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.
]]>Thanks to help from the Heritage Lottery Fund and match funders, alongside donations gifted from the public we are finally at a point where we can put scaffolding around the building and begin to embark on major and much needed repairs to the stonework. Alongside the most damaged masonry we will be fixing the windows so the building will be cleaner and lighter.
Access to The Trinity Centre will stay the same but during the 45 weeks the scaffolding is up our car park capacity will be severely reduced so anyone visiting us should think about alternative parking or modes of transport.
Now we have got this far we are going to be raising the funds to complete works on all the masonry (not just the most severely damaged as we had planned). Fund-raising for this now will mean we ensure that Trinity stays open for future generations and by doing the extra work now means we can limit the impact both on the public and financially.
To celebrate Trinity's history we will be launching a series of events, talks, and courses in artisan crafts to compliment the works. You can find out more about the project here. To keep up-to-date and informed about the project sign up to our mailing list at 3ca.org.uk/mail or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Works due to start 2 Oct for 45 weeks.
]]>Come and join the heritage team for a cup of tea and a chat about how to get involved in volunteering for our 2018 Heart and Soul heritage project.
Roles include archiving, stewarding and marketing support. In a volunteer role you will be fully supported by the team, so come down, meet new people and learn something new!
Sessions are on Tuesday 16th Jan, either 1pm-3pm or 7pm-9pm, no sign up required.
]]>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.
Trinity Centre, finally revealed photo @ Sarah Koury
After nearly a year of being covered by scaffolding we are finally set to reveal our iconic towers again after completing our programme of critical repair works.
“We have been overwhelmed by people’s support, generosity and love of Trinity,Support from funders and members of the public means that we’ve been able to secure the building’s future for generations to come and we want to say a big thank you to everyone involved. We will continue to work hard to make Trinity the diverse and pioneering community venue that the city deserves” Emma Harvey, Trinity Centre Director
Works to the centre, a Grade II* listed building, began in October 2017 as part of our long-term plan to conserve and renovate The Trinity Centre and protect its future, both as a community arts hub and also one Bristol’s most respected live-music venues.
In January 2018, investigations revealed extensive historic damage to the building, leaving the us to raise further funds to stop the building from further deterioration and prevent the former-church from being placed back onto Historic England’s ‘At Risk’ Register.
Following a public appeal to help secure Trinity’s past, present and future, we were fortunate to receive an uplift grant from Historic England, alongside support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Bristol City Council, other charitable Trusts & Foundations as well as generous donations from the public.
A 51 week critical work programme has been undertaken, overseen by Bristol-based Ferguson Mann Architects and construction firm Carrek – locally based specialists in historic conservation. Works included repairs to the roofing, stained glass windows and iconic ‘Trinity towers’, as well as intricate repair of the historic Bath-stone fabric of the building.
After a year long programme of conservation works the Trinity Centre awaits the removal of the final scaffolding (photo credit @Khali Ackford)
Since 2008, we have invested over £2 million in repairing and restoring the Trinity Centre - which is owned by Bristol City Council - transforming it from a dilapidated space into a thriving participatory arts centre for inner-city residents. These latest repair works are the final phase of repairs to restore the fabric of the building and further improvement works are planned, to increase the centre’s usability and sustainability.
Stonemasons take a break after inspecting their work, with East Bristol in the background (photo credit @Khali Ackford)
We had to prioritise what works we undertook meaning that we had to omit some of the planned sustainability improvements, such a second solar PV installation and solar battery storage as well as some additional sound proofing measures.
With Trinity Road Police Station earmarked for a possible residential development, we are aware how important these improvements are both for existing and potential new residents. Therefore we are committed to continuing to ensure there is investment in venue improvements in order to maximise use and sustain the building’s future.
Improvements to the building mean that centre we can continue to be home to over 160 community and voluntary groups who run a range of regular activities from dance classes for older people to the monthly Rhythm of the Night, a nightclub for adults with learning difficulties. We support community groups with over 1400 hours of free and subsidised hall space each year to ensure that the centre continues to provide invaluable public benefit. Activities like these are made possible in part through income generated through our car park and support from public donations.
“I’m 75 and still dancing – this means so much in term of fitness, socialising and even mental fitness. This wouldn’t be possible without Trinity – who provide amazing spaces for classes” says Adrian Longstaffe who attends Gerry’s Attic, a dance group held weekly at Trinity.
The Trinity Towers awaiting their big reveal (photo credit @Khali Ackford)
We will be celebrating the completion of these works at our celebratory ‘Heart & Soul’ event and AGM and warmly invite all to attend- on 4 October.
You can play your part in Trinity’s future, by donating to Trinity and help support groups like Gerry’s Attic to find community, happiness and opportunity. Donate online www.3ca.org.uk/donatenow, or text TR1N13 £5 to 70070
]]>Adesola Akinleye & the Ila Dance project, Trinity's Garden Party 2017, image by Jessica Bartolini
“We are delighted to support the proposed improvements to Trinity – a very significant and important Grade II* listed Georgian building. For many years, Trinity Centre has been an excellent example of a building where the local community has been involved in its ongoing improvement and in the provision of an ever increasing range of activities and initiatives. This work continues to the present day and into the future. We wish Trinity Centre our ongoing support in securing the funds necessary to secure the future of both the building and of the important activities which it accommodates.” Bristol Civic Society
We are excited to announce Trinity Centre has been granted National Lottery funding to carry out essential repairs to the building. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) have pledged £362,800 towards our Capital Repairs project that will include fixing the iconic towers, North aisle roof, stained glass windows and Bath stonework. Historic England have also shown their support for the capital works, with a grant of £106,099.
A further £97k has also been raised from other supporters including Bristol City Council, Cory Environmental Trust Britain, the Pilgrim Trust, and Nisbets Trust as well as support through individual donations and a Crowdfunder appeal. Other trusts who have supported the capital works to take place include The Sylvia Waddilove Foundation, The Bramble Trust and local heritage foundation The Gibbs Trust.
Bristol Ageing Better and The Swire Charitable Trust are also supporting towards costs of activities, to include workshops in traditional heritage trades, a series of talks and a range of activities for children and families including heritage trails and quests to find out more about local history.
We are now looking to raise the remaining raise remaining £140k match-funding needed to cover the total costs of the project.
We still need help in raising the remaining 20% needed to complete the repairs. You can pledge your support via Trinity’s Just Giving page: visit www.3ca.org.uk/donate for more info, donate by Text Giving with ROOF 31 and your donation amount to 70070, download the Trinity Anthem or buy some of our merch from our marketplace.
]]>Workers hand carved new stone - even during the snow! Photo@Khali Ackford
#1 Emma Harvey, Centre Director
“It has to be when we did some researching into the last wedding that happened on the 26th March 1976 at Trinity. We managed to find someone whose name matched the couples on social media and decided to direct message them. It was moment of high anxiety to see the icon that they where messaging us back!
Thankfully it was to say that they where still happily married and that they were super happy we had contacted them. Cheers from us to them for 42 years together!”
Our Heart & Soul project took place alongside major repairs to Trinity. Here a participant creates woodcuts, inspired by Trinity's history. Photo@Khali Ackford
#2 Fidel Meraz, Trinity Board Member
“Sharing pizza and drinks during an afternoon with the staff and the stonemasons who were doing most of the the material work on the building, is such a wonderful memory.”
#3&4 Karina Castro, Project Manager
“ I am going to choose two .. if that is allowed … first up has to be 'A Waltz Down Memory Lane' (20 April) - a great afternoon of dancing, cakes and memory sharing attended by over 40 people over 55. This was made even more amazing by having Norma's Groovers back at Trinity entertaining our friends.
Dr McClymont's talk looked at how we repurpose old buildings. Photo@Khali Ackford
Then, Dr Katie McClymont's 'and the spirit lingered on' (19 June) - a really engaging talk that got everybody involved (inc Khali, the photographer!) about how historic buildings, particularly former churches, are now used as sites of secular worship and as community hubs."
Centre Director Emma Harvey shares the floor with TCA founder Matthew Hewitt and long standing DM and former Centre Manager Derreck Sterling. Photo@Khali Ackford
#5 Glyn Everett, Chair of Trustees
“I really enjoyed the talk 'Reconstructing Trinity from Disrepair to Glory' (31 July) - A wonderful conversation around the different moments of history that the Trinity has seen, and all the heartfelt effort that has gone into keeping the building open, safe and working for the communities that surround it."
About Heart & Soul
From January to October 2018 we celebrated Trinity's place at the heart of the community through a programme of accessible heritage activities, workshops and events. The activities took place alongside our most recent capital works to conserve and renovate the building and where funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic England, Bristol City Council and other charitable Trusts & Foundations.
]]>Trinity are proud to be the Bristol partners of The World Reimagined, a ground-breaking, national education project transforming how we understand the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans.
“If we’re going to make racial justice a reality for all, it calls on us to courageously face our shared history with honesty, empathy and grace" - Michelle Gayle, The World Reimagined Co-founder
The project features 103 unique globes placed across seven cities in the UK, including nine in Bristol, forming an education trail to allow the public to learn more about the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans.
Trinity are hosting a globe entitled 'Legacy' created by Alex Grose - a local artist specialising in drawing, painting and printmaking. Since 2011, Grose has focussed upon the human condition and lost generations, layering to obscure, destroy, hide, cover, manipulate, strip and wash away images and materials, using these forms of making to symbolise the passage of time and the way history affects memory and knowledge in contemporary society.
The globe will be on display to the public in Trinity's Garden from 13 August - 31 October 2022.
With more than 2m trail visitors; 200+ schools; 75+ community organisations, The World Reimagined will be one of the largest art education projects for racial justice the UK has ever seen. The coming together of art, education, activism and community will make for a unique moment as we examine our shared history and help us to better understand what it means to be British.
Click here to find out more about The World Reimagined.
]]>The Pleasure of Resistance is a free online workshop with award winning Bristol City poet Caleb Parkin exploring ways in which creative writing can be used to amplify messages.
In the workshop you will explore resources you need to 'resist', you’ll be invited to think about joyous, creative ‘marks of resistance’ in your day-to-day life, celebrating their details. Participants are encouraged to bring magazine articles or other forms of writing for inspiration.
This workshop is for writers at all stages, ages and abilities. If you would like to take part please sign up using the ticket link. A Zoom link will be supplied closer to the event. The workshop is free but spaces are limited.
About Caleb Parkin
The works of Caleb Parkin, Bristol City Poet 2020 - 22, have been published widely in journals. He has also won/been shortlisted in major writing competitions across the UK. Caleb tutors for Poetry Society, Poetry School and Cheltenham Festivals, and holds an MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes. His debut pamphlet, Wasted Rainbow was published with Tall Lighthouse in February 2021 and his debut collection, This Fruiting Body, with Nine Arches this October.
About Art of Resistance
Art of Resistance is a two year Heritage Lottery Funded Project exploring 100 years of social activism, protest and civil disobedience in Bristol and the art that underpinned each movement.
]]>Evening talk by Mukhtar Dar, presented as part of Heart & Soul project
Artist, producer, Mukhtar Dar explores the factors that might lead some historic transformations to succeed and others to fail. The demise of Birmingham art centre, The Drum, offers a poignant case study.
Reserve your place by following the ticket link or phoning 0117 935 1200.
About the project
Heart & Soul: celebrating major life events at Trinity Bristol. Throughout 2018 there will workshops, talks and heritage activities for all ages. The project runs along side our most recent capital works and has been made possible with the help of these funders .
You can find out more about the project, including how to get involved and how to contribute archive material here.
]]>Exhibition open from 12.30pm Saturday and 10.30am Sunday.
A series of inspiring talks have been programmed throughout the two days. See below for more details.
Day 1: Art, Roots, Revolution
From reclaiming nature, the landscape and the body to building alternative communities, Bristol’s many protest movements are linked by a common thread. They aim to bring us back to the roots of what makes us human and connected. Across this day we explore the many ways in which creativity is central to protest and reconnection.
Please click through the hyperlink on each talk session that you wish to register for:
1.30 pm Performance from Rider Shafique
2 pm Arts as Activism - Tom Marshman, Michelle Curtis, Rider Shafique
3:45 pm Ring The Alarm - Deasy Bamford, Doug Fransisco, Rosina Al-Shaater
5:45 pm Reclaim Space - Chris Chalkley, Rita Lynch, Freddy Sygrove
6:45pm Performance from Rita Lynch
Workshops led by Bristol City Poet Caleb Parkin, hip-hop artist Craft D, Ruth Ramsay, and more.
Day 2: Call This Equality?
As International Women's Day nears, artists and activists will explore challenging questions around classism and sexism and celebrate female desire, the body, asking how far, if at all, women have made progress in reclaiming the body.
Our talks programme will be followed by performance Dry Season by Kat Lyons. Please click here for tickets and more information.
Resistance is never futile
Entry is Free – Walk ups allowed but please pre-register for the session(s) you wish to attend to help us manage numbers.
Art of Resistance is a two-year, National Heritage Lottery Funded project charting 100 years of protest in Bristol.
Dancers from Gerry's Attic, a dance group for the over 55's take part in a workshop (photo @ Sarah Koury).
Trinity Community Initiative supported community and voluntary groups with over 4000 hours free and subsidised hall space.
Keisha Thompson delivers a workshop to young people as part of our IGNiTE programme (photo @Khali Ackford).
Over 100 people took part in one of the professional workshops delivered by touring companies and artists programmed as part of our IGNiTE theatre and dance programme. Highlights included students from Making Tracks taking part in a vocal looping workshop with Keisha Thompson and Rise Youth Dance taking part in Uchenna Dance’s workshop.
This year we earned a Bronze Attitude is Everything Award, and secured £5,000 funding from the Hedley Foundation and Bruce Wake Charitable Trust to pay for a mobile accessible lift to enable wheelchair users to access our Main Stage.
Josh attends regular 121 music sessions at Trinity's collaborative music making project (photo @ Alistair Brookes).
Our collaborative music making project Making Tracks provided over 400 music sessions for 101 young people, many of whom (85%) struggle with confidence, behaviour, health, well-being or other challenging personal circumstances. Making Tracks makes a difference in peoples lives.
We are committed to conserving and protecting the Trinity Centre for ours and future generations (photo Khali Ackford).
With generous donations from the public, an uplift grant from Historic England and support from Heritage Lottery Fund and, other charitable Trusts & Foundations we raised the much needed funds to complete the major repairs to the fabric of the building.
Trinity's annual Festival of Light along with the Garden Party attract over 3k visitors and feature a line up of the best local musical talent (photo @Khali Ackford).
You can read more about the work we do by downloading our annual report here, or you can find out how you can continue to support the work we do here.
We couldn’t do this without your support, thank you.
We wish everyone the best over the festive season.
]]>Talks include looking at the changing nature of marriage photo @ Khali Ackford
Programmed as part of our Heart & Soul heritage project we will be welcoming national and international speakers to our evening talks, devised in collaboration with Bristol's Architecture Centre and the University of West England (UWE).
The series looks at the challenges and achievements of transforming and preserving historic buildings.
Speakers include: renown Architect Tim Rolands (20 March), known for his development of Jacksons Lane Arts Centre, who will share his unique perspective on transforming historic buildings; Mexican Architect and UWE Senior Lecturer Fidel Meraz (27 Feb) will share his experience of the challenges and successes of transforming a range of disused churches into community hubs; Marcus Hammond, curator of Linconshire's arts centre Slumgothic x-church (17 April) who will draw upon personal experience to explore how 'unfinished' spaces attract new audiences.
Not all transformations end in success, former Drum Art Centre employee Mukhtar Dar, will consider the rise and fall of the Drum (Birmingham) in his talk The Life & Death of an Arts Centre (1 May)
Prof. Brian Heaphy will explore the diversity of marital union in Britain today in his talk From Weddings To Civil Partnerships (29 May) and UWE's Senior Lecturer in Planning Dr Katie McClymont (19 June) will consider how historic buildings, particularly former churches, are now used as sites of secular worship and as community hubs.
Vanguard of Gentrification (10 July) draws together a panel of commentators to explore one of the most contentious and relevant issues in Bristol today. We will close the series of talks with a panel of Trinity's former and current management members, who will discuss the pitfalls and successes of Reconstructing Trinity from Disrepair to Glory (31 July)
Find out more about the talks and how to reserve your free place here and read Heritage intern Tess' notes on our Tuesday talk series.
About the project
Heart and Soul: Trinity in the Community is a celebration of big life events at Trinity. Throughout 2018 there will workshops, talks and heritage activities for all ages. The project runs along side our most recent capital works and has been made possible with the help of these funders.
You can find out more about Heart and Soul: Trinity in the Community here, including how to get involved and how to contribute archive material here.
Thanks to the support of our funders all events in our Heart & Soul project are free. We suggest donation of £2 that will go directly back into Trinity's charitable work.
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From riots in 1831 to the Colston statue and Kill the Bill protests, Bristol has long been a city renowned for radical action. Now, as then, radicalism has been accompanied by an outpouring of creative responses - from poetry to illustration to performance.
Now, Stories of Resistance, a new nine-part podcast series has been launched, uncovering some of Bristol’s lesser-known stories of contemporary activism. From the story of how one moment changed the direction of a grassroots boxing club, to a mother’s journey into disability activism, to changing the face of environmentalism and pushing for better gender representation in the music industry, these podcasts explore the stories of ordinary people fighting for change.
"What I noticed was by taking part in this project people discovered that there are so many people battling injustices and fighting against social injustices and yet so often don’t see themselves as an activist." Miranda Rae, Community Journalist
The series was created by Bristol residents during workshops with award winning journalist and broadcaster Miranda Rae (Sound Women SW and Ujima Radio). Over four months Miranda hosted group and 1-2-1 training sessions where participants learned how to produce, research, record and present a podcast.
The podcasts were commissioned as part of Art of Resistance, our two-year Heritage Lottery Funded project that has been exploring, documenting and celebrating the human stories behind activist movements in Bristol.
The podcasts will be distributed on Ujima Radio on Sundays throughout January at 11am starting on 08 Jan throughout January 2023 and will include interviews with the creators as well as Dr Edson Burton, who is the driving force behind the project. Please note that the episodes may include language and topics that may not be suitable for all audiences.
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