Local children took part in What I Want To Be, What I Want to See in April 2021

In 2021 we asked the people of Bristol to tell us their hopes and dreams for the future as part of our ambitious community arts project, What I Want To Be, What I Want To See.

Trinity collected over 70 responses that ranged from a community mural, celebrating heroes, a daily protest, listening posts of voices we should listen to - young & old, a playlist for Newtown, a silent disco, a place for tea and cake, a zine to remind us ‘how to be nice’ and a day of art and dolphins.

In Autumn 2021 we sent an open call for an artist, collective or company to creatively respond to these. The successful project The Wish List by artist Michelle Roche was selected by Trinity’s programming forum. The forum, are made up of local residents, Trinity Members and regular groups and classes, chose Michelle’s project as it connected with the local community in a fun and playful way.

Working with grassroots organisation, Newtown Network, The Wish List will make the hopes and dreams, collected during the call out, a reality by co-creating creative happenings with local communities this December and January.

Newtown Coffee Mornings Throughout December local residents joined artist Michelle Roche for a cup of tea coffee and cake and creative activities.

Catch sight of The Newtown Dolphin Parade

In January keep an eye out through the curtains and look for the Dolphin Lantern parade that will take place in the streets on Newtown.

Get involved:

If you would like some further information on the project contact Stefan Boakye on stefan@trinitybristol.org.uk

We're super happy to be hosting the launch for this year's Mayfest festival...as well as three fantastic shows.

To celebrate their return (having taken the decision to become a biannual festival), Mayfest have invited "Ghanaian DJ and producer Katapila to kick off the festival with one of his marathon, euphoria-drenched DJ sets. Splicing the neo-traditional dance music styles of his youth in Accra with the up-tempo, bass-heavy, Roland 808 sounds of Detroit techno, Chicago acid and house, Katapila’s relentlessly joyful sets have become a thing of legend" in Trinity's Main Hall. Come on down (10 May) and expect killer selections adorned with splashes of digital synths, electronic percussion and vocal interjections that galvanise waves of full-blown euphoria wherever he plays.

So, for those who haven't been - what is Mayfest? Mayfest is Bristol’s unique international festival of contemporary theatre, "dedicated to presenting a broad range of unusual, playful and ambitious work from leading theatre makers from Bristol, the UK and beyond". They will be taking over theatre (and non theatre) spaces across the city bringing 10 days of back to back performances, workshops and talks from Thur 10th - to Sun 20th May.

This year we are excited to be hosting How (not) to live in Surburbia (14-15 May) a new show from Annie Siddons "a hilarious, brutal and poignant attempt" to describe what happened next when "in the middle of a shitstorm of life events, single mother, artist and proud Londoner Annie Siddons found herself living in suburbia by accident".

Meanwhile, Scottish Dance Theatre bring Velvet Petal (16-18 May) to Fyfe Hall where they present their latest show about"tough girls and pretty boys living life in the margins, dreaming about being at the centre". They explore "the transformative power of beauty, created out of whatever is on the bedroom floor" in this "truly compelling piece, exquisitely performed” (The Stage).

Finally it feels very fitting to be hosting acclaimed Australian artist Joseph O’Farrell (JOF) and Sam Halmarack who combine theatre with the fist-pumping euphoria and power ballads of a stadium gig, in WE ARE LIGHTNING! (15-18 May) "a darkly comical work that reflects on the importance of communal spaces where people can come together and express themselves".

For more info on the rest of their programming visit Mayfest's website here.

Scottee makes work with non-professionals artists (in Fat Blokes the four dancers had ‘never done this kind of thing before’), exploring issues about personal experiences that have a common theme. His work is about encouraging ‘safe spaces’ for new work to be created – ensuring new voices get heard.

Before the show Scottee ran an afternoon session ‘Making Stuff About Stuff’ - a workshop designed to address the things that make us angry in the world. Aspiring actor and Bristol resident Maya went along to find out what a workshop with Scottee was like for a young person starting out.

Scottee (second from LHS) leading 'Making Stuff About Stuff' photo @Alexa Ledecky

“I found out about this workshop and the shows taking place through Roseanna, the Assistant Producer at Trinity, and wanted to take part to develop my confidence and learn new skills.Before attending this workshop I had no expectations of what was going to happen or exactly what I was going to get out of it but I saw it as a new opportunity to get closer to where I want to be as a performer/actor.

"One thing I liked about the workshop was there was no pressure to share anything we didn’t want to and there were no right or wrong answers."

When I arrived into the room, chairs were set out in a circle at one side of the room where we all sat. The workshop began and Scottee introduced himself and what he identifies as, and then everyone in the circle went round and introduced themselves, what they identify as and where they want to be. We were told that there should be no expectations set and we are not here to learn anything.

Scottee asked us to each take a piece of paper and pen. We folded the piece of paper into a leaflet style and on one side, those who wanted to, wrote down all their identities and how others see them. If we wanted to we could then discuss them and people got the opportunity to ask questions on any specific identities we were unsure of, had questions about or found interesting. I decided to share my list with the group.

We then went to another side of the paper and wrote all the things that made us angry. After mentioning the things that made us angry we then wrote down a rant about this particular thing which we hated. I wrote about racism and my rant was against those who are racist or who don’t see racism as a serious issue. At first some of us struggled, finding it difficult to rant about something when we were not in an angry mood. For others it was an opportunity to get the issue off their chests. There was a mixture of very individual issues and those that affect lots of people. Scottee encouraged us to read over it and add more details into the rant.

The group shared their 'rants' about the things that made them cross photo @Alexa Ledecky

We came to a final decision about whether we wanted to throw it away or keep it. If we threw it away, it was like we were done with the issue, and if we kept it then that may have meant there was still more to write, discuss or work on.

One thing I liked about the workshop was there was no pressure to share anything we didn’t want to and there were no right or wrong answers. Everyone showed signs of being comfortable in the group through their body language and the conversations we had. People opened up about their identities and personal issues. It was a relaxed intimate environment without anyone being in your face.

This workshop helped me personally because I was able to think of how I identify myself and how others identify themselves - my confidence in having discussions and sharing things with others has definitely increased."

Scottee’s workshop was a great opportunity for anyone working in performance, particularly socially driven work, to learn techniques around developing work.

Want to take part? We have more workshops coming up as part of our IGNiTE Spring season.

On 10 March, learn Bharatanatyam dance with Shane Shambhu ahead of his for dance/comedy show Confessions of a Cockney Temple Dancer. 16 March learn voguing and house styles at a pre show workshop then join the party crew for dance experience Rent Party and, finally on 23 March join dance artist Toussaint To Move for a workshop about his creative process ahead of his show about migration Windows of Displacement.

Making Stuff About Stuff was presented as part of IGNiTE - our programme of world-class, innovative theatre and dance about issues that matter to people now, starting conversations and sparking debate. IGNiTE is supported using public funding by Bristol City Council and by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

Roxana (far right) and Lullabies producer Katy Noakes (far left) surrounded by children from the Rosemary Nursery @ Alexa Ledecky

Trinity neighbours Rosemary Nursery came along for a workshop in the afternoon. They were welcomed in a cosy space that really reflected the warm and intimate feel of the Lullabies project. The children and carers sat comfortably on colourful cushions and carpets and watched an audio-visual piece that showcases the Lullabies gathered by Roxana and her team.

The Lullabies rickshaw created by Designer Ruth Ramsay @ Alexa Ledecky

They then learnt to sing a Somalian lullaby with two project participants before having their photo taken on the Lullabies rickshaw. The rickshaw was created by Designer Ruth Ramsay with the idea to involve further communities by cycling around more cities to gathering more lullabies.

Trinity Engagement Office Edson Burton reading his poem amongst an audience of adults and children @ Alexa Ledecky

The workshop was followed by an evening sharing attended by a larger, mainly adult audience. The audio-visual piece was screened again and followed by a live Kurdish lullaby singing and a poem reading.

Adults and children interact after the screening and live performances before a Q£A with the Lullabies creative team @ Alexa Ledecky

It felt particularly special and soothing to have children and adults come together as part of the sharing. During the feedback session, an audience member said: “Loved having kids around made it beautifully relaxed, comforting and accessible”.

Lullaby contributors serve home made Somalian food to audience members @ Alexa Ledecky

Everyone was able to enjoy freshly cooked Somalian food as part of the sharing, which was kindly prepared and served by local project participants. This brought a particularly heart warming touch to the evening and allowed everyone to engage in informal conversations.

Two audience members sit with colourful pieces of bunting and pens on their knees @ Alexa Ledecky

As well as discussing the project with Roxana and her team in a Q&A, the audience could give written feedback about the sharing, of which: “Beautiful songs, images, words and feelings. Thank you to all who shared. It has inspired me to explore my own heritage through song” and “So much love down the generations. Singing of fears and making them less”.

The IGNiTE and Lullabies teams pose together in front of the Rickshaw @ Alexa Ledecky

Read more about the Lullabies project on Roxana’s website and about our other artists in resident including Ania Varez, Viki Browne and Vicki Hearne.

About IGNiTE

IGNiTE is Trinity's in house programme of world-class, innovative theatre and dance about issues that matter to people now, starting conversations and sparking debate. IGNiTE is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and by Bristol City Council.

Photo Alexa Ledecky

Photo Alexa Ledecky

Trinity has been selected to be one of 40 community arts centres to take part in Here and Now, a national and local celebration of culture within communities running alongside the National Lottery’s 25 year anniversary.

Like Mercury residency, Bellatrix and Emma Houston Dance Collective. Photo credit Khali Ackford

We are pleased to announce that we are looking for exciting new work to present as part of our programme of shows in Spring 2022.

We are keen to hear from artists and companies whose work responds to our current theme of Art of Resistance in exciting and innovative ways, work that is timely and relevant for our diverse local audiences and work that will inspire and engage.

What we’re looking for:

• Performance ready Theatre, Dance, Spoken Word and Cross-art form, work that responds to the themes of arts and resistance and social activism.
• Work that can be presented across two seasons: 1) between January and 31st March 2022, 2) between 1 April and 31st June 2022.
• Small-medium scale work to be programmed as single shows (on occasion we may programme more than 1 day of a performance).
• Work that can be presented outside of a traditional raked seating format. Work that is relatable and exciting to our community whether that be our local residents in inner-city Bristol, service users who regularly meet at the centre or a community that we might not have met yet but who will benefit from experiencing live performance at Trinity.
• Work that has not been previously presented in Bristol in its current state.
• Work that involves wrap-around activity that can engage our community (Q&A, workshops etc)
• At least 2 of the performances we select will be created by Bristol based artists who are based within 15 miles of Trinity Centre.

We will provide:

Between £750 and £1500 in fees to include performance fees, travel, accommodation and expenses. (Please note that you must have a bank account in your organisation’s name or be registered as self-employed) Technical support for get-in, show and get-out. Advice and guidance from relevant members of staff at Trinity and relevant partners on developing your audiences.

Pay What You Can tickets for audience members and free tickets for community participants

How to submit:

We’ll ask you to submit a tour pack of no longer than 4 pages that includes show information, engagement/wraparound activity plans, a tech specification and marketing strategy.

We’ll ask you to answer a question about how you’ll work with us to engage with our community and to tell us which season (1 or 2) your work is available for.

We’ll ask you to complete an equal opportunities form, so we can make sure these opportunities are reaching the right people, but this won’t be used in the decision to programme your show.

How we decide who to programme:

At Trinity we believe that the most important decision makers are our community. Therefore we programme our Trinity Presents Arts Programme using a Programming Forum made up of local artist and community members and people who use our building on a regular basis.

Deadline: The deadline for submissions is 9am 04 Oct

Click here to submit your tour pack and information

Hype perform on the Trinity stage at Harbourside Festival 2019. Photo Alastair Brookes

Young female street dancers will be taking over Arnolfini as part of the Trinity supported 'Let Us Dance' project that runs alongside Arnolfini's 'Still I Rise' exhibition.

Running in the gallery space every Sunday, until Dec 15, 'Let Us Dance' is a celebration of young women. Street dancing teenagers, enter the gallery space, dance to soundtracks from their mobile phones playing their choice of songs and then leave the space. This is a simple act of resistance, defiance and tremendous skill.

Trinity have been working with Bristol-based dance groups to invite young women aged 13-19 to get involved. Some of the groups taking part already have strong connections with Trinity; HYPE meet weekly at Trinity and are supported by Trinity's Community Kick Start initiative and Rise Youth Dance have performed their annual showcase at Trinity. Also performing are BS13 / Storm who took part in Trinity's Dances Stage at Bristol Harbourside Festival last July.

Head down to Arnolfini every Sunday between 1pm and 4pm and you might just catch one of the vibrant surprise performances of young women taking ownership of a space they are usually denied.

Let Us Dance is presented by Arnolfini, with the support of Trinity Centre.

IGNiTE Artist Ania Varez is developing the performance piece “Guayabo” as part of her residency (photo @ Alastair Brookes)

Ania Varez is a young Venezuelan artist who left her country’s violent dictatorship and moved to the UK. The crisis she escaped is rarely mentioned in mainstream media but Ania has been using art to share her and her family’s experiences with others.

She joined Trinity as an IGNiTE resident artist in September to develop her new show “Guayabo”, or “heartbreak” in Venezuelan slang. In late October, she invited people to join a sharing session in which she presented her work.

Ania's homeland, Venezuela is experiencing a silent humanitarian crisis (photo @ Alastair Brookes)

All the elements that formed part of Ania’s performance painted a sharp nightmarish picture of her city, a place that has lost all of its warmth and safety. It was brilliant to not just watch but to actually actively take part in the interactive performance Ania created as part of her residency with Trinity.

Prior to entering the performance space, we were greeted by Ania and added to a WhatsApp group by her assistant to receive messages and media during the performance. We were then invited to walk into the space – a dark room with two rows of seats lined up to face one other. At one end of the rows; a TV, at the other end; a large lamp, switched off. The only other light source in the room was dim, the atmosphere was heavy.

Only a few minutes in, Ania invited us to lie down on the floor while she told the story of a murdered corpse being found in a park while she and her lover were peacefully laying down on the grass. This was a tipping point in the performance; by involving our bodies in the story-telling, it felt like we were brought incredibly close to Caracas, her home city, and to the terror that reigns there.

People wrote who they loved on apples as part of Ania's grief party (photo @ Alastair Brookes)

From writing the name of our loved ones on an apple, a mundane fruit that is now impossible to find in Venezuela, to joining efforts to smash a piñata, we were all made part of her grief party. The poems she wrote and read and the ongoing TV screening of the footage she gathered during a rare visit to her family were striking and raw. “In this city, laughter feels like a miracle”, “The last second of panic before you close the front door”, “Until there’s a bullet in the back of everyone you know”.

During the Q&A that followed the performance, we were asked if the stories that involved violence were too descriptive and shocking, but were all positive that they gave the show strength and impact.

Guayabo is about creating connections between places where the connections have been broken. (photo @ Alastair Brookes)

One thing felt very clear: “Guayabo” is not a teary-eyed drama seeking the audience’s compassion. It’s an invitation to connect Ania’s isolated family in Caracas and England. An attempt to create a positive link between two places that have been completely disconnected, if only for an hour. The large lamp that stood unlit in the room was set up to switch on if Ania’s mother replied to her WhatsApp message: “Are you safe today?”. We all sat waiting for the lamp to turn on for a solid minute, but it didn’t. Instead, Ania recorded a voice message of all of us clapping and cheering for her mother as a gesture of acknowledgement and support.

The 31st of October marked the 2 year anniversary of Ania hugging her sister for the last time before leaving. She marked the day by performing “Guayabo” at SPILL Festival in Ipswich.

About IGNiTE

IGNiTE is Trinity's in house programme of world-class, innovative theatre and dance about issues that matter to people now, starting conversations and sparking debate. IGNiTE is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and buy Bristol City Council

IGNiTE resident Roxana Vilk shares her project during the induction day Sep 2018 photo @ Alexa Ledecky

“My hopes for the residency are that the idea will grow in a very collaborative, beautiful way into a piece that reflects the incredible diverse communities around us here and the heartfelt stories that bind us together as humans.” IGNiTE resident

We’re delighted to introduce the 2018 cohort of IGNiTE artists in residence. Over the next six months, these four Bristol based artists will develop exciting new work in collaboration with communities at Trinity.

Roxana Vilk will invite people to collectively celebrate heritage though lullabies sung at night in her project ‘Across Our City At Night’.

Ania Varez's invites people to experience emotional pain as a collective and across borders in her project ‘Guayabo’ (or, Grief Party).

Vicki Hearne’s ‘Practically Perfect’ is an intergenerational project exploring the common pressures felt by generations of women.

Viki Browne’s ‘Hyper Fem’ explores gender empowerment and the performance of femininity in a male dominated drag world.

Photographer Anita Corbin shares some thoughts with the 2018 cohort during their induction day photo @ Alexa Ledecky

Each artist has been chosen because their practice puts co-creation with communities at its core, aiming to connect to new audiences and sparking debate. Their projects tackle big issues to do with identity and our place in the world, exploring themes such as migration and gender empowerment.

Our  residency programme is now in its third year and aims to increase the diversity and representation of art, artists and audiences, whilst offering artists an opportunity to test out new ideas, reflect on their practice and make new connections.

Julia Thornycroft is a member of the IGNiTE programming forum, who collaboratively help select this years residents. Photo @ Alexa Ledecky

Whether artists are at the very beginning of an idea or taking a project they have already developed in a new direction, we encourage artists to use their time with us to take risks and experiment – all within a supportive environment.  All four artists will receive professional support, the use of Trinity’s performance space the Fyfe Hall, and a bursary. You can find out more about the featured artists and their projects by visiting their profile pages here.

Roxana, Ania and Vicky in the studio listening to music tutor Dave as he explained more about our Youth Music project, Making Tracks. Photo @ Alexa Ledecky

Through the year we will be blogging about Roxana, Ania, Vicki and Viki’s journeys and letting you know about sharing any opportunities for the public to take part. Sign up to our mailing list to keep updated.

We wish the artists all the luck and cannot wait to see their projects take shape, find out more about IGNiTE here, including our Autumn Season of shows.

About IGNiTE

IGNiTE is Trinity's in house programme of world-class, innovative theatre and dance about issues that matter to people now, starting conversations and sparking debate. IGNiTE is supported using public funding by Bristol City Council and by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

Powerful and provocative, Mandala's new play exposes the lies societies have been fed by organised religion and politics, exploring who controls the narrative and what truth got buried along the way.

Through their unique brand of theatricality, humour, innovative staging, compelling characters and powerful epic storytelling, Mandala tell the story of Eve....Accused, suppressed, abused, silenced, but now rising, waking up to her full power as creator, nurturer, wisdom-keeper - restoring the balance between Masculine and Feminine energy, to ultimately suggest new vision and hope.

About Mandala Theatre Company
Mandala Theatre Company is an ethnically diverse-led company based in East Oxford. They are committed to using theatre as a force for social change and to working with young people and artists from the global majority and disadvantaged backgrounds. This play has been developed with young people, student groups and women's groups in Oxford, Luton, Salford and Bristol, in line with Mandala's trademark dedication to co-creation with those with lived experience, and telling the stories that so often go untold.

Length: 1 hour 15 show + 30 min Q&A panel

Deborah Baddoo MBE is the Producer for Bristol Dance Future’s Moving Bristol project. The project focuses on developing dance practice for new and existing audiences and developing an ecology of dance across Bristol.

Drawn to the opportunity by a desire to galvanise action and create a legacy for Dance in the city, Deborah brings her extensive experience in the dance sector to the role.

Passionate about her long-term vision to raise the profile and support the development of Black choreographers nationally and internationally,she was awarded an MBE for service to dance in 2010. In 1986 in partnership with musician Steve Marshall, she set up arts production company State of Emergency. The company produces shows, projects and events and works with world-class artists and creates opportunities for emerging artists. The charitable arm, State of Trust works to use the arts to promote social cohesion.

Deborah has also worked as an Arts Council Agent for Change with Bristol Old Vic and Sailsbury Playhouse, was Diversity Consultant for Bristol Museums and has worked with many renowned dance and arts organisations across the UK including Rich Mix, DanceXchange, Stratford Circus, Swindon Dance and East London Dance.

As well as a planned programme of industry events - such as the upcoming Dance and Health Conference 2021 - Deborah has collaborated with the Dance Futures Steering Group, independent artists and organisations to select the Dance Connect residencies. The residencies are an opportunity for practitioners, organisations and communities to collaboratively develop a programme of dance activity. Artists will explore and develop ways that dance can be enjoyed and experienced by new and existing audiences and participants across the city.

Deborah has also supported the creation of three Dance Hubs across the city to focus on the development of Dance for Health, Young People and Audiences. Organisations on board are Arnolfini, Creative Youth Network and Trinity. Trinity will be working with dance practitioners Lerato Dunn and Rachel James to programme activity in our role as the Arts & Health Dance Hub for the project.

Find out more about Moving Bristol here.

About Bristol Dance Futures

Bristol Dance Futures, is a consortium of Bristol organisations and independent artists, that nurtures talents and provides professional development opportunities for dancers, with an aim to create a vibrant dance ecology, so people of all ages can engage with high-quality dance.

Dance Connect is supported by funding from Arts Council England

Artwork by Patch Keyes

Duppy Hunter: A Locals Guide to St Paul’s is a ‘listening experience’ where audiences are invited to embark on a playful exploration of St. Paul's, assuming the role of Duppy Hunters in pursuit of an elusive spirit hidden amongst the streets and sights of this vibrant neighbourhood.

This unique experience is a collaboration between Trinity and the renowned Tamasha Theatre Company, whose work supports both emerging & established Global Majority artists and arts organisations Coney who create playful digital experiences.

We caught up with the Director of Duppy Hunter, Hanna Adu-Boateng, to find out more about the adventure:

What attracted you to this project?

The project came about at a time when I was seeking work with Global Majority theatre companies. I was really interested in the collaboration between Tamasha, Coney and Trinity and the concept of the Ends and Tales genre of theatre. I liked the fact that the three organisations were looking for a director who was connected to the Global Majority heritages, especially the African Caribbean communities in St Paul’s, Bristol. I came to Bristol 30 years ago to work creatively within St Paul’s for an organisation called Kuumba, which empowered and developed people of African descent. Dr Edson Burton also worked there at the same time. However, an opportunity has never arisen for me to direct/dramaturg one of his plays. The project brief also aligned with my desire to delve into work which includes interviewing members of the community to draw out personal stories connected to the rich history of St Paul’s. I also was really attracted to the prospect of developing my work with digital media and audio production, which would be a new and exciting challenge for me.

Duppy Hunter is written by Dr Edson Burton, inspired by interviews with the local people of Bristol and their memories. How do you go about directing a piece of work that use community stories?

Directing Duppy Hunter means that you must be able to connect with, design a specific set of questions that you want to ask each interviewee, but also be flexible enough to go with the stories each person wants to tell. The memories of local people and their connection to St Paul’s give authenticity to the narrative, which Edson created. It is important that the writer has confidence in you honouring his work and the local people trust and are comfortable with sharing their memories with you. I think Edson drew out a strong narrative that will relate to many of the community of St Paul’s from decades gone by, but he also included poignant individual memories of characters who have passed, which must be overseen with care and empathy.

Why is a project like this important to Bristol - and beyond?

It is so important that Bristol and places beyond recognises and celebrates the epic contribution the African Caribbean people from the Windrush era onwards have shaped the political landscape, history and culture of the city. You can learn more from projects such as this.

What should someone expect to experience when they sign up for Duppy Hunter?

They should expect to have a lot of fun experiencing the narrative unfold as it transports you from one memory and place to another, through the central character of Josie, who is a Duppy Hunter. They will also be moving through different periods of time, encountering different people who have contributed to the racial justice and equality struggle.They will enjoy music from different decades, the singing of hymns and be moved by real people who have passed but will never be forgotten. They will learn alot!

Duppy Hunter runs from 03 October - 29 October and starts at The Trinity Centre - click here to get your tickets.

Photo credit: Ice Road by Raucous, Jack Offord, Jacobs Wells Baths

"Bristol is brimming with dance talent in many forms, and it is well overdue for a dedicated space of its own" Deborah Baddoo MBE, Bristol Dance Futures Producer

Former dance centre and Victorian swimming pool, Jacobs Wells Baths has recently been saved from potential disposal by Bristol City Council following their announcement to launch an open process for expressions of interests to manage the building via a Community Asset Transfer.

In 2019-21 we were part of Bristol Dance Futures, a consortium dedicated to building dance profile, capacity and infrastructure in Bristol. The project highlighted the rich potential of dance in the city and created legacies including cross-sector working across health and community development.

We asked Bristol Dance Futures Producer, Deborah Baddoo MBE, to reflect on the project and to share how it could help reimagine a community space, such as Jacobs Wells Baths.

"During my time as producer for Bristol Dance Futures it was clearly evident that there is a huge gap in terms of a dance specific space in Bristol.

Obviously, it is important to bring dance into other organisations who may not normally have access to dance activity, but there is a thriving dance community throughout the city, hiring commercial studios, performing in unsuitable spaces and trying to book spaces in venues for rehearsals, classes and workshops.

Post Covid-19, now more than ever, the powers that be are recognising the valuable role that dance and indeed all the arts have on helping individuals on their journey to wellbeing and the special role that dance has in connecting people, improving mobility, releasing stress and enhancing creativity, to name only a few of the benefits of dance.

A dedicated dance space such as Jacobs Wells Baths has potential to be a place where many exciting initiatives can flourish, a networking space for dance, a rehearsal space, and importantly hub for dance and wellbeing activity in the city.

Dance in Bristol has gone through many changes and manifestations over the last 25 years, but these have always tended to be piecemeal, short-lived initiatives having limited long-term impact for the sector as a whole.

Bristol is brimming with dance talent in many forms, and it is well overdue for a dedicated space of its own. A dedicated space will help enable the dance sector in Bristol to continue to grow and be a catalyst for exciting new developments and a much needed home for dance in this vibrant city."

Deborah Baddoo MBE, Dance Producer

If you would like to join a conversation on what the future for Jacob Wells could be, please click here.

Jackie Hagan's This Is Not A Safe Space celebrates the weird, the wonky, the unruly, and the resilient (Oct 19)

Our Autumn 2018 season of our in house theatre and dance programme, IGNiTE , presents four shows whose themes ask: How far have we actually come?

"Politics, race, gender, sexuality, poverty, crime, austerity, pay gaps, #metoo our society seems deeply polarised. IGNiTE presents four shows that are in different ways providing a snapshot of our divided times and ask: how far have we come?” Rhiannon Jones Programme Manager

Launching on October 19 with award winning comedian and writer, Jackie Hagan’s This Is Not A Safe Space. Commissioned by Unlimited, Jackie conducted interviews with people from all over the country living on the fringes and the spaces in between. These are not sob stories - they are well rounded lives full of the spiky humor and the complicated weirdness of being human. Jackie weaves these narratives together with poetry and anecdotes, in a performance celebrating the weird, the wonky, the unruly, and the resilient.

An all female cast feature in The Forecast, by Limbik Theatre (Oct 20). Based on George Saunders’ short story The Semplica Girl Diaries. Set in the not too distant future, the latest must-have consumer craze and status symbol are Human Garden Ornaments; women, from developing countries, hoisted up in affluent backyards, thin wires through their brains connecting them to news, travel, weather. In The Forecast, we hear what life is like for the four of them in this dystopian theatre piece. It could never happen...could it?

Rachael Young and badass band of super-humans embrace Afrofuturism and the cult of Grace Jones in: Nightclubbing (Nov 2)

Next up, join award winning Rachael Young and her badass band of super-humans as they embrace Afrofuturism, the cult of Grace Jones and intergalactic visions to start a revolution in Nightclubbing (Nov 2). This explosive dance performance traces the connections between Grace Jones’ 1981 landmark album ‘Nightclubbing’ and a London club's refusal to admit three Black women on the grounds of race in 2015?

'It is more than OK to be this way' in Sardoville's For Only An Hour (Nov 24)

Tackling the continuing oppression of LGBTQ++ community, Sardoville’s one man romp For Only An Hour (Nov 24) is a queer manifesto told through dance, song, spoken word and performance art. Created in response to the 2017 persecution of the LGBTQ++ community in Chechnya, this show is about celebrating who we are, and offering support to a new generation by saying: it’s more than OK 'to be this way'.

Get involved

IGNiTE resident artist Vicki Browne will develop a new piece of work 'Hyper Fem'

Throughout the season there are opportunities for public to take part and get more involved. From joining in the conversation in one of our post show talk backs, dancing the night away at our post show club night following Nightclubbing’s to signing up to one of our Artist led workshops. Keep an eye on our website for updates.

As part of the IGNiTE programme Trinity will be supporting four resident artists across the year who will receiving professional support and developing work in Trinity’s performance space – Fyfe Hall. Bristol based artists Ania Varez, Roxana Vilk, Vicki Hearne and Viki Browne will all receive professional help and support, rehearsal space and a bursary to develop new work at Trinity.

Previous IGNITE residents include performance artist Caroline Williams, dance practitioners Ella Mesma,  Sara Dos Santos and Latisha Cesar, theatre makers Uninvited Guests and Back in 5 Minutes Squad who joined up with disability led arts organisation Art in Motion.

Tickets to all IGNiTE shows are priced at £11 standard and £9 for concessions and can be purchased online at trinitybristol.org.uk

IGNiTE is Trinity's in house programme of world-class, innovative theatre and dance about issues that matter to people now, starting conversations and sparking debate. IGNiTE is supported using public funding by Bristol City Council and by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

Applications are now open for a brand-new £6,000 Research and Development commission

Thanks to the Cultural Recovery Fund we are inviting Bristol based organisations or artists to apply for a new commission  to support a Young Audiences Research and Development project. The successful company/artist will work toward creating a live performance or experience made for Young Audiences aged 3-10 years. We welcome artists of any practice and working in any art-form to apply.

Trinity is a cultural-hub for the city, where people of all ages and backgrounds come together. As well as hosting 600 capacity live music performances we also programme theatre and dance in our flexible studio space.

Our building sits at the meeting point of three distinctive and diverse Bristol wards - Easton, Ashley (St Pauls) and Lawrence Hill - whose residents make up Trinity’s local community. In these difficult times, we believe that the arts can bring together communities and we want to commission a piece of work that will do just that.

We’re looking for a Bristol based (within a 20 mile radius of Trinity Centre) artist or organisation, who will Research and Develop/ Create an experience for young audiences that is welcoming and accessible to people from all walks of life including young audiences who may not speak English as a first language and young audiences with disabilities.

The Research and Development period must take place before 12th March 2021.

This commission is for R&D but we expect that the results of the R&D will be shared or showcased in some form.

We will provide:

-£6,000 commission fee (Please note that you must have a bank account in your organisation’s name or be registered as self-employed)

-Opportunity to use our Trinity building space as in-kind support to develop the project

-Advice and guidance from relevant members of staff at Trinity and relevant partners

-Opportunity to share progress of the project with community members, industry professionals and other artists. We particularly welcome applications from artists whose experiences are less visible in 'mainstream' arts programming.

Please note.

All work carried out as part of the commission must adhere to current Covid-19 regulations and guidelines.

We will be hosting a Zoom call on 8th December at 4pm for an informal Q&A session around the commission.

This opportunity is now closed