to work with in the future or other Jamaican artists you'd like to highlight?

Man like Stormzy and Giggs are legends, I also rate Ashley Walters and Kano, looking forward to releasing something with Maverick Sabre and also Plan B - we’ve been in studio before. I like Little Simz's vibe as well.

For someone who’s never seen you perform in person, what can they expect from Kabaka Pyramid live?

My live show is really high energy, a lot of fun for fans, nuff lyrics and some reggae classics mixed, and look for songs off my Grammy album 😉

Kabaka Pyramid will be performing at Trinity on 07 April as part of Trinity Presents - click here to get your tickets.

About Trinity Presents:

This is part of Trinity Presents - our in-house programme of music, bringing world-class artists and emerging talent to inner-city audiences.

Booty Bass - Credit: Khali Ackford

Ahead of their collaboration as Obsidian this New Year's Eve at Trinity, we spoke to Ngaio of Booty Bass, and Betty from Shade Cartel about inclusivity, creating safe spaces for everyone on the dancefloor, and what makes Bristol audiences the best. Booty Bass are a collective of female/nb DJs formed in 2018, while Shade Cartel are an inclusive dance and performance collective of colour, consisting of drag artists, aerial/pole artists and professional dancers.

How did Booty Bass come about, and what was the idea behind it?

Ngaio: When I first began DJing I was shocked by how few women, women of colour or queer people were on the line ups I was being booked on and how intimidating the spaces were when they were filled with predominantly white, cis, men. Even if a lot of them were my friends and they were good people, I felt an overwhelming sense of having to prove myself because I was the only one who looked like me behind the decks. When I was given a residency at the Plough in Easton every other Thursday, I was able to see the type of crowd and sense of community that could be cultivated when they saw a woman behind the decks having a great time, dancing for myself and no-one else. As that gained popularity, I was given a weekend slot once a month and opened up the warm up to other women; queer women, women of colour and non-binary people. At the end of 2018 I was given New Year's Eve where some of the warm up DJs from the year joined me and from then on, that was the beginnings of Booty Bass. That was also the last time we threw our own New Year's Eve party!

How did Booty Bass come into collaboration with Shade Cartel?

N: Funnily enough me and Betty grew up a town away from each other in rural Wales but never properly spoke until 2021 when Booty Bass and Shade Cartel were booked at an event at Lakota Gardens. We knew of each other but hadn't had space to properly chat until then I think and then it all came out! That we grew up in a similar way, had worked in the festival and events industry for years, and were trying to diversify the landscape with our crews - me with Booty Bass on the music side and Betty with Shade Cartel on the dancer's side. Every time our crews got booked to play the same stages, we would have the best time, so when 2022 came about we thought let's not wait for others to put us together, let's take control as we have already and carve out space for ourselves.

Betty: Booty Bass does in the music scene what Shade does in the dance scene; so it made sense to bring them together. Both collectives are run by two creative black women (myself and Ngaio) committed to inclusion, self-empowerment and creating safe spaces. Bringing our babies together has been pure vibes and it feels great to perform onstage with DJs where you feel completely comfortable and free; it’s a beautiful queer family affair.

2022 has clearly been a big year for you both, what have been some stand out moments from this year?

N: Launching Obsidian has got to be the stand-out for me, I think. It was hard work for sure and took a lot of planning and grafting but being able to do it as 2 crews pulling together being led by 2 women of colour was seriously special. The last day our venue was open at Boomtown, me and Betty watching Grove perform Black in our venue for our community that we put together was amazing. We stood in the crowd hugging; it gives me goosebumps thinking about it now!

B: Shade have performed on lots of great sets and festivals this year but the highlight has got to be creating and growing obsidian; bringing our collectives together. We’ve had so much fun with it.

Creating a safe space on the dancefloor is clearly important to Booty Bass, do you think venues are doing enough to make people safe, and if not what more could they be doing?

N: It's very important to us, because namely on that New Year's Eve night 4 years ago, one of our friends was sexually assaulted by a man who lied to get himself on stage and even now refuses to acknowledge that what he did was wrong despite being banned from our events. It wasn't someone who came regularly and clearly thought he could get away with it. After that I began a series of Halt Harassment dinners where venues, promoters, security teams and audience members for together to talk about how to tackle this as a unit. Through that project I created a policy that we in Booty Bass adhere to and talk through with each venue we work with but these conversations need to continue. I think there is a responsibility that artists, venues and promoters have to try their best to police the spaces they invite people into and take action if they see something wrong. Booty Bass rarely runs events in venues where the dancefloor can't be seen by the DJs because I think we all have to work together to push the message that harassment is not something we will sit back and let happen.

There’s been a focus over the last couple of years about the importance of promoting diverse line-ups – have you seen this change happen or is there still work to be done?

B: I think there was a drive for diversity a couple of years ago but it feels like the movement's since fallen flat. I can’t say I've seen a massive change. Most lineups are still predominantly male. I feel like promoters and platforms still have lots of work to do here.

N: I think there's still a lot of work to be done. A lot of the music and entertainment industries made a big show and dance of putting up black squares and bringing in a tokenistic artist here and there during 2021 but since then the push for a lasting change I think has diminished. Since 2020 the number of BAME people in the music industry has actually dropped despite the claim that this was one of its focal points post-BLM. For me the question isn't just 'who's on your line up' but also, who is running the space? Who is backstage? Who's on the door? Yes, representation is key but alongside that needs to be industry-wide training around how to be actively anti-racist and uncover your unconscious biases to understand what the experiences are for those people that you put on the line ups. There should be a push in representation across the board - not just for the performers on the stage. Which is why Booty Bass and Shade Cartel make such a great match, because we understand what those experiences are - of being marginalised on the stage, in the offices, behind the scenes, and recognising all the things we would do differently to make that space once that in inclusive and diverse. It's also why I work as a trainer and consultant in this field, because I feel passionately that if everyone participated in learning and growing, the scene would be much stronger for it.

What do you think makes the club scene in Bristol unique?

B: People within the Bristol music scene are super creative and vibrant and there's always loads of cool collaborations going on. The close proximity of the music venues means there’s a concentrated party feel which is fun.

N: The fact that people ultimately want to go and dance the night away! Bristol audiences are the best - there's no pretence. No trying to look sexy the whole time or standing at the side of the dancefloor not getting involved - we go in! We dance hard, we sweat, we laugh, we meet new people, we smile at strangers, we love polyrhythms and big Bassy bangers. We are a fusion of cultures, music styles, Soundsystem children. We like to hear things we haven't heard before - we thrive on the unknown. And we're also political, we want to be part of the change and hold each other and ourselves accountable. It's a very special scene to be a part of.

And finally, any big plans for 2023?

N: SO MANY!!!! Can't talk about them yet but keep an eye on the socials! I myself am working on some new music that I'll be releasing in the new year and we've been hatching plans to build on some of the incredible work we've done this year. 2023, we ready!

B: Other than world domination we’ve got some very exciting festivals and events planned for 2023. We can’t spill quite yet, but keep your eyes on those line ups; we there!

Booty Bass and Shade Cartel will be joining forces for Obsidian this New Year's Eve at Trinity - tickets are now on final release, click here to get yours while you still can. Find out more about Ngaio's work, or check out Obsidian, Booty Bass and Shade Cartel on Instagram to stay up to date with what's next for the collective.

About Trinity Presents:

This show is part of Trinity Presents - our in-house programme of music, bringing world-class artists and emerging talent to inner-city audiences

Peachin' Day Festival. Photo credit Khali Ackford

In our commitment to platform emerging talent and provide access to quality facilities for the community, we’re excited to announce a summer season of live music and spoken word events in our outdoor space, ‘The Den’.

Between July-September 2022, we will be showcasing some of the best breakthrough artist from Bristol and the South West alongside a wider programme of family friendly arts activities and events.

“Trinity have always been there providing a space for us and many other artists to do what we do best and always put creativity and community first” Ishmael Ensemble

We’ve joined forces with collectives who are making waves in the region including Bristol poetry collective Raise The Bar, who are bringing Youtuber Leena Norms to perform, 31 July and multi-disciplinary Arts organisation Beyond Face, who will take over The Den to showcase spoken word artists from the global majority.

Head over to our What's On section to find out more about events and activities at The Den.

About The Den

Our vision for The Den is to increase our presentation of creative and performing arts, and alongside this provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure for community groups and local residents.

Funded by Power to Change, Bristol City Council, Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund and match funders, our revamped outdoor space feels like a secret, magical corner of a festival. The space - including bar, kitchen, outdoor seating and stretch-tent – is set within our beautiful garden and heritage grounds.

The works form part of Trinity’s phased capital works programme, that paused in 2020 when the impacts of COVID19 and Brexit caused delays to planned construction of a larger scheme of work, including a two-story kitchen/bar with offices and outdoor area.

Venue Director, Jamell Ackford said; “Like many music venues, we began to get creative with our outdoor space in response to pandemic restrictions, launching the ‘Garden Sessions’ in 2020.

Following support in 2021 from the Architectural Heritage Fund to to revisit and revise our Feasibility Study, a detailed community consultation helped us to find out what the community wanted from us in a post-pandemic environment. From this, we updated our original plans and the idea for ‘The Den’ was born.

With this new bespoke setup, The Den will provide wider opportunities including supporting local food and community activities, as well as giving audiences a unique experience.”

As part of Trinity’s post-pandemic responses, a Community Activities Coordinator has been appointed to support ‘Community Kickstart’ activity – working with local residents, grassroots groups and charities to establish new activities from the space.

If you are a local resident or group and would like to run an activity for the local community, get in touch with stefan@trinitybristol.org.uk to find out more.

Trinity features in a film created by Bristol City Council, showcasing organisations in the city who are certified Real Living Wage Employers.

The film features Trinity team members Rhiannon Jones (Programme Director) and Jamell Ackford (Venue Manager) alongside Ben Openshaw and Harry Lewis who are both employed on a six-month internship as part of the DWP's Kickstart Scheme.

"Paying the Real Living Wage means we can support our workforce who, if we retain and nurture, will become future cultural decision-makers." Emma Harvey, CEO, Trinity Community Arts

Trinity became a Real Living Wage Employer in 2020, providing employees a fair, entry-level wage, calculated independently based on living costs.

Trinity believes that the best workforce is a diverse workforce and that by paying people a fair wage the opportunity to choose a career in the cultural sector is not limited to those who can afford to take on low paid internships.

Trinity joins over 65 Bristol employers, including Quirky Campers and Hargreaves Lansdown, as a certified Real Living Wage organisation, contributing to the nearly 2,500 employees who have seen an increase in their wages relevant to their day-to-day living costs. Find out more about Bristol City Council's commitment to becoming a Real Living Wage City here.

Jamell has shaped a career in event programming at Trinity over ten years, including Benjamin Zephaniah as part of Trinity Presents.

Jamell joined the Trinity team in 2010, as part of the Future Jobs scheme, starting in an entry level role, as Events Assistant. Ten years later, as Venue Manager, he reflects on the importance of the opportunity.

“2009, I was fresh in Bristol and fresh out of university.

I had come from the city of Plymouth, where I studied Fine Art and recorded some of the infrequent club events. I wanted to continue my new passion within the arts. I refused to get a job I had no passion for.

One day, I passed Trinity. I loved the look of the place and had to find out what happened there. Luckily for me, Trinity was involved in a 6-month Future Jobs Fund programme through the Job Centre.

I started my journey as the Events Assistant and helping with the Youth Music Programme. During this time, I learnt so much about the amazing work that Trinity does and the passion the team has for each project.

I didn’t want this dream job to come to an end and was elated to be given the opportunity to stay on. I learnt so much from the team; from community bookings and weddings, to developing my skills enough to organise our own NYE events and annual Garden Party - which is the most notable accomplishment, growing the audience every year, with a diverse line up of Bristol talent.

With the development and progression of the role over the years, I am honoured to say I am now the Venue Manager of this wonderful organisation and look forward to what the future holds for the Centre.”

Jamell was able to pursue a career in the creative industries through the Future Jobs Fund. Opportunities like this, and the newly announced Kickstart Scheme, work towards diversifying the workforce in the sector.

We continue to create internships and employment opportunities as part of our project activity. Through our youth programme, Making Tracks, young people enhance their employability through music making. With the economic impact of Covid-19 still to be fully experienced, opportunities like this are even more important.

Read more on our thoughts about the importance of creating opportunities in the creative industry here.