Trinity Presents Garden Sessions. Design by Adam Menzies
Drum roll please… We are ready to welcome you back music lovers! In a specially erected tent in the historic grounds of Trinity, we will be running weekend sessions throughout the Autumn and we cannot wait.
Trinity Presents Garden Sessions will run throughout October, launching its first weekend with Bristol's experimental trio Waldo’s Gift (Oct 16), Livity Sound's Hodge & Danielle (Oct 17), and Dubkasm meets Ashanti Selah (Oct 18).
With Saturday & Sunday being powered by Sinai Soundystem.
“We cannot wait to welcome our music-loving audiences back to Trinity and have worked hard to make sure that we can provide a safe space for our audiences to come and enjoy what they love most - music. We cannot wait to bring well-loved artists, from Bristol and beyond, back to Trinity.” Jamell Ackford, Venue Manager
Ticket buyers can book a table for up to 6 people (from £48 +bf). Drinks will be served via Love My Local and there will be options to purchase food.
Tickets go on sale Sep 16, 10am.
]]>In these challenging times, Trinity and Cambridge Junction have come together to offer a £3,000 commission to a D/deaf or Disabled Artist(s) to create work for an online audience.
We will commission one new piece of work and want the brief to be as open as possible, so you can respond in a way that best suits you as an artist. We welcome artists of any practice, working in any art-form, to apply.
We want to commission:
A brand-new online performance/exhibition that can remain available to experience for a set period of time – we want people to be able to experience your work safely from their homes
One artist who identifies as D/deaf or Disabled, or a collective of artists where at least 50% of the collective identify as D/deaf or Disabled
Work that will be completed and distributed online before the end of October 2020
We expect applications to include:
A consideration of audience access within the commission fee
Confirmation that artist access costs are covered by the commission fee or by Access to Work or similar
We will provide:
A commission fee of £3,000
Producing support: we don’t want anyone to be put off if they don’t have producing capacity at the moment
Marketing and digital content support: we want your work to reach far and wide
The platform for sharing your work: Trinity and Cambridge Junction’s social media platforms and those of our partners are readily available to platform your work
At Trinity we programme using a ‘Programming Forum’ which you can find out more about here. The final decision on who receives the commission will be made by a forum made up of local artists and community members from both Trinity and Cambridge Junction.
To apply:
Applications for this opportunity have now closed.
In the Summer the garden welcomed local children and families for activity days. Photo @Paul Blakemore
Local children, including Tate, received activity packs during Lockdown. Photo via Twitter courtesy of Tate's Mum
"@HannahMorePri huge thanks to you and @TrinityBristol for the fantastic kit for the windowsill grow challenge! Tate really enjoyed potting them. We will keep you posted on their growth" Charlene L. Twitter
Since the Covid-19 lockdown, we have been working closely with local primary schools and Up Our Street to find ways to reach out to young people in the community who can no longer access our community garden and may have limited access to green spaces during this time.
The first batch of activity packs, filled with simple DIY windowsill gardening ideas and craft activities for families, children and carers to get busy with at home, went out in May/June 2020. Activities include sowing seeds, making bird feeders, scavenger hunts and more. A digital version of the pack is downloadable from our website.
“I think the biggest benefit is that it gives children and families who might not be able to get outside, the chance to engage in nature-based activities. Being around nature and doing tasks like planting and looking after plants are great for mental health and well-being and get children engaged in the world around them!”
Natalie Barker, Deputy Head, St Nicholas of Toletine Primary, June 2020
The garden team are also creating videos on everything from handy gardening tips to fun activities you can do at home - keep up-to-date with these on our social media channels or catch up here.
]]>Team Trinity, pre-lockdown
The Trinity Centre, Old Market, has been given a grant of £35k as part of Arts Council England's £160m emergency package to support the arts sector during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Over 80% of Trinity's revenue is earned income from live music, bar sales, a pay and display public car park, plus hall hire for a range of community events and activities. Trading has ceased since the pandemic and the venue is anticipating a slow recovery once restrictions begin to lift, due to potential extended restrictions on public gatherings.
The grant from Arts Council England will be used to support Trinity through its recovery plan as well as help us to adapt existing projects and move activities online. As this is also a very difficult time for artists and freelance practitioners, Trinity is committing 20% of its grant to pay independent artists and community members for contributions to 'Trinity Presents'. This will include online workshops with Trinity's Associate Artist and local resident, Roxanna Vilk.
"Never have the Arts been more important than now, in these peculiar times. Singing, dancing, painting, drama, poetry - people are reaching out to all the art forms for nourishment, comfort, entertainment & wisdom. We mustn’t starve our imaginations & Trinity has a part to play in refreshing & delighting its followers. I’m thrilled to be one of them." Miriam Margolyes OBE, Trinity Patron
Trinity will be releasing information about an open-call commission for an independent D/Deaf or disabled artist to create a new piece of digital work.
Speaking of the recent support, Tom Marshman, Board Member and Local Artist said:
“Not really a time for a massive celebration party, more of an opportunity to take a breath and pause whilst we all stabilize ourselves and look forward to life after isolation. With this promise of the Emergency Arts Council Grant, Trinity can feel more assured that they will continue to be at the heart of Bristol culture and community engagement that is always people centred”.
Since we began our lockdown Trinity has been working hard to ensure that we continue to reach out to our community and support the independent artists that we work with. We have been providing a digital platform via Trinity Presents. Arts Council support at this crucial point, means we can continue this offer as well as find new ways to support artists to connect communities with relevant and much needed cultural experiences.
]]>We have created an online poll allowing people to share their thoughts and feelings for Jacobs Wells Baths.
The platform allows you to vote on other submissions, this is collected anonymously and gathers common themes.
If you would like to share please click this link and share with anyone who may want to join in.
About Pol.is
Pol.is is a survey technology where users can enter statements, which other users can express their positions on, clicking either “agree,” “disagree,” or “pass”.
It is an Open Source online tool that can be used to gather open ended feedback from large groups of people. It is well suited to gathering organic, authentic feedback while retaining minority opinions.
If you have any other feedback or comments, or would like to get in touch about something more specific, contact sarah@trinitybristol.org.uk
]]>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.
“After speaking to others who are of mixed heritage, and face a similar challenge of how to keep our mother tongues and cultures alive I realised there was scope to dive deeper into this subject but through music, as music has no borders, can touch us all and unites us rather than divides us.” Roxana Vilk
The project, headed by Future Arts Centres, will see 40 new projects created in community arts centres across the UK, co-created between exceptional artists and community participants.
Trinity will be working with award winning multi-disciplinary British/Iranian Roxana Vilk who will develop her project Lullabies.
Lullabies celebrates the diversity of cultures who call Bristol home by gathering & sharing songs from across the globe. Lullabies connects communities through the sharing of songs, celebrating the stories and the heritage behind them.
Roxana during the sharing of the pilot of Lullabies at Trinity.
Credit: BBC
Roxana secured an IGNiTE artist residency at Trinity in 2019 where she began collecting Lullabies during her pilot of the project. During her year long residency she delivering a workshop at Easton Community Centre to residents and families living in the BS5 area as well as meeting with Bristol residents to collect recordings.
In 2020 Roxana will be meeting with communities members throughout the year to collect Lullabies alongside hosting workshops, culminating in a celebratory festival event at Trinity later in the year.
If you're interested in getting involved please get in touch on info@trinitybristol.org.uk
About Here and Now
Here and Now: 40 new projects taking place in and around 40 arts centres as part of a national and local celebration of culture within communities.
@HereandNow2020
People gather in the main hall for this years drumming workshop Photo @Alexa Ledecky
Families taking part in the craft workshops in the Main Hall Photo @ Alexa Ledecky
Almatic's lead singer Katie during their set on the Main Stage Photo @ Alexa Ledecky
Children taking part in Cirque De Silk's aerial workshop Photo @ Alexa Ledecky
All the enjoyment early on in our community garden Photo @ Alexa Ledecky
Miss T, who attends sessions as part of our music making project plays the Making Tracks showcase Photo @Alexa Ledecky
Families enjoying the spring sun and vibes with Trinity and her iconic towers in the background Photo @ Khali Ackford
Wecil Collective perform in the Main Hall, including an cameo from Trinity's Engagement Coordinator Dr Edson Burton who MC'd on the mics Photo @ Khali Ackford
Bristol artist, DJ and producer Dutchie during her set Photo @ Khali Ackford
Rider Shafique and Sam Binga played the end set at this years Garden Party Photo @ Khali Ackford
Trinity T's everywhere! Photo @Khali Ackford
And it ends ... with Lottie Ball & Edson Burton hosts of this years Garden Party Photo @ Khali Ackford
]]>Benjamin Zephaniah poses with young people from Making Tracks, Dave Thomas, Trinity Youth Activities Manager, Roseanna Dias, Assistant Producer and Emma Harvey, Trinity CEO. Photo @Khali Ackford
Benjamin Zephaniah: Poet, writer, musician, actor, Rastafarian and proud vegan, anarchist and political campaigner / activist kindly agreed to take part in an exclusive industry insight session designed to better integrate Trinity’s live event programme with our in house music training provision.
Funded by Youth Music and partner funders, ‘Making Tracks’, is a dynamic city wide partnership between Trinity, Basement studios and Aspiration, Creation and Elevation (ACE) providing 121, small group music sessions, workshops and performance opportunities to young people in challenging circumstances. The focus of this provision is to build confidence, develop and support talented young musicians providing them with realistic progression routes leading them to reengage back in to education, work, tapprenticeship or meaningful activity.
"If you want to be a musician, artist or poet you need to act and think like a musician, artist or poet. Just do it." Benjamin Zephaniah
Benjamin was in good spirits and smiling broadly. After a brief informal meet and greet / book signing session with 12 students he hopped up on to Trinity’s main stage to join his band, The Revolutionary Minds, finishing off the soundcheck in preparation for the evenings performance. Shortly afterwards Benjamin rejoined our students and spent well over an hour of his own free time to answer questions providing the young people we work with a rare, informative and truly inspirational insight into his life and professional working methods.
From reminiscing about his early years, as a small child disinterested in the usual kids stuff like toys and action figures he would spend hours upon hours amusing himself quietly in the corner, ‘playing with words’, as he describes it. In fact, he became so obsessed by words and the different the ways in which they can be moulded, shaped and misinterpreted depending on context, that his worried mum took him to a psychiatrist at the tender age of 7!
Benjamin spent over 1 hour chatting with young people, answering questions and sharing his story. Photo @Khali Ackford
It wasn’t too long after that his burgeoning rebel spirit coupled with severe dyslexia got him into all kinds of scrapes, which, unfortunately led to him being expelled from school and placed into a pupil referral unit, in which, at that time, the teachers would regularly punish the children and shamefully tell him he would never achieve anything in life. As he got older, his behaviour worsened and he ended up in a Borstal prison for young offenders. It was here that he had a lot of time to think about his life and began to change his ways. Determined to prove the prison officers who taunted him by saying he would be back behind bars within 3 months wrong, he set about changing course in order to focus more seriously on his poetry and performance.
"I could have hung out with these cats all night. I love them. I hope they all stay creative. We need to hear them." Benjamin Zephaniah
He regaled us with often hilarious anecdotes and hair raising tales of performing at Northern miners strike benefit gigs in the early 80s. He talked about being confronted by shocking levels of racism, ignorance and bigotry through to receiving praise from Nelson Mandela to nostalgic recollection of an old much admired tutor who taught him how to build and deconstruct a car engine, for which he is still grateful.
Benjamin chats with Dave Thomas, Trinity Youth Activities Manager and young people from Making Tracks. Photo @Khali Ackford
Benjamin’s main piece of advice to our music students wanting to progress within the music industry was to, ‘think for yourselves’, he could not stress enough how important this is. He also said that despite sounding cliched, it is vital to ‘believe in yourself. If you want to be a musician, artist or poet you need to act and think like a musician, artist or poet. Just do it.’, he enthused. He also went on to talk in great detail about the importance of, ‘understanding how the industry works’, surrounding yourself with the right people (managers / band members, etc) his approach and methods to songwriting, ways to counter creative block and last but by no means least, the ritual of ensuring his teeth are thoroughly cleaned before each and every live / public performance!
This was a truly exceptional and inspirational industry insight and on behalf of all at Trinity, Making Tracks and our partners ACE and Basement, we would like to once again thank Benjamin, his management, band, live engineer and especially his booking agent for helping to make this incredible opportunity a reality.
Written by Dave Thomas, Trinity Youth Activities Manager
Making Tracks is supported by Youth Music and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
]]>Area of Effect play Garden Party in 2018 photo @Jessica Bartolini
Garden Party is one of our most popular events - each year we programme family friendly workshops and some of Bristol and the South West's best bands and DJ's.
Our Making Tracks Showcase is an opportunity for young people, from our music making project, to showcase their talent to a 3,000 person Garden Party audience! The Showcase will be on the main stage from 12:00 - 12:30 then, in the main hall from 3pm - 6pm.
Students will join an awesome lineup including Sam Binga, Rider Shafiue, Dutchie + Indra and Almatic.
We wish them all the luck x
Singer-songwriter Holly Miller performing in Making Tracks Christmas Showcase in 2018
Holly Miller
Holly has been attending the Making Tracks programme for 8 months and has used this time to hone her singer-songwriter craft to create intimate acoustic songs covering universal themes of love, loss and life.
Miss Tee is prime for a summer hit, watch out for her.
Miss Tee
Miss Tee is a multi skilled singer, songwriter and producer who has progressed in leaps and bounds through taking part with our Making Tracks programme, developing her awesome writing capabilities and finding her own distinctive sound.
Sam Neal has been honing his distinctive sound during 121 sessions at Trinity
Sam Neal
Sam Neal is a Making Tracks veteran. This uplifting singer-songwriter's soulful summer sounds are guaranteed to get the crowd moving.
Meghan
Meghan is a multi-discipline drummer / singer. As a performer she is a ball of energy, that can't be ignored - whether it's rocking out on her drum kit or serving fierce vocals Meghan always packs a punch.
Rob B
Rob proves it's never to late to pursue your passion. Having joined 18 months ago his Drum and Bass DJ stylings have thrived producing a mature sound. Area of Effect - Making their return to the Trinity, Garden Party stage Area's of Effect are a young Indie-Rock band - with oodles of talent and buckets of energy.
Making Tracks is a collaborative partnership between Trinity, ACE and Basement Studios. Making Tracks is supported by Youth Music and using public funding 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.
]]>Jack took part in Making Tracks Summer Music Session Aug 2018 (photo @ Alastair Brookes)
I was 16 when I dropped out of college. I didn't do well at my GCSCE's and ended up on a course I didn't want to be on. I lacked focus and was depressed within that environment. I grew up on a poor estate and the idea of never achieving anything in life was kind of drummed into me.
I was NEET for about a month until I was picked by an agency (LPW) who advised me to start looking at mini courses and apprenticeships. It was through these opportunities that I was eventually referred across to Trinity to take part in the Making Tracks Project.
I really enjoy making music and after some time on the Making Tracks course I ended up taking part in a work experience placement going in every Wednesday for a couple of hours and sitting in on various 121 sessions and even in some cases leading sessions with other students (with Trinity's support).
During these sessions I helped other young people to record vocal tracks, produce original beats and assist live rehearsal sessions. I have also attended professional training as part of the team and gained a safeguarding certificate.
Making Tracks is a collaborative project between Trinity, Basement Studios & Aspiration Creation Elevation (ACE@Docklands) and is supported by Youth Music and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Click here to find out more about our projects, helping ensure that everyone in Bristol has the opportunity to access and shape arts and culture.
You help secure Trinity's past, now play your part in Trinity's future
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During the afternoon prior to performing his show as part of Trinity’s IGNiTE, Scottee gave a workshop titled “Making Stuff About Stuff”. The session was delivered in an open-minded, safe space, allowing all participants to exchange ideas freely.
Those who attended were able to share amongst one another and with theatre maker and performer Scottee himself. They discussed ways of finding inspiration for creating new work through different exercises.
Scottee introduced ways of finding new themes to develop new meaningful work. He started off by encouraging the participants to create a list of words that reflects their identity in their own eyes and the eyes of others.
In the second phase of the workshop, Scottee invited the participants to create a list of what makes them angry and to choose one of these particular ideas and write a “rant” about it.
"It felt like a really safe and generous moment. I liked having less 'showing work' and more talking about creative process in an interactive way" - workshop participant
There are plenty more IGNiTE workshops around the corner. Why not join Shane Shambhu (Confessions of a Cockney Temple Dancer,10 Mar) or Akeim Toussaint in the day time (before Windows of Displacement, 23 Mar), or drop in just before Rent Party (16 Mar) take to the stage for a dance workshop?
]]>Volunteers help plant seedlings in 2018
Trinity has received funding from the Postcode Local Trust to help make our Community Garden accessible to all.
The grant will match-fund a generous donation from Amelia Bax so we can install raised planters, potting tables, an accessible compost toilet, levelled pathways around the garden and a water-pipe to make regular tasks easier for everyone.We shall be looking forward to embarking on improvements to the garden this Spring!
]]>Viki Brown during her Hyper Fem sharing (photo credit @ Khali Ackford)
Viki shared her work: Hyper Fem in early January 2019 at Trinity. Hyper Fem asks whether the performance of femininity through Drag can be as powerful, political or subversive when performed on a female identifying body. It is strongly inspired by some of her recent previous projects which involved epic wigs and performing as a ‘make up girl in a tiny dress’.
Many people came along to Viki's sharing, including Trinity staff (photo @Khali Ackford)
The IGNiTE team attended alongside Trinity staff, industry professionals and members of Many Minds the Bristol based arts and mental health charity that Viki is a co-director of. A sharing is the opportunity for an artist to receive feedback on their work in progress and to develop the piece further. For audiences it is an opportunity to 'contextualize the artist’s vision'.
“I work alongside resident artists helping with admin and logistics. Often we talk about road blocks they are facing and their '’break though moments'’. Because of this when I'm given the opportunity to see sharing's I jump at the chance. It gives me the opportunity to push my boundaries and offer perspective that may not come from the artist’s typical audience. ” - Ripley, Admin Assistant
Viki interacts with the audience after her sharing of 'Hyper Fem' (photo @Khali Ackford)
Looking back on her residency Viki says: "Developing ‘Hyper Fem’ at Trinity has been an incredible opportunity for me. I find the building, its history and its placement in the city truly inspiring. It's political past and its dedication to the multiple communities who use the space have challenged me to think and dream bigger than ever before. I felt safe, supported and welcome in the building which after two weeks of working there started to feel like a second home. We are now excited to begin the next phase of the project: finding partners and commissioners to work with on the show!”
In March and April welcome Roxana Vilk whose residency will focus on the lullabies families cross Bristol sing to their children.
]]>Clare and Dave booked Trinity for their wedding, here they walk down the aisle in Fyfe Hall (image courtesy of Clare and Dave).
Host your ceremony in the beautiful Fyfe Hall with breathtaking stained-glass windows; transform the main hall with your own vision into a decorated banqueting area; make the most of the iconic backdrop for photos in-front of the recently restored Grade II* listed former church, The Trinity Centre.
Abi and Jack celebrate their marriage in Trinity's large outdoor garden (image courtesy of Abi and Jack).
Book before 28 Feb 2019 to save 10% off 2019 Wedding packages – there are only a few remaining dates available in 2019 so be quick as once they are gone they are gone – to find out more and to arrange a viewing get in touch with us on 0117 935 1200 or email us at info@trinitybristol.org.uk
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