The Ithaca Axis, 2013

"It pulls you in, and claws away at your very core. When the show is over, there is a terrible feeling of loss." - Thou ART

Scripted by Edson Burton
Directed by Nick Young
Production by Kate Hartoch and Netty Miles
Additional material devised by the company
Core cast: Glyn Dilley, Heidi Dorschler, Carlotta Cutrupi, Dominic Wolf, Paul Beech

Braving the wrath of the Gods, Odysseus has returned to the ancient kingdom of Ithaca - now modern day Bristol - to reclaim his seat of power within the Poseidon Foundation. But is he still welcome?  An incredible journey taking place through several, secret locations across Bristol. Part theatre, part adventure, The Ithaca Axis is a modern reinvention of the myth The Odyssey.

Performed over two weeks in April/May 2013, The Ithaca Axis was a fully interactive immersive show that used the city of Bristol as the set. A modern retelling of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey it tells the story of Odysseus' return to Ithaca, expecting to be welcomed as a hero, only to find that all is not how he left it.

A distant wife, a playboy son and a revolutionary daughter all have their own reasons for not wanting him back as he struggles with his own demons from his travels. Utilising ten locations, including Redcliffe Caves, Broadquay Fountains and St Stephen's Church, the show took four seperate audiences on a simultaneous journey that told one story from each of the main characters' perspectives before all coming together for the finale at the Trinity Centre. Power, family, loss and the traumas of going away to war are all themes that play out in The Ithaca Axis.

Vice & Virtue took a look beneath the area's reputation to explore the many cultures that have lived here, its national significance as an area of architectural conservation and key moments of historical interest.

Themes included: the riots of 1932, the British and GI experience, business, trade and leisure in Old Market, the sex industry, the Gay quarter and new communities in Old Market.

The project - funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, Quartet Community Foundation and the Old Market Community Association - consisted of oral history and reminiscence activities designed to encourage members of the community, of all ages, to share their experiences, photos, documents and memorabilia.

This rigorously researched project built upon existing online and hard copy archive information. It culminated in an exhibition, book and heritage trail featuring all the work gathered through the project.

Old Market history

Much coverage given to the area often refers to it as having a 'seedy reputation'. Comments from other residents and traders have worked to counter this image, including Mr Ferris, a local publican commenting in a local newspaper article, “It's amazing we've done so well in the recession...more and more people are choosing to live here.”

Paul Bradburn, Chair of the Old Market Community Association said; “a project that celebrates the rich heritage of the area and allows the general community to appreciate that heritage will be a great benefit to the people of Bristol”.

The Vice & Virtue Project ran from Autumn 2013-Spring 2015.

Buy the book here!

What's Your Trinity Story? - funded by Heritage Lottery Fund Your Heritage Grant - featured an an oral history and archiving project about Trinity from 1960-today, with specific reference to its role as a music and community venue.

"The Trinity Centre has a fascinating history, and the Heritage Lottery Fund is really pleased to support this inspiring project which will capture what it has meant to people over the last 50 years." Nerys Watts, South West Heritage Lottery Fund Head of Region

Trinity's history

Trinity is probably best known for its role in the music scene of the 1990s, when it played host to some of the biggest domestic and international music stars of the time. Trinity's stage has been graced by the likes of U2, The Wailers and Public Enemy as well as local talents such as Massive Attack. It hosted many famous artists notably from the punk, and reggae genres, and was an important landmark in the globally exported "Bristol Sound" prominent during this era.

The space has also had a number of roles within the community over the years - from a bingo hall to a boxing ring - and is now run as a community arts centre with regular training, projects and events.

The heritage project consisted of workshop activities and sessions designed to engage the community of all ages in sharing their experiences and stories of the space. It involved detailed research to culminate in a final exhibition, book and online archive.

Click here to read the full evaluation report.

Over two years, the project saw us bringing older and young people together to produce a series of artworks exploring themes around different generations and cultures, funded by the Quartet Community Foundation.

“We don't get any visitors so it is really nice to see young people – we don't really have any activities here and there is not full-time warden so it was nice to create an activity that we can meet the community”. Elder participating in Project Respect, 2010

Project Respect 2008

During the first phase on the project in 2008, we created a mural in the Trinity Gardens.

A group of young people from a range of ethic and cultural backgrounds studying English at the Bristol Academy worked with groups of Elders from Upper Horfield Community Trust, The Golden Ages from Easton Church and local residents from Knightstone Housing Association and the St Pauls area.
These unique workshops are designed to provide a safe space for two generations to meet, share experiences and create artwork together.

Local artist Victoria Appleton who will be delivering the next programme of workshops said; “We are looking at the role of Elders in other societies and in the UK, exploring beliefs and concerns about older and young people.”

Project Respect 2010

As part of the second intergenerational project in 2010, over 30 participants contributed across the programme – this included volunteers who are unemployed and were looking to gain skills and meet new people.

The biggest achievement was getting two very disparate groups together – older people who were white British with young people from a range of cultures and backgrounds, some of whom didn't speak English. It helped both the young people develop their language skills and the older people to gain a deeper understanding of the complex challenges facing asylum and refugee seeking communities.

What worked particularly well with this project in comparison to past years was we took the young people to work with older people residing in Brunel Care Home in St Georges. While this posed many new challenges, this also meant that we worked with older people who were otherwise not engaged at all with any community activity, unlike past groups of older people we worked with who were already engaged with organised social meeting groups.

The main benefit was the improved communication skills and a better understanding of each others cultures. It gave the older people a chance to share their memories and talk about their experiences and allowed the young people to feel valued and accepted within their new home country.

The community will benefit from the legacy of the project and through other activities shaped alongside this proven model. The prints produced will be on permanent display in Trinity's new lobby area, which will create an improved sense of what Trinity's role is within the area and give a sense that this is an open and inclusive environment.

In December 2008 Trinity collaborated with The Wonder Club to produce a spectacular site specific promenade theatre performance At Tether's End. The show was inspired by the true story of a local young man William Pullin who tragically stabbed a police man, PC Richard Hill, to death. The show was part of the Bristol Sound Project and featured artwork, set and performances from a large number of young people working alongside professional artists from Bristol.

The show was a resounding success with tickets sold out every one of the six nights the show ran for. It also received a 4/5 star review from Steve Wright in Venue magazine as well as an excellent write up in The British Theatre Guide. Read the reviews here.

After a brief break Trinity are pleased to offer a new theatre training course run by the director of At Tether's End. For more information please visit our home page.

Click here to read more about our current projects.